"The Mid Ulster Minor Injury Unit is still the only emergency unit within the Northern Health Trust to see an increased demand, yet was not featured by the Turnaround team appointed by Edwin Poots to resolve the emergency care crisis within the Trust." Save The Mid
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CALLING ALL MID ULSTER RESIDENTS
Can everyone take the time and attend the meeting tomorrow, 6th December Night at 7pm in Magherafelt Council. This meeting will give you the opportunity to question the 'Transforming Your Care Panel' and local Council members about the future plans of your local health and social care services in Mid Ulster. http://coleraine.thechronicle.uk.com/articles/news/30859/hospital-meeting-a-farce
Hospital meeting a ‘farce’ Thursday, 6 December 2012 The 'Transforming Your Care' meeting on the Causeway's future – described as "an absolute farce." A HOSPITAL pressure group has described a meeting with health chiefs on the Causeway's future as "an absolute farce." The comments from Cliodhna Rae, chair of the Causeway Hospital Campaign group, came at the conclusion of a public forum on 'Transforming Your Care' review of healthcare provision across Northern Ireland. The Causeway Hospital was inevitably top of the agenda at the consultation event in the Sandel Centre last Tuesday. Included on the panel were Chief Executive of the Health and Social Care Board, John Compton, Chief Executive of the NHSCT, Sean Donaghy and Chairman of the Northern Local Commissioning Group, Dr Brian Hunter. The meeting came hot on the heels of the Patient and Client Council Roadshow at the end of October and unfolded in almost exactly the same way. Indeed, the same issues around the hospital were raised once again and the same confusion seemingly reigned amongst those present. Despite the scope of the TYC consultation, summarised by John Compton on the night, the future of Causeway dominated debate, despite myriad questions submitted on other aspects of the proposed healthcare changes. The assembled crowd also did not take well to the fact the first hour of the two-hour event was tied up with a presentation and not questions and answers. “This is an absolute farce of a meeting," Cliodhna Rae, chair of the Causeway Hospital Campaign group told the panel as the evening was tied up. Chair of Save the Mid, Hugh McCloy, echoed her sentiment, adding that after two years of public meetings, the community continued to be "effectively silenced from asking any questions". Queries focused on what effect the public consultation would have on the outcome of TYC, with questions also asked about allocation of resources and how savings were being made. The potential link-up with the Western Trust was also highlighted, as well as the future of residential homes and access to GP services. Comparisons A number of comparisons between Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Hospital were also made, although Sean Donaghy said that to "characterise Antrim as a bogey man is wrong". He said that Antrim surgeons and physicians "would quail at the moment" if anything was to happen to Causeway and that comparison between the two hospitals was unfair. When challenged by Causeway Hospital Campaign about the staggering difference in staff numbers at both facilities, Mr Donaghy said this was because Antrim dealt with 73,000 patients per annum and Causeway with 44,000. "We rely on both hospitals to co-operate and support one another," he said. "We'd rather focus on the positives." Some controversy arose regarding the allocation of a new MRI scanner, which Causeway Hospital Campaign said Causeway Hospital had missed out on. A recently retired physician from Causeway, Dr Gilmore, added that there had been "little investment in Causeway," with fewer staff and no dialysis unit on site. Sean Donaghy responded by saying they had to "wait for commissioners" to decide "what's the right pattern of service in Northern Ireland and is Causeway part of that." MId Ulster Hospital Cut as NHSCT Go Private for Inpatients - Brooklands Awarded £400k Contract11/29/2012 The Northern Health & Social Care Trust (NHSCT) has cut more inpatient beds in Trust owned facilities in favour of spending money to send patients to privately owned health clinics. The project was headed by former Director of Acute Services Valerie Jackson, read more on here removal from the NHSCT link On the 27th November 2012, at a publically recorded meeting hosted in the Sandal Centre, Coleraine, John Compton CEO of the Health & Social Care Board and Sean Donghy CEO of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust both stated that Northern Ireland has to many inpatient beds in its hospitals. While in the same instance they are so short for beds that they now have to pay private health companies to hire out their beds. Brooklands Private Health Centre as been awarded £430,155 of tax payers money to provide 15 intermediate health care beds, not unlike the type of beds that have recently been removed from the Mid Ulster Hospital. In addition to this Dalriada Urgent Care was awarded £86,418 to provide back up services. The question is are our Hospitals too big or too small? Evidence would suggest to small and getting smaller every month. The most affected people here will be elderly people living in Mid Ulster and their families. This is sickening that this is happening during the consultation for the future of health in Northern Ireland, how much do people in Mid Ulster have to suffer before there are clear, sustainable and identifiable services in Mid Ulster. Save The Mid revealed in October the loss of beds within the NHSCT, "Within the Northern Trust for the year 2011/12 a total of 97 beds was lost, 38% of which were in the Mid Ulster hospital. Since the Northern Trust came into effect a total of 362 beds have been lost. Although the Trust intends to open a new 24 bedded ward at the Antrim there will still be a net loss of beds, bed shortages are one of the most clinical dangers within the Trust, one which they compound by their own actions." - read more here BED LOSS NHSCT For more information the dangers of Bed Shortages read Rutter and Hinds report, as according to Valerie Jackson, former Director of Acute Services NHSCT, 90% of all patients left waiting in A&E was due to the fact there were no beds - Link The reason why Mid Ulster hospital in not utilised more is due to the fact that before the end of public consultation in January 2013 the government want to shut it down regardless of what the public say. Unfortunitly for Mid Ulster residents they have been mislead once again by the government in the publications that have been recieved. Contracts awarded by NHSCT
DRAFT DELIVERY PLAN 2012/13D
To update from the last patient survey that showed some of the most shocking experiences from patients ever recorded in A&E, Save The Mid are now carrying out another survey.
The previous survey was submitted to the Health Minister & the Compton Health Review, like before this again will be presented to the Health Minister when complete. You can find the survey here - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KL3532F MId Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone states new A&E at Antrim Area Hospital is 2 years too late, while he may have a point the new A&E at Antrim Area Hospital is 13 years to late, still no bigger than the existing one and still not best geographically placed to serve the needs of the residents it serves.
In 2001 Developing Better services stated Antrim required among other buildings a new A&E. Again in 2006 when A&E services at the Mid Ulster hospital were placed on part time opening hours, this new A&E facility was required but not there.In May 2010 when both Whiteabbey and Mid Ulster lost its A&E's this new build was required but was not there. By the time the new A&E opens it will be 3 years since to total closure of A&E's at the Mid Ulster and Whiteabbey Hospital sites. What is yet to be revealed is:
While the new A&E will be challenged through assembly questions Save The Mid will still challenge that a new A&e is not in the best interests of Mid Ulster residents and is not a life saving service for everyone across the Northern Health & Social Care Trust. McGlone: Proposed New Antrim Emergency Department ‘Two Years Too Late’ SDLP Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone has given a cautious welcome to the unveiling of the proposed design of the new Emergency Department at Antrim Area Hospital. The department is not due to be open until Spring 2013. Mr McGlone said, “The proposed new Emergency Department at Antrim Area Hospital will certainly be a welcome improvement to the facilities currently available. It ticks all the boxes required of a modern state-of-the-art emergency department. “But it is at least two years too late. “This is the sort of investment at Antrim that the Trust and the Minister assured everyone would be made before Accident and Emergency units at other hospitals, like the Mid Ulster at Magherafelt, were closed. “Instead it has taken a very public crisis to develop at Antrim before the required investment is to be made. “What this investment doesn’t do is address the current situation. “The pressure on frontline staff at Antrim Area Hospital will not be alleviated now by the proposed opening of a new Emergency Department a year down the line. “The failings of senior management revealed in the recent reports on the problems at Antrim will not be resolved by this either. “There remain very serious concerns about the situation that was allowed to develop at Antrim. Those concerns have not been addressed by this PR exercise. “I will continue to press the Minister to state clearly what action he is taking to address the negative impact on public confidence in our health service the situation at Antrim has had.” UTV - A protest was held on Friday outside the Northern Trust's headquarters in Ballymena as a meeting took place to discuss the future of the Causeway Hospital.
Belfast Telegraph - Patient fears grow over plan to close Causeway Hospital A&E at night-time Coleraine Times - A PUBLIC meeting to organise a community action campaign to defend acute services at Causeway Hospital will take place on July 4th at 7.30pm in Coleraine Leisure Centre. Coleraine Guardian - Minister ‘foolish’ to believe opposition will diminish - Dallat Mid Ulster Mail – Health Minister challenged Mr Hugh McCloy Save the Mid 1 June 2012 Dear Mr McCloy, Accident & Emergency Services At its meeting on Wednesday 20 June 2012 the Committee will be taking evidence from the Department for Health, Social Services & Public Safety on the work of the A&E Improvement Action Group. At its meeting on Wednesday 31 May the Committee agreed to write seeking your views on the current provision of Accident & Emergency Services and any ideas you would have for improving waiting times. I would be grateful if you could provide me with a response by Wednesday 13 June 2012. Yours sincerely Dr Kathryn Bell Save The Mid's full response will be available to download in due course Governance
Complaints received for April2012 totalled 50, with 39 (78%) being responded to within 20 working days. The target for 2010/11 was 72% within 20 working days and the Trust achieved 64%. The position for May is not yet available. Patients waiting in A&E over 12hrs for treatment must be reported as Serious Adverse Incidents under DHSSPS guidance. There were 240 cases reported to DHSSPS for May 2012. 14 of these cases were related to Ambulance breaches which were attributed to the Trust. Access Targets/Waiting Times Elective In-patients and daycases – As at the 31st May there were 1,612 NHSCT patients waiting over 13 weeks, 409 of which are IS transfers. 248 patients were breaching the Trust Plan backstop positions at the end of May 2012, 111 of which are IS transfers. 75% of total patients were waiting within 13 weeks. (Information validated weekly by operational staff). New backstops applied for quarter 1 2012/13. Out-patients - As at the 31st May there were 5,333 NHSCT patients waiting over 9 weeks, 2,103 of which are IS transfers. An additional 267 patients were waiting over 9 weeks for ICATS specialties. There were 404 patients breaching the Trust Plan backstop positions at the end of May 2012, 174 of which are IS transfers. (Information validated weekly by operational staff) New backstops applied for quarter 1 2012/13. Diagnostics – As at 31st May there were 515 Cardiology patients, 1 Respiratory Physiology and 28 Urodynamic patients waiting over 9 weeks. AHPs - As at 31st May there were 177 patients waiting over 9 weeks, 101 Occupational Therapy, 2 Orthoptics, 47 Physio and 27 Speech & Language. Mental Health waiting list – As at 31st May, there were 107 (CAMHS) patients in breach of the 9 week target. Psychological Therapies continues to be monitored against the 13 week target and there were 12 patients in breach of this target. Accident & Emergency All patients should be seen within 12 hours. During May the Trust had 240 patients in excess of this target. 14 of these breaches were requests to the NI Ambulance Service (NIAS) outside of a 4 hour request target. Within the overall Trust A&E sites there were 73% of patients who had been seen and discharged within 4 hours for May. The target is 95% at each individual site. Both Antrim and Causeway sites continue to fall below the target. An Unscheduled Care Programme Board has been setup including an Improvement group to identify and implement actions for A&E. Responsibility for 12-hour breaches for patients who require ambulance transport from the Emergency Department is as follows: - Where a patient requiring NIAS transport from the Emergency Department waits longer than 12 hours, the breach will be attributed to NIAS if the transport was requested within four hours of the patient presenting to the Emergency Department. - If however the request for ambulance transport is made after four hours of the patient presenting at the Emergency Department, the breach will be attributed to the relevant Trust. This is the first report from Save The Mid, it was created during the closure of Acute services at the Mid Ulster Hospital site.
You can judge for yourself:
Ref: STM/10/0001 HAS THE NORTHERN TRUST, MISLED THE PUBLIC AND THE ASSEMBLY According to hospital statistics as provided by the DHSSPS (link), it shows that in terms of A&E care Antrim hospital was already underachieving in terms of dealing with the input of patients. With the closure of Mid Ulster and White Abbey a&e there will be a greater input of patients from the surrounding areas, in the range of 2500 +. Health Minister, Michael Mc Gimpsey, is already on record stating that the closure of the two sites in Mid Ulster and White Abbey is not based on a financial factor, but based on a factor of health and safety for patients. The following tables in two different formats clearly show that before the closure the health and safety of patients in Antrim hospital was at a critical standing, one that will in the coming months only be added to. Points of Interest · Waiting over 12 hours, Antrim. April 2009 = 17 / April 2010 = 299 · % seen in less than 4 hours, Antrim. April 2009 = 79% / April = 61.1% |
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