Patient Care at the Alex

Today's report is shocking and my thoughts are with the 38 families who have suffered mistreatment of their loved ones, 35 of whom have been at the Alex Hospital.

 

My concern for the care of patients at the Alex remains. Despite the majority of people going through the Alex getting good care, there is a deep rooted problem regarding the quality of care. Both long standing and revealed by the damning CQC report last year on how older people were being failed.

 

Today's revelation tells me that while investment alone will clearly not solve this issue, cutting £50 million from our local hospitals will only make things worse. The people of Redditch want and deserve good local services and with these findings it's clear the Alex needs greater support not less, something I will continue to campaign for.

There is no excuse for substandard care and if we want to see an end to this we cannot accept cuts of this magnitude to the NHS including 5000 fewer nurses since 2010.

http://www.redditchstandard.co.uk/2012/12/23/news-Payout-over-patient-neglect-at-the-Alex-59000.html


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/heal-our-hospitals/9763018/Victims-of-neglect-at-the-Alexandra-Hospital.html

Long term unemployment is still stubbornly high in Redditch and the Government’s Work Programme is not working

In Redditch, long term unemployment is up 58% on last year.  For 18-24 year olds it's even worse, up 125%.   At the same time as the Government’s Work Programme is found to be failing.

Last month we found out that the Work Programme is getting fewer people into jobs than if the Government did nothing at all.  Only 1.1% of people referred onto the Work Programme have been placed into jobs in Redditch.

 

Rebecca said, “This Government has got to wake up to this crisis.  The cost of living continues to rise, last month prices rose at twice the rate of wages, people are falling further and further behind. 

Right now, three people in Redditch are chasing every vacancy.  The Government must take action now and they should start with Labour’s Real Jobs Guarantee and get our young people back to work. 

The Government does not appear to understand that the best way to reduce borrowing is to get those that can work into work, simply concentrate on cutting benefits without jobs for people to go into is incoherent".

Labour would raise £2 billion from Bankers Bonuses to get young people who are out of work for over a year into work for at least 6 months and to include training to improve their skills and experience.  A National Insurance tax break for small firms hiring new staff would also help stimulate employers to recruit staff, creating new jobs.

Osborne Hitting Low Paid in Redditch Again

Governments around the world have their work cut out trying to manage their finances.  Undoubtedly there would have been difficult decisions to make for any UK government.  However, two years into a Conservative led Coalition and the UK economy is lagging behind France and Germany.
 
We are told by this government that even more cuts are necessary to reduce the deficit.  Yet the truth is welfare payments are increasing and the Government will borrow £212 billion more than they had planned.
 
Yet the government can afford to give every single millionaire an average of £107,000 by cutting the top rate of tax, while a Redditch family earning approximately £20,000 a year will lose £279 annually?  On top of the VAT hike last year that cost the average family £450 a year.
 
Despite having inherited a growing economy in 2010, we have since had the lowest levels of growth since the Second World War.  Now that Osborne has admitted he will not balance the books by 2015 he appears to have listened to Labour by promising investment in infrastructure - however, we are still waiting for them to start.  This country urgently needs a plan for growth.  We need a temporary VAT cut to help hard pressed families and businesses, a bankers bonus tax to create youth jobs and affordable homes and to not spend £3 billion on a wasteful NHS reorganisation.
 
People ask what a Labour government would do differently.  If there was an election tomorrow we would not ask the wealthiest to pay £3 billion less while asking the rest of society to pay more.     

Fantastic Dementia Facility Coming to Redditch



 

Rebecca at Dorothy Terry House, viewing the early stages of the new build

 



I was impressed to see the building of the first dementia specialist housing in the County, happening in Redditch.

Dorothy Terry House has been a care home since 1960 and now Rooftop Housing in partnership with Heritage Care are providing improved housing for the existing tenants and new provision specially designed to cater for people with dementia on the same site.

Over a cup of tea, Cllr Mark Shurmer (with responsibilities for housing) and I listened to the Project Manager for Rooftop outline the new scheme which was being built as we watched out of the window. 

As well as one bed and two bed self contained flats, tenants will have access to 24 hour on site care, including some very modern technology designed to increase the safety of tenants.  Careful thought has been given to design, layout, facilities and even down to 50's style furnishings to aid memory stimulation for tenants.

The first phase will see existing tenants move into the new block next year, with the scheme due to complete in 2015.

I value the emphasis on independence, with corridors that encourage walking, a common part of dementia, small communal areas, the onsite provision of the Well Being Centre, gardens, a guest room, cinema room and hairdressers,  to mention a few, allowing people to make the best of their lives including those living with dementia.  I was glad to hear environmental measures will be in place such as a turf roof and insulation in accordance with regulations.  However, there will not be the number of solar panels as projected.  I know when the government turned it's back on committments to feed in tariffs it decimated an industry that should be supported.  I was glad to hear Rooftop are looking at ways to make the building ready for future solar panels, but right now it is not cost affective.

Worcestershire has higher than average rates of dementia and services have a long way to go to addressing current and increasing needs.  This scheme will provide high quality accommodation for older people and for people with dementia that puts the tenant needs at the heart of the building and the service.    For more information visit:

Rooftop

Must Go Further to End Metal Theft

 

Rebecca, Lee - Sandycroft, Tony - local roofer, Mike Chawner - Matchborough West Community Group, Cllr Bill Hartnett, local resident - Mrs Cook, Harriet Harman MP at Woodrow Community Centre

 

After another spate of lead theft in Woodrow Centre and residents having their catalytic convertors stolen, Rebecca Blake, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson is calling again on the Government to go further to tackle metal theft in Redditch which can be extremely dangerous and is damaging the economy.

 

"I asked Harriet Harman, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party to come and speak to people who have been a victim of lead theft in particular and see how Redditch is being affected.

 

Metal theft is becoming an epidemic, and urgent action is needed to stop this getting even further out of control. The government should change the law to make it easier stop this illegal trade which is often organised crime.

 

Rebecca Blake is backing Labour’s four point plan to tackle Metal theft – which is also supported by British Transport Police, Association of Chief Police Officers & by the Neighbourhood Watch.

 

 1. Licensing scrap metal dealers, rather than current registration with Local Authority.

 

2. Move to ban cash transactions especially for large scale/high value scrap metal transactions.

 

 3. Tougher police powers to close rogue traders down.

 

 4. Anyone selling scrap to provide proof of identity, recorded at point of sale.

 

Rebecca stated “This Government needs to go further if it is to effectively tackle the growing crime of metal theft.  In 2011 Redditch saw 177 incidents of lead theft, a rise on the previous year.  In less than 4 months we saw 350 drain covers stolen, this is extremely dangerous and costly and we cannot stand by while the price of scrap metal goes up and metal thefts increase".

 

The Government is moving to stop cash payments to purchase scrap metal and increase fines for those that are found guilty - something I raised last year and welcome.  However, without giving the police the power of entry and the ability to shut down rogue scrap metal yards, the Government runs the risk of making the situation worse and not better.

 

Banning cash transactions in itself will not solve the problem, while legitimate scrap yards will go cashless, some yards may continue to take cash and continue a black market.

 

“Labour is calling for tougher powers for the police to close these rogue traders down. Currently the police cannot enter a yard and close it down – so the Government’s plan won’t achieve what it is setting out to do.

 

People that are selling scrap metal should also have to provide proof of identity at point of sale and the metal dealers should be properly licensed, a voluntary scheme is not good enough".

 

More info from the Redditch Standard



Who is defending Redditch Schools from funding cuts?

In response to my calls for the Redditch County Councillors and the Member of Parliament to meet with the DfE to defend Redditch schools I was told Worcestershire MP's would debate school funding this week in Parliament with a Schools Minister.

I have raised my concerns, those of Headteachers, teaching staff, governors and parents a number of times, in summary that:

• Suggested school funding reforms are flawed, when schools in Redditch just 3 miles apart could see one school gain over £200,000 with another losing over £200,000.
• Urban schools in deprived areas will lose out disproportionately.
• Worcestershire has fallen 6 places down the school funding league table in the last two years.
• Government reforms will see Redditch schools lose £300,000 in April.
• In 2015 Redditch schools could lose a further £1.5 million.
• Taking into account Redditch schools who could benefit, net losses could total three quarters of a million pounds.
• Even the schools who stand to gain in Redditch have voiced their concern about neighbouring schools who could lose up to 17% of their funding in 2015.
• More Redditch schools are set lose than gain.
• Three tier education in Redditch has not been taken into account, with reforms favouring two tier.
• Concern that the same lump sum will not address the needs of individual schools.
• Lack of detail on Minimum Funding Guarantee beyond 2015 is extremely worrying.
• Consultees were not given enough time (some governors having 4 working days notice) to comment on the most significant school funding reforms since the 80's.

I am shocked that the Redditch MP did not raise the challenges these reforms throw up for Redditch schools in today's debate.

This was a lost opportunity by the Redditch MP to advise the Schools Minster on how the reforms affect Redditch schools, so that our children's needs could be taken into account. I notice other Worcestershire MP's raise individual concerns for their constituencies, such as three tier, financial losses, the lump sum and Minimum Funding Guarantee, yet no mention of how our schools in Redditch are and could be affected.

After attending Worcestershire County Council's Cabinet meeting last week, where no Redditch County Councillor spoke on Redditch schools, I am left wondering who is defending Redditch schools from funding cuts?

For further details MP's debate Worcestershire School Funding

Redditch County Councillors back Government, not Redditch School Children

 

Today members of the Worcestershire County Council Cabinet voted for school funding reform that will see Redditch schools lose £324,627 in April and a possible £1,534,018 in 2015.

Despite the protest outside County Hall and 6 speakers at the cabinet meeting from a number of areas across the county, including Redditch, County Councillors failed to address the implications of the model they have chosen for our school children. 

They have voted for:

• More Redditch schools losing than gaining. 
• Schools in deprived areas facing losses of over £200,000 while schools in affluent areas could gain over £200,000, with no attempt to address this.
• Greater losses for Redditch with its three tier system than areas of two tier education.
• Reforms that give no minimum funding guarantee beyond 2015.
• Proposals that now do not differentiate between small and large school buildings.

County Councillors have raised concerns regarding how funding affects rural schools, but no mention of urban schools in places with high levels of deprivation.  Today I asked Councillors again to meet with the DfE, as Staffordshire County Councillors have, to raise these issues caused by the Government's reforms.

Schools have not had enough time to consider the proposals, with some governing bodies having only four working days to give their comments on the biggest school funding reform since the 80's and not getting the answers to questions posed prior to the deadline.  I am shocked that Worcestershire County Council have not carried out a genuine consultation on school funding reform.

The Cabinet of 10 Councillors has 3 councillors representing Redditch.  Between Cllr Potter, Cllr Gretton & Cllr Thain, 75% of our town was represented between them.  However, I was angry that not a single Redditch Councillor spoke of the schools they represent and remained silent on the effects for Redditch.

They failed to acknowledge the fears schools have about how they will cope beyond 2015, with hundreds of thousands of pounds that could be lost to individual schools.

An amendment was passed that would see a review for 2014/15 which I do not believe would have been proposed had their plans been pushed through under the radar as was the danger a few weeks ago.

My thanks to teachers & governors who raised this a few weeks ago and in particular to Alison Gleave, Chair of Governors for Wychbold First and Nursery in Droitwich, for having organised the protest outside of County Hall. 

Today's decision flies in the face of seeking fairer funding for Worcestershire Schools. Children get one shot at school and they deserve better.

 

24 Hours to Protect Redditch School Funding

Help Stop £1.8million of School Funding Cuts in Redditch

 

On Thursday 18th October, Worcestershire County Councillors will be voting on changes to school funding for Redditch Schools and the rest of the county.

There is still time for County Councillors to vote against these proposals which include Redditch schools losing £1.83 million over three years.

How you can help:

Protest - Please join parents, school governors and Redditch Borough Councillors to oppose these cuts at a protest outside County Hall in Worcester, 9.30am Thursday 18th October ahead of the Council meeting which starts at 10am.

Contact County Councillors - Contact County Councillors representing Redditch who are due to vote on Thursday & ask them not to support cuts to Redditch schools.

Conservative Cllr Potter -  janeapotter@talktalk.net

Conservative Cllr Thain - davethain@gmail.com

Conservative Cllr Gretton - pgretton@worcestershire.gov.uk

 

Contact the Member of Parliament - Contact Karen Lumley the Conservative Redditch MP - karen.lumley.mp@parliament.uk and ask her to defend Redditch schools against the Government's funding reforms which will see Worcestershire Schools worse off.  In the last two years Worcestershire Schools have fallen further behind other local authorities from 141 to 147 out of 151 and that was before these proposals. 

 

See below for more details

Prioritising Redditch Buses

Good update meeting with First Bus this morning. 

We discussed the evening service on the 57/58 route, taking in my own ward of Greenlands, which has been running since July on Friday and Saturday evenings.  The need for more buses to call in at the Alex Hospital and disabled access.

From First's point of view, they are happy with the levels of passengers using the 57/58 evening service and the safety for their drivers.  The Police have been giving their support, the people who are using the bus in the evening are finding the service tremendously useful and the recent landscaping has been beneficial.  We continue to work together to try and make sure the evening service can continue and even extend. 

People rallied to get this evening service along this route reinstated after Diamond removed their service.  I was delighted First were able to go a long way to answering our calls.  I raised again the fact that people want to see an evening service 7 nights a week to give people better access around the town for work and pleasure.  Not only does it make sense for people using the buses but for the town centre and the wider economy. 

Again I highlighted that if just a couple of buses an hour on the route could call into the hospital it would be extremely beneficial to staff, patients and visitors.  Bus passengers have voiced their concern to me that the County Council funded hopper service, which has already been delayed will not serve enough of the circluar route and that 9.30am until 3.30pm Mon to Fri is not good enough to meet their needs. 

Interesting that despite Worcestershire County Council having cut over £1 million from bus transport this year, equal to 119 bus services, this will be the second small hopper route, yet leaving so much of the town without buses. 

People have mentioned the need for more low floor buses and I have been reassured that 75% of the First fleet in Redditch are low floor access.  I have asked for more details as I want to know that these are fairly distributed, giving the best access possible for disabled bus users around the town.

First listened carefully to the requests and I remain hopeful that by sharing people's travel needs providers can better understand how to improve their service.  I am sure we can continue to improve services in Redditch by working together.   

Our Elected Representatives Can Do More

Rebecca Blake, Labour Parliamentary Spokesperson, today asked Worcestershire County Councillors & Worcestershire Members of Parliament live on BBC Hereford & Worcester radio to do more on school funding for Redditch schools.

"Redditch schools cannot afford to lose £1.8 million.  Head Teachers in Redditch tell me that for some schools this could mean losing as many as four teachers. 

Worcestershire MP's and County Councillors can do more to stand up for our children against these cuts.  Given Staffordshire elected representatives are meeting with an Education Minister at the Department for Education to raise their concerns with the Government reforms, I have asked our elected representatives to do the same and raise these unfair cuts to Redditch schools.  In addition I have asked for Worcestershire County Councillors to not vote for these cuts in October".

One Deputy Head wrote to Rebecca stating that Worcestershire County Council dismissed concerns at the recent meeting as "there will always be winners and losers in every change".  The Deputy asked "Who will come and tell our parents and our pupils that the Local Authority see them as the losers and their education is clearly less valued than the neighbours up the road".

Cllr Rebecca Blake said "It beggars belief that these changes can in any way be described as the Government addressing the fairer funding issue in the County".

Coverage by Redditch Standard

Outrage at School Funding Proposals

As the Conservative County Council consult on school funding reforms as part of the Government's required national changes, schools in the Redditch constituency face suggested cuts of £1.86 million over the next 3 years.

Described as a simplification in school funding, WCC suggest over 40 different models, including Vaynor First School in Headless Cross gaining £197,184 while at the same time Abbeywood First School in Church Hill would lose £127,526.

Even taking into account the smaller proportion of schools who could gain, Redditch schools will be left almost three quarters of a million pounds down.

Rebecca Blake, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson said "Cuts to school budgets of this magnitude will be devastating for those worst hit.  How can it be justified that children attending Walkwood will gain, while children 3 miles down the road at Birchensale will lose out.  Even across the county, Redditch is unfairly hit with 3 out of 4 of our high schools losing £570,000, yet Worcester's High Schools have no cuts at all.  Cuts in Redditch are not necessary when you consider that £2.3 million has been wasted on the Government's new free schools which have failed.  I urge the Government and County Council to think again, children get one shot at school and they deserve better". 

Rebecca, also local councillor reported "In conversations with Headteachers, Governors and fellow Councillors, it's clear that not enough weighting is being given to areas of high deprivation, including schools that have a number of children who qualify for free school meals. Two tier versus three tier is clearly back on the County Council agenda, considered unfinished business from the extremely disruptive Redditch Review many years ago that saw a number of schools in Redditch close, followed closely by a second phase". 

Ms Blake highlighted "Fairer funding campaigners have been let down.  In opposition the Government pledged to tackle the difficult issue of school funding formula that saw Worcestershire lag behind Warwickshire.  However the answer cannot be for our schools to lose nearly £1,86 million.  In 2010 Worcestershire was ranked 141 out of 151 local authorities, since then we have fallen to 147th place and that was before these cuts were suggested.  Parents deserve to know what is being proposed and I believe they will be as outraged as I am". 

Coverage by Redditch Standard

Taking the Save the Alex Campaign to Manchester

Rebecca Blake Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson for Redditch met with Andy Burnham, Shadow Health Secretary the day of his conference speech, where he laid out Labour's policies for the NHS.

"Andy restated today that he is open to reorganisation that is based on clinical care. We know in Redditch it is about cost cutting which I believe will put people's lives in danger.

I raised the threat of closure, loss of A&E & maternity at the Alex Hospital with Andy Burnham.

Andy agreed with me, given the challenges that face the NHS this was no time for the government to be spending £3.4 billion on a top down reorganisation. Andy had forced a debate in the commons, including requesting savings that had been made in the NHS to be reinvested in the NHS and the £1.4 billion underspend return from the Treasury to the department of health, but the Tories voted against. This could have been extra money for patients at the Alex.

Andy discussed his concerns that the government were breaking up the NHS to privatise services, something a Labour Government would not do".
 

Issues facing retail staff & managers

It was good to speak to Usdaw members at  Tesco again today.  They were pleased that extended Sunday trading hours were coming to an end this weekend but were fearful that the government will now try to push legislation through to permanently extend Sunday trading laws.

I heard from them how working in retail involves increasingly unsociable hours and the effects upon family life.  Sunday is the one day in the week, with children off school, that could be counted on to not have to work as long.

The previous Labour government voted to retain reduced working hours on a Sunday and I am against any suggestion that the Conservative led government should change the law.  I want to keep Sunday special.  Not just for employees but for everyone.  We must retain our culture that on a Sunday, people have more of a chance to do the things that we do not have the time to do during the rest of the week.  Whether it's family time, leisure, catching up on jobs at home or even having time to put your feet up.  I do not want to see the success of the Olympics used to undermine the value of what Sunday means to us as a country.

There were familiar stories about the cost of living going up and the struggle to keep heads above water and we discussed the benefit of reducing VAT for working people, income that does not go into savings but is spent on essentials.  Not only helping our pocket but crucial to stimulating the economy.  The government must take action against the cost of living and this would be an immediate and effective way of doing so.

In addition to speaking to staff it was good to hear from Alistair the Store Manager and Cath, Deputy Manager about the challenges for supermarkets during the downturn.  Getting people to part with their money is more challenging than ever with cheaper brand sales up and non food products down, as people cut back on the food bill.  High levels of customer service is key to keeping loyal customers and the improvements to the store are good to see, new signage, trolley parks etc.

We had a robust conversation on the rise of 4 hour contracts which prove profitable for the employer, maximising flexibility.  I made the point that for employees who have bills to pay, it can be far from ideal only being contracted for such a small number of hours, when the overtime is not available the bills still have to be paid.  I know many people who have more than one job as a way around this and of course this reduces the flexibility that employers are looking for.  There is a place for short hours, but I am concerned at the trend towards them that many employers are embracing.

Tesco remains to be one of the largest employers in the town with loyal staff and low staff turnover.  As their staff are their best asset I hope they continue with good rates of pay and measures such as staff shares, so that staff can benefit from the success of the company - of which they are the back bone.

It was a very insightful visit and I look forward to visiting again soon.

Trust Must Come Clean

Rebecca Blake, Redditch Labour Parliamentary Spokesperson was stunned to learn that Worcestershire Acute Trust will be submitting a planning application for a temporary unit to support Accident and Emergency at Worcester Royal.

Apparently the unit will act as an assessment unit to deal with the winter pressure on A&E at Worcester Royal.

Rebecca said "This is either a clear acknowledgement that there is not enough capacity in the system to adequately care for the number of people who need A&E in Worcestershire or despite having reassured people that no decision has been made, is Worcester Royal preparing to take on more patients once the Alex A&E is closed?"

"I am stunned that plans to effectively extend A&E in Worcester are underway, given the Trust are yet to fully consult with local people.  The Trust must come clean about their intentions".

There have been repeated calls across the county for these cuts to be scrapped including weeks ago when Rebecca met with the Chief Executive of WAHT and an A&E consultant.   Over 50,000 people have signed the Save the Alex petition to retain services, however, today's news appears to be more evidence that despite people speaking up loud and clear for the Alex, decision makers are not listening to the views of local people.

"Our young people are our future, they get one shot at school and there is more that can be done to give them the best start".

At this significant point in our young people's lives it was important to me to speak with pupils who had just completed their GCSE's.

 

This morning I spoke with Chloe, Ellie & Megan from Kingsley and this afternoon, Kara, Rosie, Anna, Louise & Harry from Trinity.

First off, congratulations to all of them who achieved fantastic results. Everyone of them have worked hard to get to the next step, which for them is A-levels.

All of them had a number of things in common, including determination to succeed, aspirations for the future and bags of optimism.

As well as education, we discussed  a number of things including work and the challenges for them in finding a part time job, essential for some in order to start saving towards university.

For some the desire was strong to go to University and for others the jury was still out.  While I was impressed to hear their ideas of how to get around the hike in tuition fees, looking at nursing, studying abroad and the forces, I am deeply concerned about the impact upon our young people and their ability to gain a degree given the current cost of university education.

We hear a lot about the UK not equipping school pupils with the skill set to compete globally.  It is clear to me, that these articulate, bright and driven young people here in Redditch have huge potential and it is the least Government can do to provide an infrastructure for them to flourish. 

This needs to be from conception.  Quality health services, access to Sure Start and emphasis not only upon intellectual development but, emotional, social and physical well being.  Driving up functional skills, not stifling aspiration.  Schools working with colleges, universities and employers so that every child can fulfil their potential.

Practical measures such as a reinstatement of Educational Maintenance Allowance to support more young people going into higher education, reducing tuition fees and stimulating the economy, creating more jobs - action that can and should be taken.  I urge the government to act now, to tackle the 1 million unemployed 19 - 24 year olds so that we do not lose another generation as we did in the 80's.

Young people are our future, they get one shot at school and there is more that can be done to give them the best start.