Chairman’s Report 2007/08

We face another year determined to ensure that the people of South East Glasgow have a Health Service fit for the 21^st Century.

There have been a number of very worrying aspects which have been introduced in this past year.

The changes in GP availability

Problems reported to the Forum.

1. Patient telephoned surgery told by her GP receptionist to call NHS 24 or phone the surgery  the following morning. This patient was suffering terminal cancer and desperately required help. NHS 24 was called to be told that they didn’t take over calls until GP surgeries had closed. The patient was well aware of this. NHS 24 called the surgery and the GP responded.
2. An elderly patient decided to try respite care before making the decision to give up her home. She became seriously ill in the Home and  staff called her GP. They were  told that the Home was outwith the practice area and to phone a local practice. This was done but no practice in the area was prepared to attend. The patient’s GP was again called and informed of the situation and was told that she had responsibility for the patient as she was on her list, and the Home was only 15 minutes by car from the practice. As a result the GP called.

Victoria Infirmary

We can once more prove that the Victoria is the busiest A&E in Glasgow. The latest  available figures for 2006 show the following  numbers of A&E patients per 7 days;

• Victoria 1351
• Royal Infirmary 1330
• Southern General 940
• Stobhill 909
• Western Inf/ Gartnavel 1068.

Over recent years the  Victoria A&E has seen on average 70,000 patients a year. More than any other Glasgow A&E and 50% more than the Southern General. Waiting times are lower.

The 65+ age group share of emergency admissions is rising and the bed demand by this group is 2.5 times the average and increasing.

Our deep concern is that the elderly population in the south east is presently the largest in Glasgow.

New Victoria Hospital

At the last South Monitoring Group meeting members had a virtual reality trip which is going to be shown through out Glasgow, displaying the New Victoria Hospital, with its beautiful all singing, all dancing vista. Including the area for “In-Patient Beds”. I almost fell off of my chair! I thought we have won another victory; we are going to have in-patient beds. I immediately questioned this most welcome innovation to be told they were the 48 rehabilitation beds for the elderly. (Their function is to replace Mansionhouse’s 200 beds. So nothing has changed).  My criticism was that patients will assume, listening to this presentation, that they are getting a new Victoria Hospital, as the Health Board keeps telling us, when IN REALITY they are getting an ACAD. I insisted that the public must be presented with accurate information so that patients are aware that there is not an A&E nor are there in-patient beds.

The Forum maintains that this type of presentation is irresponsible and could be dangerous for A&E patients who need medical care and not a nurse led minor injury unit. I was assured this would be made clear. WATCH THIS SPACE.     The Board also omit to inform patients that in the USA, where the ACAD idea came from, (remember 12/13 members of the Board had a trip to San Diego to check the idea out) an ACAD cannot be further than 10 minutes from the acute hospital at the busiest time of day. I don’t think we in the south east qualify on that rule.

Consultants are again warning of their concern over nurse led minor injury units.

New Southern General

An Artist  impression of the new SGH has been widely publicised. It will be 14 stories high with a heli-pad on top. The biggest hospital in the UK! It requires 30-meter pilings to establish its foundations. Quite an engineering feat! Our architectural experts, putting this into perspective, said the base would be similar to that required by an oil rig in the North Sea.

Remember the S. W. Forum was told that they couldn’t have a new hospital because of the alluvial soil due to the proximity of the Clyde. We were told we couldn’t have a new Victoria due to the mine workings under the Queen’s Park Recreation Ground. Who says miracles don’t happen!

One other aspect that the Board is very proud of is that over 50% of the beds will be in single rooms each with en suite facilities. I can understand the necessity of single rooms if a patient is seriously ill or infectious but I for one would hate to be in a single room where you see no one except the nurse or an occasional doctor. I hate being isolated and out of sight of help if I need it. It would also drive me bananas watching TV all day; even reading can become a bit wearing. It was also pointed out by one of our members, that they can’t clean toilets in a large ward so how would they clean all of these en suites?

Politically we were very hopeful when Nicola Sturgeon set up Independent Scrutiny Panels, which resulted in a complete U-turn on the previous Administration’s decision to close A&Es at Monklands and Ayr Hospitals. The arguments on which the previous administration had based their decisions were found to be flawed.  We were hopeful that we too could have a Scrutiny Panel assessment as the same flawed decisions applied to the Victoria. Unfortunately the Minister wouldn’t reverse the decision. We maintain that it is not too late as the Business Case for the Southern General hospital has not yet been approved. Dr Glen and Mr James Sandeman are representing the Forum at the Scottish Health Campaigns Network meeting with the Health Minister this month. They will once more put our case forward for further consideration.

The most recent date of opening of the ACAD is summer 2009. Spring will be a little late next year. The date of the closure of the Victoria will be when the SGH is complete which is supposed to be 2014, although the Health Board admit that work will still have to be done on the site. Can’t say I care for the idea of being ill on a building site, or neighbours lives that will be blighted by construction working for a further 6 years plus!

The much heralded fast-link corridor for the South side will have no value for patients or visitors  attending the SGH.

Conclusion

The Forum’s strength is its members and we continue to be vigilant for changes being introduced that are not in the best interest of patients.

My grateful thanks to the secretary and to the officers of the Forum who continue to give so much time and effort, and to our member who attends all Health Board meetings and reports back.. A special thanks to our wizard of our web site. I thought was excellent before but is now really quite superb. If you haven’t yet accessed it do try, the Health Board certainly does!            

Margaret Hinds,

Chair

website  www.healthforumglasgow.org/HSF_v2