Someone is not happy with how A&E operates

A hospital visit yesterday, and a drink in the cafe afterwards. This is what was left on every table.

I cannot be sure who distributed it, but “Former A&E Patients who ar sadly not with us anymore” may be a clue – although (of course) dead people cannot write and print leaflets.

Clearly someone, or some people, are unhappy with the way the hospital is being run nowadays. However, this is an odd leaflet, and this is a strange complaint. Statistics have been collected for years, and computers are an essential aid. I cannot imagine healthcare without either.

A&E downgrading

I have been sent the following email, and the author has given permission  for me to reproduce it here:

I am a nurse currently employed by Southend Hospital as an Deputy sister in critical care and as an outreach nurse  my role is to assess Deteriorating patients throughout the hospital and attending all cardiac arrests. I frequently go on transfer to specialist hospitals such as Basildon and London hospitals  However these patients are first taken to southend to stabilise them as many cases for example stroke patients emergency treatment is  time critical. This will not happen if the current plans go ahead.

I've seen the proposals and only one of them has southend as a specialist emergency dept. 

I've gone on many transfers and even with a blue light travelling on the 127 or A13 can take a long time to get to the destination and trying to give treatment in the back of an ambulance is very difficult and I don't believe it can be sustained for a long period of time.

As for emergency obstetric and Paediatric  cases going to Broomfield it is utterly ridiculous and will put many lives at risk.The present system for emergency Paediatric cases is to admit them to southend stabilise them and wait for the CATS retrieval team to arrive if need be we will admit the child to Critical Care to await transfer.

Finally how do they expect relatives to get to Basildon or Broomfield in an emergency situation. We have an elderly population who do not drive, and for those who can drive our roads to Basildon and Broomfield are always busy and will take some considerable time to get to their loved one's who may possibly die before they arrive. 

I am not against specialist hospitals but patients need to be assessed and stabilised before transfer.

On seeing the proposals it appears that Southend will continue with its excellent cancer services but other than that it will be downgraded to the old cottage type hospitals of the 60' and 70's. I do believe the ultimate aim will be to have a Monday to Friday 9 to 5pm A&E of course denied at present. 

I have seen many changes throughout my 40 yrs of nursing but as always we spend lots of money making changes with more and more managers rather than putting the money into patient services. These changes no doubt will go ahead against the will of local people. As always with the N H S  at a later date it will also be shown not to work and back to the drawing board as is the case at Whipps Cross and London hospital.

The only answer to the NHS crisis is money for social care to discharge patients, better mental health care and generally more money Into the NHS by increasing national insurance ring fenced for the NHS. Also shortage of nurses will get worse with the removal of the bursary why would you train to be a nurse when you can get  bursary for teaching or an apprenticeship scheme for other forms of employment

I would be happy to sign any petition or help with the campaign if needed. 

Thank you for your time. Angela Meads

Organisations Unite to Fight A&E Closure

PRESS RELEASE

With threats to our local hospital services causing alarm among residents, health workers and associated organisations, it was decided to step up the campaign and make plans on how best to fight the imminent cuts.

On Wednesday evening, 5th April 2017, representatives from political parties, trade unions, residents associations, and campaign groups gathered for a meeting in the Beecroft Gallery to discuss formulating an action plan to fight the proposed downgrading of Southend Hospital’s A&E department.

Mike Fieldhouse outside Southend A&E

Among those in attendance was Milton Labour Councillor Julian Ware-Lane. He said: “this was a good meeting, with many positive ideas thrown into the mix. A diminished healthcare provision is a real worry, and I know that this issue will affect many people.

“The local population have to be made aware of the implications of the changes being put forward by the Conservative Government. We must try to stop this.”

The plan to downgrade Southend’s A&E has been in the public domain for some time but local residents are only now beginning to wake up to the fact that, despite the promises made by the managers of our health service, we are going to lose our full 24 hour, blue-light, A&E facility at Southend hospital. Those gathered at the meeting agreed for the need to raise the profile of what is happening to healthcare in this corner of Essex.

Several campaign decisions were made at the meeting, and it was decided to launch a petition locally to press for Southend Borough Council to reject these plans - all residents will be encouraged to lobby their ward councillors by email or letter. Over the next few months, numerous street stalls are planned to pop up around the borough with volunteers collecting signatures and distributing leaflets about the cuts. A major event is also planning for a march through Southend town centre, culminating in a rally to demonstrate local people’s strength of feeling against these cuts to services.

To organise the campaign, and to help unite the various interested member organisations, it was further decided to join all forces under one umbrella by creating ‘Save Southend A&E’ - a non-partisan action group dedicated to keeping Southend’s A&E department open 24 hours a day to deal with all emergencies. Southend Against the Cuts and Southend Keep Our National Health Service Public are backing this new group.

Also at the meeting was Mike Fieldhouse, the Labour Party’s spokesman for Prittlewell Ward. Mike said: “I’m absolutely delighted that all these people and groups have joined forces - this shows the unity in the local community against these proposals.

“In reality, this is a matter of life or death, it’s something we have to take action on with the utmost urgency or our A&E department will be downgraded before we know what’s happened. I would urge anyone who cares about our NHS to join our campaign to save the A&E services at Southend hospital.”

View page 10 of this document for more details: Fight grows for Essex A&Es
http://www.healthcampaignstogether.com/pdf/HCTNo6.pdf

Saving Southend A&E

Last night a couple of dozen keen volunteer activists gathered in the Beecroft Gallery to set up Save Southend A&E.

This is an informal organisation, born from a desire to save health services in the Southend area. Southend Against The Cuts and Southend Keep Our National Health Service Public are backing this new group.

Those gathered agreed for the need to raise the profile of what is happening to healthcare in this corner of Essex. Street stalls, leaflets and a demo were discussed.

So far there are no officers, although I did agree to help administer the Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/SavingSouthend

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23savingsouthend

Degraded A&E in Southend is going to happen

Despite assurances, accident and emergency provision at Southend University Hospital is going to be downgraded. It is not a question of 'if', but of 'how much?' This affects not only the blue light  services, those people conveyed by ambulance, but also those that arrive at A&E under their own steam.

The proposals do not include a 'none of the above' option, and so only Basildon will have a full A&E operation, whilst Chelmsford and Southend are seeing changes. This has ramifications beyond the quality of healthcare provided.

The most obvious objection, oft repeated in almost every conversation I have had on this subject, are on the subject of extended journey times. Those living in the east of the Borough will not only drive pass Southend Hospital, but whilst doing will be doubtless noting that their journey is not even at the halfway mark.

When every second counts, substantially increasing journey times is a very bad idea indeed.

But what of those whose treatment is done? However you look at it, getting back from Basildon could be very expensive, and taxi fares in the middle of the night will hit hard-worked pockets.

Visitors will also have to endure longer journey times, meaning for some that a visit will become rarer, if not abandoned as impossible.

Of course I will be defending my local hospital, a building close enough to be viewed from my childhood bedroom window. But I am not looking to get one over on Basildon and Chelmsford. I weep at their degradation too.

It looks like the National Health Service is getting harder to access, contrary to the ideals of those who founded it in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War.

PRESS RELEASE

Cllr Nevin on PET-CT services in south Essex

From December 2016, the interim arrangements for PET-CT service will be:

·         1 day per week of the mobile service at Basildon – an average of 13 patients per day / 52 patients per month. This number of days to be increased flexibly if this capacity is insufficient for the demand. There are currently 75 patients per month referred to the service from Basildon Hospital clinicians, which includes those patients seen at Basildon hospital who live closer to Southend.

·         2 days per week at the fixed service at Southend – an average of 18 patients per day / 128 patients per month. There are currently 105 referrals to the South Essex PET-CT service from hospitals other than Basildon.

Milton ward councillor, Cheryl Nevin, is Vice Chair of the  People Scrutiny Committee; she is also a member of the Essex and Southend Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee which is reviewing PET Scanner Services

 Cllr Cheryl Nevin said "I am delighted that NHS Commissioners have decided not to delay further the interim commissioning of PET Scanner services at Southend Hospital, whilst representations, made by Thurrock HOSC, are reviewed by Secretary of State for Health" .

She added: "It makes perfect sense to start treating patients for early diagnosis of cancers and cardiovascular conditions, in face of the recent unprecedented increase in demand."