ffinlo Costain

Initial response by the Save Doddington Hospital campaign to South Fenland Services Review, Final Consultation Document (FCD)

The SDH campaign acknowledges the apparent willingness to consider developing new health services in South Fenland at the current Doddington Hospital site. We welcome the interest the PCT is showing in working to ensure a comprehensive consultation process. We will work adjacent to the PCT to ensure the consultation is brought to as many people in Fenland as possible.

The FCD expresses the ambition of ensuring that “all patients within the PCT have equal access to the same level and standard of care.” We share this ambition. Safety and clinical excellence must be at the core of all decisions taken though this review process.

There is much to be welcome in this Final Consultation Document. For example, recommendations to develop a minor injuries unit, a single out-patient centre, and to improve services available for children and parents of young children are long since overdue.

We are still concerned that the preferred option of the PCT is covered in Siting of Services Option 3 – “A new purpose built facility on a site off the A141, probably near to Wimblington, could offer good access to major roads, and reduce traffic through Doddington village. This position off the A141, would make it possible to include an ambulance base, helping ambulances to reach emergency calls within the National target times.”

The Save Doddington Hospital campaign is very determined that the full scope of additional health services described in the consultation document should be developed on the current hospital site.

The PCT suggests that retaining Doddington Hospital would mean a “compromise in terms of service”. We do not agree that this needs to be the case. We believe money has been siphoned away from Doddington Hospitals for many years, and that this trend must now be reversed. Investment is necessary to provide and excellent service for the future.

The PCT states that “It is anticipated that there will be surplus land, not required for NHS purposes: the PCT should work with the local authority to achieve planning permission, which would allow sale of surplus land for residential use.” We do not agree that this is necessary. Instead if land is available it may be appropriate to consider developing a part of the Doddington Hospital site to provide affordable homes for nursing staff. It is important that clinical staff have access to affordable housing. This should only be allowed where the PCT retains ownership of the land.

A stated aim of the PCT, in relation to the potential sale of land, is to “maximise money coming into the NHS.” We believe that providing an excellent service to all patients is the duty of the PCT. This must be done efficiently, and cost effectively, but patient delivery should be set above a short-term income stream.

In the FCD an old proposal to re-site the hospital in March is re-awakened. However, we believe that this option has not been under serious consideration for some time. The costs associated with building a new facility in March are likely to be much greater than the cost of either building a new facility near Wimblington or developing services on the current Doddington Hospital site.

Option 2 in the Siting of Services section of the FCD reads:
“The PCT already owns this [Doddington Hospital] site, which has provided services for South Fenland residents for many years. It is central to the South Fenland area but has poor public transport links and is not in a main centre of population. The Doddington Hospital site would not however allow the ambulance service to reach emergency calls within he National target times. Expansion of the services on the Doddington Hospital site would increase traffic through the village.”

We would like to address particular issues raised here:

To ensure equal access to care we believe that the maintenance of Doddington Hospital on its current site, in a central South Fenland location is essential. Doddington can provide a central hub around which all other services can be developed. GP’s surgeries should be developed and invested in to ensure high quality service is maintained in the future in conjunction with the central Diagnostic & Treatment centre based at Doddington.

We believe the PCT should commit itself to ensuring better public transport links by engaging creatively with local authorities and public transport service providers.

We contest the suggestion that ambulance services would be unable to meet national targets if based at Doddington Hospital. There is no statistical data (available in the public domain) to back up this assertion. We would like to seek advice from the ambulance service on this point.

Under a section headed “Implications for Option 2,” the PCT suggests it would “develop services on the Doddington Hospital site as outlined above. The feasibility of an education and training facility, extra care sheltered housing for older people with mental illness, housing for health and social care workers, and ordinary residential use would be considered for surplus land.” We welcome this positively and feel these additions to the Doddington site would be very beneficial to the community.

Other issues raised by the FCD are also of concern.

General Practice
In order to ensure that the PCT is best able to work constructively to develop GP surgeries in South Fenland it will be necessary for the PCT to look honestly at the population growth in Fenland. Population has expanded markedly in each of the population centres, but the figures used by the PCT do not seem to reflect this expansion. General Practice support should be increased – but based on true figures.

Intermediate Care and Rehabilitation Services
In the 80s Care in the Community for the mentally ill was a policy that led to significant problems including patients not getting the treatment they needed or deserved. Care in the Community was introduced partly because of the expense of keeping the mentally ill in purpose built facilities.

We would hate to see the same mistake happen again in relation to older patients and other health service users.

Without great care patients can be exposed to reduced levels of service in terms of health and pastoral care, and even danger.

In-patient beds are essential. However we would welcome the introduction of the support that well managed community based intermediate care and rehabilitative support can offer providing it is an addition to current in-patient beds.

If over an extended period of time it can be proven that community based intermediate care and rehabilitative support can work as effectively as in-patient facilities we believe this decision could be open to review. It would be grossly negligent to transfer to a new and untested community based intermediate care and rehabilitative support service at this stage as a replacement to in-patient facilities.

In patient beds are also important so that those recovering from more serious operations can be moved closer to home at the earliest opportunity to ease the effort of long travel over sustained periods for family and loved ones of patients.

Palliative Care
We would support moves to better develop palliative care in the region.

END

A more comprehensive response will follow near to the end of the consultation period.

For more information please call ffinlo: 01354 694 992
News Office: 07834 75 44 56

Initial response by the Save Doddington Hospital campaign to South Fenland Services Review, Final Consultation Document (FCD) The SDH campaign acknowledges the apparent willingness to consider developing new health services in South Fenland at the current Doddington Hospital site. We welcome the interest the PCT is showing in working to ensure a comprehensive consultation process. We will work adjacent to the PCT to ensure the consultation is brought to as many people in Fenland as possible. The FCD expresses the ambition of ensuring that “all patients within the PCT have equal access to the same level and standard of care.” We share this ambition. Safety and clinical excellence must be at the core of all decisions taken though this review process. There is much to be welcome in this Final Consultation Document. For example, recommendations to develop a minor injuries unit, a single out-patient centre, and to improve services available for children and parents of young children are long since overdue. We are still concerned that the preferred option of the PCT is covered in Siting of Services Option 3 – “A new purpose built facility on a site off the A141, probably near to Wimblington, could offer good access to major roads, and reduce traffic through Doddington village. This position off the A141, would make it possible to include an ambulance base, helping ambulances to reach emergency calls within the National target times.” The Save Doddington Hospital campaign is very determined that the full scope of additional health services described in the consultation document should be developed on the current hospital site. The PCT suggests that retaining Doddington Hospital would mean a “compromise in terms of service”. We do not agree that this needs to be the case. We believe money has been siphoned away from Doddington Hospitals for many years, and that this trend must now be reversed. Investment is necessary to provide and excellent service for the future. The PCT states that “It is anticipated that there will be surplus land, not required for NHS purposes: the PCT should work with the local authority to achieve planning permission, which would allow sale of surplus land for residential use.” We do not agree that this is necessary. Instead if land is available it may be appropriate to consider developing a part of the Doddington Hospital site to provide affordable homes for nursing staff. It is important that clinical staff have access to affordable housing. This should only be allowed where the PCT retains ownership of the land. A stated aim of the PCT, in relation to the potential sale of land, is to “maximise money coming into the NHS.” We believe that providing an excellent service to all patients is the duty of the PCT. This must be done efficiently, and cost effectively, but patient delivery should be set above a short-term income stream. In the FCD an old proposal to re-site the hospital in March is re-awakened. However, we believe that this option has not been under serious consideration for some time. The costs associated with building a new facility in March are likely to be much greater than the cost of either building a new facility near Wimblington or developing services on the current Doddington Hospital site. Option 2 in the Siting of Services section of the FCD reads: “The PCT already owns this [Doddington Hospital] site, which has provided services for South Fenland residents for many years. It is central to the South Fenland area but has poor public transport links and is not in a main centre of population. The Doddington Hospital site would not however allow the ambulance service to reach emergency calls within he National target times. Expansion of the services on the Doddington Hospital site would increase traffic through the village.” We would like to address particular issues raised here: To ensure equal access to care we believe that the maintenance of Doddington Hospital on its current site, in a central South Fenland location is essential. Doddington can provide a central hub around which all other services can be developed. GP’s surgeries should be developed and invested in to ensure high quality service is maintained in the future in conjunction with the central Diagnostic & Treatment centre based at Doddington. We believe the PCT should commit itself to ensuring better public transport links by engaging creatively with local authorities and public transport service providers. We contest the suggestion that ambulance services would be unable to meet national targets if based at Doddington Hospital. There is no statistical data (available in the public domain) to back up this assertion. We would like to seek advice from the ambulance service on this point. Under a section headed “Implications for Option 2,” the PCT suggests it would “develop services on the Doddington Hospital site as outlined above. The feasibility of an education and training facility, extra care sheltered housing for older people with mental illness, housing for health and social care workers, and ordinary residential use would be considered for surplus land.” We welcome this positively and feel these additions to the Doddington site would be very beneficial to the community. Other issues raised by the FCD are also of concern. General Practice In order to ensure that the PCT is best able to work constructively to develop GP surgeries in South Fenland it will be necessary for the PCT to look honestly at the population growth in Fenland. Population has expanded markedly in each of the population centres, but the figures used by the PCT do not seem to reflect this expansion. General Practice support should be increased – but based on true figures. Intermediate Care and Rehabilitation Services In the 80s Care in the Community for the mentally ill was a policy that led to significant problems including patients not getting the treatment they needed or deserved. Care in the Community was introduced partly because of the expense of keeping the mentally ill in purpose built facilities. We would hate to see the same mistake happen again in relation to older patients and other health service users. Without great care patients can be exposed to reduced levels of service in terms of health and pastoral care, and even danger. In-patient beds are essential. However we would welcome the introduction of the support that well managed community based intermediate care and rehabilitative support can offer providing it is an addition to current in-patient beds. If over an extended period of time it can be proven that community based intermediate care and rehabilitative support can work as effectively as in-patient facilities we believe this decision could be open to review. It would be grossly negligent to transfer to a new and untested community based intermediate care and rehabilitative support service at this stage as a replacement to in-patient facilities. In patient beds are also important so that those recovering from more serious operations can be moved closer to home at the earliest opportunity to ease the effort of long travel over sustained periods for family and loved ones of patients. Palliative Care We would support moves to better develop palliative care in the region. END A more comprehensive response will follow near to the end of the consultation period. 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HOSTED BY FFINLO COSTAIN - PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE FOR NORTH EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE Promoted by ffinlo Costain, N. E. Cambridgeshire Labour Party, 75, West Street, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. PE16 6HR