No threat to Kidderminster as county A&Es face shake up (From Kidderminster Shuttle)
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No threat to Kidderminster as county A&Es face shake up
9:19am Wednesday 27th February 2013 in News
By William Tomaney
More services?: Kidderminster Hospital.
KIDDERMINSTER Hospital is unlikely to suffer from any downgrading as Worcestershire’s health review concentrates on a shake up of A&E services across the county.
Health leaders at a meeting of NHS Worcestershire’s joint services review (JSR) steering group yesterday confirmed all three hospital sites in the county - Kidderminster, Worcestershire Royal, Worcester and the Alexandra, Redditch - would remain open.
Wyre Forest’s MP, Mark Garnier, said the announcement could result in Kidderminster being used to a greater extent by gaining more elective services.
Under the JSR’s proposals the under-threat A&E department at the Alexandra would continue to provide local emergency care alongside a 24-hour minor injuries unit and a GP service on the site.
This would mean about 75 per cent of current urgent and emergency care cases would continue to be treated at the Redditch site - about 20 miles away from Kidderminster.
The A&E department at Worcester would be enhanced to deal with the county’s major emergencies and would include a 24-hour, seven day a week, consultant-led service with “better links to specialist departments” including those treating stroke and heart attack patients.
Chairman of Worcestershire Clinical Senate - a group of healthcare professionals advising the JSR - Lesley Murphy, said: “The JSR work is now concluding.
“Over the coming weeks the county’s clinical commissioning groups will take over the process to ensure options are worked up with the expectation there will be a second phase of engagement after the county council elections in May.”
The review was launched last June and originally threatened Kidderminster Hospital with closure. The process has faced several delays but it is now unlikely Kidderminster will lose any services.
Comments(11)
Can'twaittoleave
says...
10:24am Wed 27 Feb 13
Downgrading/ changing the name of the Alex a&e is designed to confuse the public into thinking they can still access emergency healthcare whilst the Trust avoids funding an emergency department. Essentially, like Kidderminster, fewer and fewer people will see one of those pesky expensive, highly educated doctors...
Please stop pretending that the NHS in the area will improve due to this closure as the comedically, woefully inadequate middle management tiers (who's survival in management roles outside the NHS would be questionable) and the faceless fatcat Directors and CEOs have forgotten what hospitals are for. Managers have no need to remember that people need to be looked after by doctors and nurses when their burgeoning industry of NHS management is very busy milking the no-accountability cash-cow.
gypsyman
says...
10:37am Wed 27 Feb 13
Stephen Brown
says...
11:17am Wed 27 Feb 13
What goes out to consultation should be made clear and concise so that the public understand what is on the table so they can make a judgement for themselves and select a preference. Any 'pre-determination' of an outcome by the NHS is not acceptable and I am not sure the timescales quoted above for consultation events (or whatever it is the CCG proposes - that's unclear) before the election is feasible? Is it sayng they are doing a pre-consultation on any options then a round after the council elections or not? This needs clarifying.
The NHS may or may not get some surprises in any consultation but, afterall, this is our NHS and the view and role of clinicians is only one part of this debate in their need to save money. The public must be listened to.
HowardM
says...
11:43am Wed 27 Feb 13
Also with a major reconfiguation of the Ambulance service already being planned it is interesting to note the Press Release put out by the Trust suggested that discussions about capacity and the Ambulance services ability to meet demand was of major inportance to their proposals.
There are still some fundamental questions to be asked and the Trust's answers will be interesting.
Shibdrift
says...
12:19pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Isn't that what every football manager hears just as they get thrown out of the door?
As for "public consultation" - don't make me laugh.
More detritus from on high.
FranOb
says...
5:14pm Wed 27 Feb 13
DOEPUBLIC
says...
1:04am Fri 1 Mar 13
It would appear that the true reality is still being hidden behind deliberately poor communication,creati
ve phrases and cynical use of structures. The present delay of the consultation period shows the poverty of research in the initial materials presented. There needs to be Urgent Care Centred on all the assets of our health service to ensure compassion for all, not just political and financial comfort for the few. Sadly it would appear vested interests will profit from creating a market place of the vulnerable.
HowardM
says...
12:10pm Fri 1 Mar 13
Stephen Brown
says...
4:13pm Fri 1 Mar 13
All the talk of 'saving' Kidderminster Hospital will be exactly that...talk... if the CCG are forced by the Act to look elsewhere, despite their best intentions to use our existing NHS facilities, if a private sector operator complains.
Redditch people need to make their voices heard and I hope they do; but like DOEPUBLIC says, ultimately any downgrading of any facility is not good or welcome news universally despite what it might mean for Kidderminster and Wyre Forest being a 'qualified' safe(er).
All of this puts to bed any notion that the NHS is safe in Tory hands...it simply is not as funding is squeezed and the double-talk continues at anational level in Govt.
Worcestershire is a big county and deserves more than one A&E but the money and the clinicians have more influence than the people at present it seems.
I find it difficult to criticise the level of engagment the NHS has had with the Hospital Alliance as it has been good, but what can be criticised is the underpin of all this - NHS funding and Govt policy which are working against the people.
This is no time to feel any sense of relief. The worst is yet to come I fear.............
DOEPUBLIC
says...
5:13pm Mon 4 Mar 13
rees.org.uk/page/spe
akout/nhs-section-75
-legal-advice-speako
ut
FranOb says...
10:14am Wed 27 Feb 13
We must now make the case, WHEN the Public Consultation starts in May,for MORE elective surgery at Kidderminster Hospital.