MP Peter Luff’s concern over shake-up of hospitals (From Worcester News)
Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting WN NEWS to 80360 or e-mail us
MP Peter Luff’s concern over shake-up of county hospitals
12:20pm Saturday 2nd March 2013 in News By Tarik Al Rasheed
Peter Luff MP
VITAL health services could disappear from Worcestershire if control of one of the county’s main hospitals is handed over to another provider, an MP has warned.
NHS services in Worcestershire are being revamped to try and cut more than £50 million in the next three years and one of the options on the table is for another provider – likely a Birmingham-based hospital trust – to take over delivery of services at Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital.
The other option is for the Alexandra to be downgraded and more serious emergency, women’s and children’s services to be handled by an enhanced operation at Worcestershire Royal in Worcester.
Peter Luff, MP for Mid-Worcestershire, believes the latter is the best option as any move to hand over hospital sites could have “severe consequences”.
“The concern is that someone else might not be so keen to refer specialist patients to Worcestershire, which could damage the viability of services at Worcester,” he said.
“I don’t want to speculate but it is difficult to see Worcestershire Royal and Kidderminster standing alone and providing the services that my constituents need. I think we need to be very cautious indeed about major administrative changes. It could have severe consequences for residents, with important services no longer able to be provided locally.”
The alternative, far more developed, option would see about 25 per cent of emergencies dealt with at Redditch being treated in Worcester.
Mr Luff said he believed this would be the best solution – as does Worcester’s MP Robin Walker.
“I am inclined to think that this is the right way forward,” said Mr Luff.
“All three hospitals are Worcestershire’s hospitals and I think it is about finding the right clinical solution.”
The two remaining options have been whittled down from six by a joint services review (JSR), which published its findings this week.
Responding to Mr Luff, a JSR spokesman said: “The second option, to involve alternative local NHS providers, needs more work.
“This will include the same level of clinical and financial scrutiny that we applied to the first option, where Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust runs all three hospitals.
“Before we take any proposals to public engagement we want to be sure that the impact on the whole of Worcestershire is taken into account.”
A three-month public consultation is expected to take place this summer.
Comments(7)
head thumper
says...
4:43pm Sat 2 Mar 13
Jonathan Wells
says...
10:13pm Sat 2 Mar 13
standard.co.uk/2013/
03/02/news-Break-up-
would-not-hit-servic
es-64496.html), the rest of Worcestershire has nothing to fear from Option 2. Whatever happens, WRH will become a specialised hospital with 24hr A&E, overnight paediatrics and consultant-led Obstetrics. Option 2 will be worked up over the next 3 months, and any issues around clinical services will be resolved by the National Commissioning Board.
Dr Jonathan Wells
Chair/Clinical Lead
Redditch & Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group
Save The Alex
says...
9:16am Sun 3 Mar 13
The financial mismanagement by WAHT is one of the biggest contributors to this situation and that doesn't look like improving anytime soon. Do we really want to be here again in a few years, because they are inept?
Jabbadad
says...
10:59am Sun 3 Mar 13
60% of Worcestershire's 580,000+ population live in major urban areas such as Worcester, Redditch & Kidderminster, the remaining 40% are from a wider area across 650 square miles.
Until this County is able to address the shortage of Surgeons and Senior Doctors, the existing health issues well may increase under whatever leadership, and shortage of finances.
Many of the worries from the man / woman in the street are as valid as the Clinicians who also may be looking at the possible personal financial advantages available, whereas the patients are predominately looking for good health care, and should the new system fail, perhaps wary of a looming privatisation.
And perhaps the people might be reassured if the availability of good health care and connecting transport by car or ambulance which judging by the failure as a County to provide adequate public transport is currently a problem, were to be addressed?
I have every clinical confidence in our Doctors to be Doctors, but I worry greatly at the thought of the responsibility of administrating £900,millions worth of health care each year particularly with a government who are looking at Financing wars from the Welfare System monies and more cuts / savings in Health Care funding.
What we needed was a powerful second chamber in the NHS consisting Clinicians who had the powers to veto the politicians. Changes based upon clinical ideas could then have been made.
Save The Alex
says...
11:32am Sun 3 Mar 13
The public transport links are next to non existent from Redditch to Worcester Royal Hospital, unfortunately we are where we are.
Jabbadad
says...
1:05pm Sun 3 Mar 13
Have to say what a hugely impressive campaign you ran, you could have elected a whole council on that support well done to all involved.
The shortage in numbers of surgeons & senior Doctors was the basis of fully utilising them by more selective / centralised and planned medical services. And it would be very difficult to argue against that as a business case, and that is why we are were we are. We were also told that recruiting had been ongoing over a period of time without success.
Whether this will appease everyone will have to be seen.
Jabbadad says...
2:50pm Sat 2 Mar 13