Stafford Hospital A&E will not re-open overnight before October

Admin

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From the Staffordshire Newsletter:

Stafford A&E will not re-open overnight before October

The Staffordshire Newsletter said:
ACCIDENT and emergency services at Stafford Hospital will not re-open on a 24 hour basis before October.
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The department, which has been closed overnight since December 2011, was due to re-open in June, after a previous date in March fell through.

But now, health chiefs in Staffordshire have made the decision that in order to sustain the improvements made since A&E closed overnight – particularly in light of the number of newly appointed A&E staff – it would be better to work towards an October reopening.
A spokesman from the Staffordshire Cluster of PCTs said: “This opening date will enable the improvements to become embedded and to fully integrate the newly appointed A&E staff into the department.”
Further information about the decision will be available in tomorrow’s Newsletter.
 

Randlesuk

vroom vroom!
lets hope that when it does re-open it is a fantastic hospital facility. Has to be better than it being rushed and not giving the best service available to those that need it.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Doesn't look very promising that the date keeps slipping back. I wonder what the problems really are and whether, in fact, there is any intention for A&E to reopen on a 24hr basis beyond PR spin.
 

1JKz

Well-Known Forumite
i think it's fair enough, i'm convinced the right people have made the right decision about how best to approach opening and closing times of this particular A&E department, i'm sure it's not a run-of-the-mill on-a-whim type of decision.
 

grumpystaffordguy

Well-Known Forumite
Its not good news for the people of Stafford, but better than it opening and doing a sh*t job. Its a shame as someone from Stafford could die in the extra time it takes to get up to North Staffs. For the majority of people although inconvenient I think they will get a better standard of care though. I say this as someone who has on several occasions received a poor standard of treatment at Stafford A&E. The only part I have been impressed with is the children's ward.
 

Poseidon

Well-Known Forumite
Hey Forumites!

Obviously as I am sure, you have heard the news re: Stafford Hospital's A&E. Well to be honest, I think it sounds ridiculous that it's not opening until October now. Especially since that's when the CCG takes ownership of the Hospital.

We really need to do something before Stafford loses it's Hospital and it will come eventually. Even you know that...

"
But now, health chiefs in Staffordshire have made the decision that in order to sustain the improvements made since A&E closed overnight – particularly in light of the number of newly appointed A&E staff – it would be better to work towards an October reopening"...

- But surely, opening the A&E in October will have the same effect of opening it next month? It's understandable the board wants them to "settle in" basically, they've had the beginning of 2012 to settle in but opening A&E later is not going to make any difference.
Anywho, that's me rambling on a little there, do you think it's worth getting a petition/strike etc?
Let me know what you all think :)
Admin Edit: Threads merged.
 

Admin

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RowanDraper

Well-Known Forumite
Anywho, that's me rambling on a little there,
do you think it's worth getting a petition/strike etc?
Let me know what you all think :)
Admin Edit: Threads merged.


There was a Petition started last year, as part of the Save Stafford Hospital campaign, to acknowledge the challenges the Hospital faced. It has raised over 18,000 signatures through the support of committed volunteers during the winter months in the Market Square.

It says:
We the undersigned call upon all those responsible for the future of Midstaffs Foundation Trust Hospital to give the hospital the strong support it needs to retain essential services and to develop effectively to meet the future needs of our community.

We petition you to:

  • Support the Hospital through its current financial challenges.
  • Ensure that the hospital retains a 24/7 Accident and Emergency department.
  • Ensure that the shift to providing more care in the community is conducted carefully, is tested, and that staff are assisted to develop the new skills that they will need to carry out these roles.
  • Ensure that the knowledge of staff, patients, and expert advisors play a central part in finding a creative response to the challenges of meeting the needs of the aging population.
You can sign it here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-stafford-hospital.html
 

Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt

Well-Known Forumite
I honestly can't see the A&E dept at Stafford Hospital opening 24 hours again at all. There is a continuing smoke screen regarding lack of staff to operate the unit etc etc which strikes me as exactly that - a smoke screen. Doctors & nurses could be recruited tomorrow from Eastern Europe if they really wanted to (and within the EU there are no work/travel restrictions to worry about). I'm sure they have no idea there about the recent terrible history attached to it, nor would they care - they would just welcome the work which would be better paid than in their home land.

This is and always has been about saving the trust money. The longer they can "get away" with having a reduced A&E service at Stafford the longer the cost saving goes on - if the 24 hour service is off line for getting on for a year by the time we get to October then they will probably just make the case that it isn't needed because everyone has adjusted to the new arrangements

Of course this takes no heed of inconvienience to the patient having to trek to North Staffs, Wolves, Walsall, Burton etc and potentially dying in the process, it takes no heed on the extra pressure put on those hospitals but then they are all in a different NHS Trust and so Mid Staffs probably could give a flying one about that, just like the Tories couldn't give a flying one about the NHS generally.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Up there at the min with the youngest, woke up in pain and started passing blood. Nhs direct said go to cannock, as we cant drive they said to wait until they can find a doctor then head up to the out of hours gp at the hospital. Seems odd they wouldnt send the gp to the house if he has to travel anyway, but now we're up here we get told under 18s can still be admitted by ambulance? Just seen some go in, but we still have to wait outside. Great!
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
I agree. We waited just over an hour for the GP to show (to be fair they did say wait at home, but we paniced. When they said treatment centre we assumed there were still some doctors!). They said they can be as far away as Stoke or Burton, depends what is happening that night.

She's OK now, was very frightened obviously but seemed better when she went to bed. With hindsight I wish I'd just called an ambulance, sod trying to do the right thing and not bothering them. Because of that we waited much longer than if we'd tied up their resources, seeing others go in was rather frustrating. There isn't even a waiting room or a toilet up there, if the out of hours GP isn't around you have to wait outside. I guess they just assume everyone can drive themselves to cannock so they don't have to worry about it themselves.

EDIT: Just to add I have nothing against the staff up there, they are doing what they can in a difficult situation. Once again just proves what a bunch of ***** the government are though, maybe it should be mandatory for all high up public servants to only use the services they run?
 

staff4ord

Well-Known Forumite
As I understand it if it's a child you will never get turned away from shugborogh ward they are excellent and even if you go into A&E you end up in there any way.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Cheers mate. She's a lot better today, just scared the **** out of the poor girl. Almost back to normal already, amazing that it hit so quick then just cleared up. Wasn't just her who was scared, I've always considered bleeding from the wrong holes a serious condition!
 
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