Proposal would see the Alex lose out again to Worcester Royal

Let me be clear, I do not want cuts to the NHS but I would expect when cuts are made that the people of Redditch be treated no better and no worse than the people of Worcester.  However once again, Redditch loses out to Worcester. Who is fighting for Redditch?

For the last two years the Alex has been under threat.  It will therefore come as little surprise to most people that this causes staffing problems and now maintaining safe neonatal care is a problem due to staffing shortages.

I do not want to see any cuts in the NHS, I want to see the government deliver their promise of no cuts to the NHS.  However, over the last four years we have had to watch as services have been cut in the NHS.  24 hour mental health assessments reduced to 9am – 5pm, patients too frequently waiting over 4 hours in A&E, people not getting GP appointments for 3 weeks.  The list goes on...

And so in this climate of NHS cuts I ask myself why when there are cuts made within Worcestershire it is Redditch that always cops for it?  Surely both the Alex and Worcester Royal would be made to take their share?  Not so.

A&E, maternity and paediatrics are under threat and it is Redditch not Worcester facing the cuts. 

A new midwifery led unit will be funded along-side a consultant led unit and it is Redditch that loses out while Worcester gets the government funding.

A new Radiotherapy Unit is planned for Worcestershire and it’s Redditch that loses out to Worcester.

And now there are staffing problems at both sites and it’s Redditch that faces losing neonatal care and not Worcester.

We need a government that believes in the NHS and an MP who will stand up and fight for services at the Alex.

I’ve written the following letter to Redditch & Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Unit and Worcestershire Acute Hospital’s Trust.

Neo-natal Care at the Alex

I would be grateful if you could explain to me and the people of Redditch, why, if there are staffing problems within neo-natal care at the Alex and Worcester Royal, that it is only the Alex potentially facing cuts? 

Let me be clear, I do not want cuts to the NHS but I would expect when cuts are made that the people of Redditch be treated no better and no worse than the people of Worcester.  However once again, Redditch loses out to Worcester.

Your proposals could mean women having a multiple birth, a high risk birth or giving birth between 34-37 weeks now have to go to Worcester.  How many of the current 2100 births each year would now have to travel to Worcester?  These are women at one of the most vulnerable times of their lives.  I know first-hand that public transport links to Worcester are dyer. 

If this does go ahead you state that maternity will remain consultant led at the Alex.  During the Joint Services Review I have repeatedly been told that 2100 births a year are low for a District General Hospital and that obstetric consultants couldn’t work across both Redditch and Worcester as they would not get enough experience to maintain their skill set.  I am now confused to read that this proposal, should it go ahead, with less births at the Alex would still be consultant led maternity.  If you can explain this I would be grateful.

To maintain rotas you have identified 5 measures for immediate implementation. 

•             Neo-natal practice development staff and the matron for neo-natal care have joined the neo-natal nursing rota to provide additional support and cover

•             Neo-natal outreach staff are providing additional cover to the two neo-natal units

•             The Trust is working with a specialist temporary staffing agency to find long-term agency neo-natal nurses to cover regular shifts

•             Nursing and medical staff are being given additional training to enhance their specialist skills

Four of these five measures concern me greatly.  When existing staff have to double up it is difficult to maintain the quality of care that is required to keep risks to patients to a minimum. 

Sadly, when I have received complaints about the Alex and Worcester Royal, a common problem has been agency staff, in terms of lack of continuity of care.  At best, the dynamics of the team are very different for staff when people are not used to working together and at worst, the quality of care is reduced. Either way this has a detrimental impact upon patients.  Will the skill set of the neo-natal practitioners be safe if non neo-natal staff have only recently been given additional training – are we asking them to be ‘jack of all trades, specialist of none’?

As it stands are you confident that these measures are providing safe care for mums?

•             The neo-natal unit is holding an open day on 10th July 2014 to encourage any nurse, midwife or student nurses/midwives who may be interested in a career in neo-natal nursing or want to know more about the service to come along and meet with staff and have a tour of the department.

Clearly this needs to be done.  I wish you all the success possible for the sake of the services I wish to see retained.  However, I fear until the reconfiguration review is complete, the uncertain future of the Alex will put off potential new staff coming to Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust.

The long-term stability of women’s and children’s services at the Alexandra Hospital was one of the driving forces behind the current proposals to reconfigure some acute hospital services in Worcestershire and has been recognised by the CCGs and their predecessor organisations who have given the service additional financial support for a number of years. 

Could you please help me understand this paragraph?  I note the use of ‘was’.  “The long-term stability of women’s and children’s services at the Alexandra Hospital was…”  It is clear this is no longer the case now that the Independent Review has ruled that full time maternity and paediatrics should no longer take place at the Alex.  For me and I suspect for other local people, this paragraph is like a red rag to a bull.  I would suggest given where we are – facing so many cuts to services – this adds insult to injury.  And I would be very interested to know the additional financial support that the CCG has given to women’s and children’s services since its’ inception.

Finally, I will close as I started and ask for the same equal access to NHS services for the people in the north of the county as the south of the county.

Yours sincerely

Rebecca Blake

Labour Parliamentary Spokesperson for Redditch