There is a crisis in our NHS

More Tory spin on the NHS, but it will fool no-one

Local Conservatives claims on the NHS are risible. It is a Conservative Government that is forcing deep cuts into essential services. Of course, local Tory candidates are worried because residents can see that their cherished hospital is in crisis.

The maintenance of A&E in Southend-on-Sea is not down to Conservative campaigning - they have largely ignored and argued against those of us who have campaigned. It is down to people like me who have used whatever platforms we have to highlight the real issues with our National Health Service.

The Conservatives have little chance of success in Victoria ward. They last won Victoria in 2000, under the old boundaries. They have not won the ward in its current configuration.

In 2016 the Conservative candidate attracted 15.35 of the vote, as opposed to 54.7% for Labour. However, we should not allow complacency to creep in. Make sure you vote for Margaret Borton on May 3rd (or before if you have a postal vote).

You cannot trust the Tories to look after the NHS in Southend-on-Sea

This chart says it all - worsening waiting times with the Tories in charge.

If you value the NHS don't vote Tory.

Whatever warm words you may get from your Tory candidate, the truth as regards the NHS is very different

Percentage of patients seen in four hours or less major A&E departments first quarter of each year:
 
2005 96%
2006 96.6%
2007 96.8%
2008 96.5%
2009 96.8%
2010 96.9%
2011 94.8%
2012 93.7%
2013 91.1%
2014 92.7%
2015 87.5%
2016 81.8%
2017 81.4%
2018 76.8%
 
Guess what happened in 2010 and 2015? 

2010 - Labour lose election, and the Tories, aided and abetted by the Liberal Democrats, start to starve the NHS of funds, and privatise and dismantle it.

2015 - The Tory clusterfuck on public health continues as they get an outright General Election victory.

Virgin hands off our NHS!

Progress: NHS staff deserve a pay rise

Valkyrie Surgery noticeboards lacking anything on the STP

I feel I need to begin with a caveat: my GP's are excellent. This post is nothing to do with the quality of healthcare provided by The Valkyrie Surgery; it is everything to do with the poor public consultation that is supposed to accompany the Sustainability and Transport Plan.

These photographs are of the five notice boards at The Valkyrie Surgery, not one has anything on the STP. This is no backwater, one-man surgery, rather it is a large clinic within 16 doctors.

If this clinic has nothing on the STP, how is this public consultation process going to work?

Save the NHS

Under the Tories, our NHS has been pushed to breaking point.

Waiting lists in England have soared to around 3.8million, and many hospital trusts across the country are in financial crisis. Local health services in Southend West cannot afford any more of the Tories’ failure.

Our local accident and emergency provision is under threat, threatened by a Conservative Government that also thinks fewer police is a good idea.

You may have seen in the news that if they win the election, the Tories plan to force older residents in Southend West to use the value of their home to pay for care they may need.

 Only Labour will give our NHS and social care services the funding that they need. Only Labour will increase police numbers.

We will immediately halt all Tory hospital closure plans, we will take one million people off NHS waiting lists, and we will put safe staffing levels into law, so that finances never take precedent over patient safety. We will scrap hospital car parking charges, and we will always give mental health the same priority as physical health.

A vote for Labour on 8 June is a vote to stand up for our NHS.

NHS sustainability and transformation plans, what you need to know

Southend Labour Party today published a statement on the Success Regime moves to merge three hospitals

Southend Labour Party today published a statement on the Success Regime moves to merge three hospitals.

Cllr Charles Willis

Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Cllr Charles Willis, said: ”We cannot accept any proposed changes for health and care in Southend unless we see improvements for patients in every line of care for which there are proposals to change. The Success Regime has published evidence demonstrating financial savings for the Government but none that demonstrate why changes will improve the standard of health and care. The NHS is here to help those who are unwell, not to scrimp on care. The NHS has a worldwide reputation for excellence and we cannot afford to see it reduced to cost-cutting rather than delivery world-class care.”   

The Statement was delivered following discussions with key individuals in the Success Regime, Clinical Commissioning Group and debate at Southend Council.

Patient groups and health and care professions will be asked to contribute views to the specific issues contained within the Sustainability and Transformation Plan and latest plans by the Success Regime. The Labour Party will draw upon those comments to shape its response to the final plan expected to be published for consultation later this year.

Statement

The current Government policy of cutting funding from local and national NHS services is based upon the policies of cost-cutting and does not reflect the needs of the UK, and specifically, residents of Southend. Any restructuring of local services must, be based upon the principle of what is best for patients. It must maintain, and preferably enhance, existing standards of care.

The addition of a specialist facilities for people with the most serious health conditions is a valuable asset to South Essex, with the potential to save more lives. These facilities must be utilised efficiently but people must not be taken directly by ambulance to this centre unless clinicians consider this the best option available option.

We must have a network of GPs and associated healthcare providers within easy walking distance for every resident within Southend – the current round of closures of single GP practices must be offset with increased capacity across Southend.

Southend has a higher proportion of elderly residents and we need to be assured that health and social care are working in a much closer manner that facilitates people being able to leave hospital when their treatment has concluded, to a place where a comprehensive, bespoke package of care can be provided to facilitate full recovery.

Southend Hospital requires additional support to become the centre of excellence Southend residents deserve. We look to NHS England and the Department of Health to provide this support. Southend hospital must remain the centre for care for residents, to reduce the stress of travel to other towns for those who are disabled, rely upon public transport, or who have responsibilities such as caring for others. Any option that reduces availability of care at Southend Hospital will deny the strong local night-time economy and potential reduction in patient outcomes due to longer travel times.

There has been a paucity of information available to Southend Council and key stakeholders. It is difficult to fully scrutinise proposals from the Mid and South Essex Success Regime due to this lack of information, or lateness of information arriving in the public domain. An example of this is the lack of any data on patient outcomes. Only by providing this data can the Success Regime expect fully informed views in response to the consultation process about to take place. We consider this consultation process to have been sub-optimal and expects communication to improve in the most critical stages of the work delivered by the Success Regime.

There are no concrete proposals currently before us on which to take a view, and the final decision will rest with NHS England in any case. We will oppose any changes to local health services that are not clearly in the interests of improving patient care.

We will oppose any changes that leave Southend Hospital without a 24hour A&E department. We will oppose any changes that threaten the long-term viability of Southend Hospital, having particular regard to the number of consultants and specialists available to deal with patient needs throughout the hospital. We note that it is current practice to take heart patients from Southend directly to the specialist cardio unit in Basildon. We want to see far more clear data on clinical outcomes that result from this practice. We will support further specialisation only where it is backed up by evidence of improved patient outcomes, not for reasons of cost cutting. 

Cuts to NHS funding threaten our services

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