Tuesday 11 April 2017

Are They Running Scared?


April 2017
Dear Supporter,

Who is telling the truth? For nearly 5 years Save Our Hospitals has been campaigning, with local residents, to keep Charing Cross Hospital open as a major acute hospital. In 2014, a Labour administration was elected to a large extent because they promised to fight to keep Charing Cross open.

Now, after all this time, the  NW London collaboration of CCGs (i.e. the health bosses for NW London) and Imperial College Healthcare Trust (of which CX is part) have decided to challenge Steve Cowan, leader of H&F Council (pictured above at the NHS demo).

Health bosses claim that 'there have never been any plans to close Charing Cross Hospital'. But they go on to say that there is 'a clear commitment that there will be no reduction in Charing Cross's A&E department or wider services within the lifetime of the [STP] plan (that runs until April 2021)'.

Let's look at what is being claimed! First, at both CCG meetings and at Imperial Board meetings, when challenged about the future of CX, Health bosses admit that, while there has been a stay of execution, the plans to close CX as a major acute hospital are still in place. Further, they acknowledge not just that there will be very few beds at CX (a loss of 300+) but also that what remains will be considerably less than what the general public thinks of as a hospital! They say it will be a 'local' hospital - but can't tell us much about what this may be. Few beds, a facility for elderly (as yet undefined), an Urgent Care Centre - but no blue light ambulances, no acute beds and no consultants on site.

To claim, as health bosses are doing, that this means that the hospital has never been marked for closure and that it is now safe because they can't safely 'downgrade' it, is really playing with words.

The fact is, that plans to close Charing Cross and its sister hospital, Ealing, have only been put on hold because it is NOT SAFE to close them when there is an ongoing A&E and bed crisis across NW London. Rather than attack the council, the CCG should withdraw the STP which aims to cut huge amounts from health provision for NW London residents.

We fully support the Council in its fight to save Charing Cross as a major acute hospital. They were elected to do this!

For those who have received the H&F window bill, we'd love you to put it up in your window if you haven't already done so. We also have copies if you need one! Although SOH is not party political, we do support the current administration in their fight for OUR hospital.


              

          ENDLESS CUTS?

In our last newsletter, we updated you on the major cuts resulting from the STP - based on health bosses' own figures - for job losses, planned admissions, outpatient appointments and hospital beds. 

We have now discovered, at the last CCG Board meeting, that the CCG is under major financial pressure. CCGs are legally required to balance their books. It is now the case that the H&F CCG needs to find £16.39m - £7m more than was predicted - in 'savings' in the coming financial year. And this position is, apparently, similar across the 8 CCGs in NW London.

Commissioners were unable to say, in the meeting, just where these 'savings' could be found. However, it is probable that cuts to health provision, rationing of treatments and cuts to staffing are increasingly likely. We will monitor this as well as we are able and keep you informed. We will continue to support NHS staff who are working under impossible pressures and increasingly asked to do more for less. And we will continue to work with other campaigners across NW London and nationally to protect the NHS.

It is worth reminding supporters that the amount of GDP spend on the NHS is significantly lower that that spent in most other European countries - and about half that spend in the USA.
BROMPTON - ANOTHER HOSPITAL UNDER ATTACK
Campaigners gathered near Brompton Hospital on March 18th to protest against the plans to close the prestigious congenital heart disease services at Royal Brompton. This was a very lively demonstration, with full support from Brompton staff and governing body, as well as from parents, patients, politicians and local people. The lively carnival atmosphere showed the determination of all these campaigners not to lose yet another health provision.

You can read more details on the Brompton website: http://www.rbht.nhs.uk/about/news-events/thousands-march-to-save-royal-brompton-services-from-closure/ 
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

WE WILL BE TAKING AN EASTER BREAK ON 15TH APRIL - enjoy the holiday!

12th April     Open Planning Meeting - 7.30-9.30pm Hammersmith TH

We welcome anyone interested in our campaign to join us and help plan our activities.

22nd April    Shepherd's Bush Market, 2.00-4.00pm. Uxbridge Rd end

29th April     North End Rd Spring Fair, 10 am - 4 pm.

This is always a fun event - come when you can and join the fun!


Best wishes,
Merril
Chair, SOH
To email SOH:
scxandh@gmail.com

SOH on the web:

Thursday 6 April 2017

Charing Cross Hospital: Council hits back at health bosses' formal complaint over 'closure' letter

Hammersmith and Fulham leader Stephen Cowan said the rebuke from NHS and CCG bosses was a bid to 'shut down the Charing Cross Hospital conversation'


Charing Cross Hospital, in Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith


The formal complaint made by NHS bosses against Hammersmith and Fulham Council is “the latest in a long line of attempts to hide the truth about their Charing Cross Hospital closure plans”, it has been claimed.

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and the clinical care group (CCG) commission accused the local authority and its leader Stephen Cowan of making “inaccurate and misleading information” over the hospital’s future.
The trust and CCG insisted there are no plans to close Charing Cross or reduce its A&E capacity, and that the hospital is benefiting from a £2.5 million investment in urgent and emergency care services and theatres.
Cllr Cowan hit back, saying health bosses are “trying to shut down the conversation”.
Dr Tracey Batten, from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital in Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, and Clare Parker, the chief officer of the North West London collaboration of (CCG) spoke out after letters were sent to council residents informing them that “NHS bosses have re-launched plans to close Charing Cross” as part of the north west London sustainability and transformation plan (STP) .
Dr Batten and Ms Parker said the letter was “likely to cause significant, unnecessary distress to patients and staff” and demanded Cllr Cowan publicly retracts them.


Cllr Stephen Cowan: 'The facts are perfectly clear to us'

In response, Cllr Cowan said: “This complaint from local health bosses is the latest in a long line of attempts to hide the truth about their closure plans – and frighten those people who oppose them.
“It follows their appointment of costly spin-doctors M&C Saatchi, their failure to publish a business case for Charing Cross, their deeply flawed public consultation and their repeated failure to answer questions on the long term future of Charing Cross Hospital.
“The facts are perfectly clear to us – North West London NHS published plans in 2013 to axe services at Charing Cross . Their letter of complaint reiterates that it’s still their intention to implement these plans.
“H&F Council has opposed these plans, and is proud to work with dedicated local residents to fight them.
“Recently published figures show growing waiting times and a spike in admissions at Charing Cross . Instead of trying to shut down debate, local health bosses should be focusing on helping their hard-pressed staff deal with these huge challenges.”​

The letter sent out to Hammersmith and Fulham denizens by council leader Stephen Cowan
He was speaking after new figures showed the A&E department at Charing Cross saw almost 500 more patients in February than it did in the same month two years ago.
There were 3,289 people seen by the department during the month – an increase of 493 on February 2015.
Dr Batten and Ms Parker had previously told Cllr Cowan: “As you will be fully aware, there have never been any plans to close Charing Cross Hospital.
“You will also know that, far from ‘re-launching’ proposals for changes at Charing Cross, the North West London Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) made a clear commitment that there will be no reduction in Charing Cross’s A&E department or wider services within the lifetime of the plan (that runs until April 2021).


Tuesday 4 April 2017

Hospital reprieve is not permanent



http://www.standard.co.uk/comment/letters/es-views-uk-cant-assume-it-holds-all-the-aces-in-brexit-talks-a3507181.html

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