28 November 2006

Patients will be shifted from community hospitals into care homes under radical plans to privatise health services.

East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) has drawn up proposals for a major shake-up of healthcare across the county.

All beds would be removed from Beverley, Driffield, Hornsea and Withernsea community hospitals.

The PCT would then offer 60 overnight beds at three upgraded hospitals - Bridlington, Goole and an unspecified third.

A further 50 beds would be moved from the NHS into private care homes across the county.

The PCT has not ruled out closing the cottage hospitals.

The move is seen as the latest - and possibly most significant - threat to rural hospitals in the East Riding.

Residents and the Mail have long fought to safeguard services at community hospitals as part of the Hands Off Our Hospitals campaign.

In the most recent victory, plans by the PCT to cut beds at Hornsea Cottage Hospital were blocked earlier this year by the threat of a legal challenge over the way the decision was reached.

Grandmother Jean Waters, 59, of Pickering Avenue , Hornsea, recently spent 10 days in Hornsea Cottage Hospital, where she was treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She said: "Removing the beds from Hornsea Cottage Hospital would be devastating for me and many other people who regularly use it.

"It is very distressing when I get an attack. It is reassuring to know I can be in the local hospital within five minutes if I am struggling for breath.

"I don't believe we would get the same level of care from a nursing home."

Frank Ursell, chief executive of the Registered Nursing Home Association, is also concerned about the plans.

He said: "We will be getting in touch with the trust."

Residents will be asked to give their views during a consultation process, which will be launched on Thursday and run until March.

PCT managers are trying to save more than £20m in a turnaround plan, approved by the Department of Health, to balance the books.

The Mail asked the PCT what assurances it could give that patients would not suffer if beds were moved from hospitals into care homes.

Questions included how much would be saved, how the move would be managed, what level of training nurses in the care homes would have, what the ratio of beds to nurses would be, how often care home patients would be visited by doctors and how much NHS money would go to the care homes.

Quintina Davies, a spokeswoman for the trust, said: "The questions are very specific and depend on the outcome of the consultation.

"We won't be speculating during the consultation process."

Councillor Polly Worsdale has been campaigning for services to be retained at Hornsea Cottage Hospital.

She said: "It's very important Hornsea keeps the services we have got at the moment.

"If we have the same standards of nursing we have now, I would be happy if the beds were in a care home setting."

Residents will have the opportunity to view the proposals and give their comments at a series of four meetings set to start next month.

Details of how people can take part in the consultation and the dates, times and venues of the four meetings will be released on Thursday.

Links

NHS

www.nhs.uk

East Riding Of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust

www.erypct.nhs.uk

Mick Pilling (Comments/writes) Chairman

Save Bridlington Hospital Campaign Action Group

Here we go again, the PCT being a law unto themselves and unaccountable to the public are using back-door tactics and stealth. This will no-doubt up-set, distress and make patients very ill as they wonder were they will end up?  Hospital care is second to non with both Doctors & Nurses highly trained in there profession; to look after the elderly and infirm; we have all seen recently what goes on in these Care Homes?  Not all are tarred with the same brush but you try and tell the poor soles being put in one!  It's nothing more than ludicrous and despicable......I say to the PCT shelve these silly plans before you kill someone.

We all know the most of the Care Homes are closed or are closing; as no-one told the PCT; yes of course they know! they are just trying to balance the books at any cost; stick the oldies in a home or let there family care for them. Is this really the way to treat the people who fought for there country?

Mick Pilling (Chairman)

VERDICT: NHS PRIVATISATION WON'T WORK

Controversial plans to shift patients from NHS hospitals into privately run care homes were today condemned as unworkable.

MPs across the East Riding called on campaigners and residents to resist the move by the East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust (PCT).

And experts said the proposals were financially unviable, with a risk to the quality of patients' care.

Their comments came after the Mail exclusively revealed the PCT wants to close all beds at community hospitals in Withernsea, Driffield, Hornsea and Beverley.

In their place would be 60 beds at three upgraded hospitals - Bridlington, Goole and an unspecified third.

A further 50 beds would then be moved from the NHS and placed into private care homes across the county.

Today, Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness and cottage hospital campaigner, said: "This plan is so out of touch with what people want. That's the most frightening thing.

"I will use every weapon at my disposal to maintain our hospitals in Withernsea, Hornsea, Beverley and beyond. The whole community will work together to protect local services and remind the Government and PCT they are the servants of the people, not the other way around."

East Yorkshire MP Greg Knight said: "I call on the people of the East Riding to make their opposition and their anger at these proposals known. I hope they will be rejected.

"We have time to let the PCT know what they are suggesting is not on."

David Davis, MP for Haltemprice and Howden and shadow home secretary, said: "I'd urge as many people as possible to take part in the consultation and make their views known.

"There have been a number of cuts in local health services in recent months. It is important that before any changes take place, we are clear they are being motivated by concerns over patient care and not merely by financial considerations."

The Mail today calls on protesters to complete a petition published on page 10 of today's paper and online at www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/handsoff, as part of our ongoing Hands Off Our Hospitals campaign.

Petitions will be collected and taken to the PCT to show the strength of feeling against the proposals.

The plans were today condemned by Frank Ursell, chief executive of the governing Registered Nursing Home Association.

He said: "When an NHS patient calls for somebody in the night, it's got to be an NHS member of staff who responds. Its nurses need to be on hand. If the beds are in homes throughout the area, NHS staff won't be able to respond.

"You would need NHS staff working alongside care home staff all the time. The cost would be ridiculous."

Goole and Bridlington hospitals are controlled by neighbouring health trusts. Officials at each told the Mail they would hold talks with the PCT about its plan.

However, care homes contacted at random yesterday said they were unaware of the PCT's proposals.

Chris Coombes, a spokesman for Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust, which runs Bridlington Hospital , said: "It's important we work with (the PCT) to use the resources we have for the greatest benefit for the patients.

"Obviously the PCT has discussed various options with us, but this is a public consultation and it's very much for the public and the trust to decide on the services that are required."

Simon Rigg, of Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We have been in discussion with the PCT over a range of issues about Goole Hospital and will continue to work in partnership with it."

Councillor Simon Pickering, who represents Minster and Woodmansey on East Riding Council, said: "We are looking to organise a public rally from Saturday Market to the Westwood Hospital to galvanise public support to keep that facility open.

"We want to make sure we don't lose any existing services. In the past few years we have seen the primary care trust eroding community hospital services and it's time this is stopped."

No one from the PCT was available to comment.