What is going to happen to our local hospitals?

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diana smith

Diana Smith
There is a lot going on at the moment. This area is top of the list for "re-configuration" which will determine what our health service is like for the next 30 years.

Here is a list of dates for public meetings where you can find out some more.

Monitor are trying to work out if the financial holes can be plugged.
The CCGs Clinical Commissioning Groups are trying to work out what their priorities should be when they do not have enough money to go round.
District General hospitals all over the country are on the ropes as a string of recent reports show us.

In this area the CCGs have realised that they have not yet done enough to communicate with the public and have stated that they will aim to ensure that the public consultation, that they must do to justify the changes they propose, reaches 140,000 people. This contrasts with other areas like Trafford where the the "public consultation" reached almost none of the public and was just a rubber stamp exercise for a hospital downgrade.

There are a number of people trying to keep an eye on what is happening - but it is a vast job - and we need more people to keep track. If you are able to get to any of the public meetings to help work out what on earth is going on then your help would be really welcome!
 
arthur

arthur

Nixon Garden Neatness
I went to a public meeting about the hospital tonight in Thirlmere Way Rising Brook it was very interesting
The CEO and another member of staff tasked with looking into the failures and putting improved practises into place welcomed the input from those attending.
They were very open about how they are trying to move the hospital forward. They have a heck of a job to get past such a bad past performance but they are taking measures such as sacking staff that cannot be kind and caring to sick patents and making sure that enough staff are available to take a sick person to the toilet, its a good place to start.
If anyone has recent bad experiences of the hospital they should attend the public meetings to ensure that they get to hear individual stories.
 
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diana smith

Diana Smith
Withnail said:
I might be able to do the 18th December gig - what does it entail?
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Would have liked to be able to show you an agenda - but nothing up yet.
89a6-f462c2c50842/26-06-2012.aspx this shows recent activity.
It has been quite dramatic recently as Governors recommended the re-opening of the A&E after the safety conditions were met - and then this was blocked by the CCG who control the purse strings, after the intervention of Monitor, who are the governments agency to ensure that the costs of the NHS are cut.
You may have seen press headlines at the time - the chair of governors was not at all happy.
The public dont get to do a lot. Can watch proceedings, learn to read between the lines, and then get a bit of time for questions at the end.
The governors often feel that they do not have clear support from the public - and as they are going to be involved in making difficult decisions they may need to understand the public mood.
You would help just by being there. - Some of the other meetings listed - especially the question times - are intended to be much more interactive.
 
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diana smith

Diana Smith
Glad you felt they were being open and responsive. I always feel this too. - Would like public to attend not just if they have had bad experiences, but if they want to protect the services too.
 
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hellsbells01785

Active Member
I have heard this week from a reliable source that stafford hospital will be knocked down in the next couple of years and the land used for housing. I dont know how true this is , but as i said a reliable source . sad if its true .
 
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Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
That is just silly. The fact there is nothing on the future of Stafford Hospital and we are a long way from that even if it goes moobs up still. Cannock on the other hand look very likely to go at this stage with talk of it being owned by the public as a last ditch. This has been plastered all over the news the last couple of weeks and even if this goes through it would be a couple of years yet.

Don't worry about Stafford, it will remain in some capacity worse case scenario.
 
proactive

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
hellsbells01785 said:
N o need to call me silly is there ?/ i am only repeating what i have been told and as isaid a reliable source.
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Rumours always stem from a 'reliable source' and like 99% of statistics, are made up or ill informed. Whatever the situation at Stafford hospital, closure and turning the land into housing could not possibly happen in the time-scale you alluded to.

I can't see the hospital closing any time soon as there is not the capacity in the vicinity to cope. Sadly, I can't say the same for Cannock which would be a real pity as that is a quality hospital, with excellent staff, sadly underused.
 
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hellsbells01785

Active Member
John said:
Rumours always stem from a 'reliable source' and like 99% of statistics, are made up or ill informed. Whatever the situation at Stafford hospital, closure and turning the land into housing could not possibly happen in the time-scale you alluded to.

I can't see the hospital closing any time soon as there is not the capacity in the vicinity to cope. Sadly, I can't say the same for Cannock which would be a real pity as that is a quality hospital, with excellent staff, sadly underused.
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ohhh dear! i do not allude to anything.
 
D

diana smith

Diana Smith
Went along to the public meeting at Cannock. There were over 200 people there which was very helpful. They made it very clear to Ernst & Young that they wish to keep the hospital and that they want it to remain with the NHS. A member of the public asked if they could see a future for Cannock Hospital within the NHS. They replied Yes.

It would be really useful if a lot of people come to the Stafford public meeting too.

Ernst & Young are saying that their role at the moment is to try to understand what is possible, and what is needed. They do not have a set answer, and the date that they will report to Monitor has been set back at the request of a number of different people involved in the process.

The major issues that they are facing are these:
  • The hospital is losing money month after month (but we know many others including Stoke are too)
  • There is a national shortage of some kind of staff including A&E - and that means there is a trend to centralised provision.
  • Acute medicine is becoming more specialised - so there is a need for a larger catchment area to support a specialisation.
  • The hospital stay time is falling steadily - so many more people are treated as day patients or short stay - so less beds needed.
  • Many of the admissions to A&E are at present inappropriate - they happen becuase there is a lack of a joined up approach with primary care and with community care.
  • They want to start looking not just at what we provide here and what we want to keep, but what is the right provision for the future when we will have so many more elderly people, including many with dementia.
Once Ernst & Young have made their initial recommendations, they will enter a period of consultation to test these, which will last until end of March.
If the decision is made that the hospital cannot be made financially viable then there is another period of consultation required.

It is not yet clear to me how these consultations will happen. The CCG does not have an established route to counsulting with the public. LINk are being claimed to be the leading body to head this consultation, buy how many people are actively involved with LINk?

The decisions that are made will affect our health service for the next 30 years. I am not confident that we have the right vehicles for the public to be consulted. I think that the public may need to drive this process themselves.
 
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diana smith

Diana Smith
Another related "rumour" that I have heard -from a reliable source - is that there is to0 be a new state of the art dementia village on Stone Road. If this is true I would like to know who it is being developed by, and who is likely to profit from it..
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
diana smith said:
Another related "rumour" that I have heard -from a reliable source - is that there is to0 be a new state of the art dementia village on Stone Road. If this is true I would like to know who it is being developed by, and who is likely to profit from it..
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Anything to do with this - http://www.staffordshirenewsletter....ities-at-heart-of-Stafford-plans-15112012.htm ? There was a two-day consultation on Co-operative Street a few weeks ago - http://www.staffordforum.com/xf/ind...rative-street-development-consultation.10432/ .
 
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