Notes made for interview with Ms Jenny Walrond BBC Spotlight
E-mail from nurse in a Community Hospital 23-08-16 earmarked for closure
Dear Mr Halpin,
“At the weekend I worked in one of the community hospitals earmarked for closure. Staff working there were angry and upset . A recent meeting with staff informed them that intermediate care vacancies ** would be offered to the staff and it was suggested that they start and apply for them. Obviously it shows that closure is going ahead despite the so called consultation with the public and staff.
Most have no alternative but to accept the jobs on offer as work is the only way to pay the bills. The intermediate care will only provide for patients who are able to see an improvement in their health and no provision is being made for patients with progressive deterioration of their health. Only one of the patients I cared for on my shift fell into the 'intermediate' category the rest were either awaiting placement in a home or were terminal. …..”
DSH
This confirms the 'consultation', starting next week, is a sham. The CCG, a public body funded to the tune of £6 million, is being grossly dishonest and thus unlawful.
David Halpin MB BS FRCS Formerly orthopaedic and trauma consultant at Torbay and Exeter.
Quote from Stakeholder briefing 11th August
“No decisions will be made on thefuture shape of services until after consultation has closed and all feedback and alternativeproposals been thoroughly evaluated.”
(Decision by board of GPs due January/February)
** 'Intermediate care' has been applied to care in the CH. I opposed this because it inferred a lower level of care compared with the DGH, when often the CARE is better, or excellent in the CH. As quoted here 'intermediate care' should instead be defined as nursing care in the patients home or care in the community.
31-08-16 DSH to Mr Chalmers Please reassure me by return that"Final decisions will not be made until after all feedback and viable alternative proposals have been fully considered by the CCG governing body"is set in tablets of stone.
Ray Chalmers The CCG has said on many occasions that final decisions will only be made after consultation has completed and after feedback and alternative proposals have been considered. It is why in the stakeholder update you referenced in your letter to me, we indicated that a decision was likely to be made in January/February.
31-08-16 ….... now only work on the Trust bank. Today in the post I received ( first time ever ) a claim form for mileage 28p per mile less tax and national insurance if you pay it, less first and last 5 miles of journey to allocated shift. This is a first,never before have been paid anything for motor vehicle costs. It adds to the very obvious move to insist staff visit patients in their own home.
I cannot imagine how I would be able to give a bed bath and change of linens to a patient in anordinary bed, no hope that the back would cope . And how do I deal with double incontinence issues that I will be expected to deal with. Will the boot of my car become a repository for soiled linen and inco pads ?
1-09-16
I have just opened my NHS mail box and received a communication from the chief executive of the trust. The thrust of it is sorry for the delay in start of consultation, no one will be forced into redundancy, ** you will however need to be flexible with where you work and the type of service that you work in . Lots more flannel then finally' however continuing with the status quo is not an option as we have to cope with increasing health and care needs of an ageing population with limited funds, I firmly believe that our proposed model of care is the best way towards sustainable high quality service for our population.' Meetings with staff are being held early in September and I will have more information about the content after a few of my friends have attended. I am very lucky to have retired from a full time position and have the choice of when and where I work. I am afraid that many of the staff will walk away from the job and vacancies will be filled with people who are. (DSH – what they want – atomise the NHS.
** He is ignorant of the law/rules coming out of Morriston Hospital Swansea years ago – if my recall is correct. > New post – same conditions, pay and pension after a legal fight.
…......
27-09-16
You may be interested to know that a patient discharged yesterday was only able to go home because he paid for his care privately. He was 68th on the list awaiting a care package. I wonder how care in the community will work if this is the level of service we are to expect?
Until the PCT are able to evidence they have the resources to provide care in the home I have serious reservations about the welfare of our vulnerable, sick and elderly folk.
At what point does the PCT take responsibility for abuse by neglect?
I hope this provides more evidence in the fight to keep our valuable CHs open.
I pray the EGM is productive.
29-09-16
Dear David,
I have read your email to Pat, these are the questions that all the staff are asking and receiving no proper answer. The CCG have produced some short videos of the intended model of care. They show smiling happy staff taking care of patients in their own homes that are spotless and tidy, all happy with the care they are being given. No videos of the dementia patients with neglected and dirty environments. No surprise there then. The intermediate care team will work 7am through to 7 pm. What happens outside of these hours has not been explained. There is a 'crisis intervention team' being run out of the DGH but how big a team and exactly what they are able to achieve seems a mystery. I assume that the staff member who is leaving their shift at 7 pm phones in a 'crisis' and at some point the crisis team arrive to deal with it?
None of my friends still working in the community hospitals are interested in the consultation meetings and state that its a waste of time attending as no straight answers are available. I met a male HCA who I used to work with who has very recently taken up an intermediate community position. He hates it and is now looking for another job. He says he is driving around visiting patients who are doubly incontinent and being expected to deal with the problem single handedly in less than ideal conditions. No video of this particular problem released by the CCG . I can't imagine that the CCG will listen to the staff so one has to hope that enough of them refuse to be pressured into taking on 'home care' making the intended model of care unworkable. I think you are very sensible to not attend the stage managed meetings and waste your time,energy and petrol. Most of the staff think its already decided that the CHs will close whatever their input is and are just getting on with the job until the closures happen, and making plans for alternative employment.