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Health Service Forum South East

Minutes of regular meeting of Health Service Forum S.E. held in the Larkfield Centre

on Tuesday 12 April 2005 at 7.30 p.m.

Langside & Battlefield Community Council

Apologies

Apologies; Fiona Brodie, Douglas McGregor, Mary McClelland, Mary Hamilton

Minutes

Minutes of the 8 March were adopted as correct.

Matters arising

Matters arising: To raise the subject of CHPs with the Health Minister, Andy Kerr, at the meeting of 4 May.

Correspondence: OUT a) Reminder to Sir John Arbuthnott/Tom Divers re the points raised at our meeting of the 19 Jan 2005. b) Invitation to Alex McIntyre at the ACAD Project Office inviting him to attend a meeting of the Forum c) Letters to Mt Florida CC and Langside & Battlefield CC offering our support in examining the planning applications for the ACAD d) letter to churches in Newlands offering to speak to a joint meeting to be held in Newlands South Church hall.

Treasurers Report

Treasurers Report: The balance in the bank is £811.74

‘Reshaping the NHS’

Report of the public debate ‘Reshaping the NHS’ called by the Parliamentary Health Committee and held in Holyrood April 11 2005.

The debate was opened by the Chair of the new Scottish Health Council, Richard Norris, who said that the job of the new council is to ensure that the Health Boards get better at listening to people. Professor John Temple who is the author of various reports, most recently on the planning of the medical workforce, hoped that action would be taken. He said some reports had been lying about for three years and not much had been done. The debate provided an opportunity for campaigning groups to raise their concerns.

Margaret Hinds was the first to speak and touched upon the practise of ‘hot-bedding’ i.e. one patient being discharged and another waiting in the corridor whilst the bed is being changed and sanitised. This combined with the 98% bed occupancy must contribute to the spread of hospital infections. Margaret ASKED PEOPLE TO LOOK AT OUR WEB SITE WHERE THEY WILL FIND OUR DOCUMENT ‘Keeping the Scottish NHS Local’.

Dr Robert Cumming stated that it is vital for generalist surgeons to be trained. At present the GGNHS is operating on a crisis management basis and have not yet reported on the bed numbers needed for greater Glasgow. In the North of Glasgow there is a 52- week waiting list for an MRI scan.

Susan Aitken of the Scottish NHS Federation stated that there is a resistance to change among the public and there is too much concentration on acute services. Health Boards want fewer people to be treated in hospital and more treated in the community. The shape of services must change and different doesn’t mean downgraded.

A patient from the Homeopathic Hospital spoke very movingly about the difference that the Hospital had made to her quality of life when conventional medicine had been unable to help. If the Homeopathic Hospital is closed in order to save money she and many others will have to attend a conventional hospital so there will be little if any cost saving to the GGNHS.

In the afternoon debate on ‘Solutions’ George Venters, Chair of the Scottish Health Campaigns’ Network, stated that what is needed is long term strategic planning. The problems are nationwide but are not insuperable. There is a lack of analysis of the needs of the NHS.

For NHS 24 Ms Lenihan stated that at present there is a review of the service. It is being redesigned to meet the new out of hours service.

Roseanna Cunningham, the Convener of the Health Committee stated that the committee may well be asking Ms Lenihan to attend a committee meeting to answer questions on the service run by NHS24.

Dr Sedgewick, general surgeon at Belford Hospital Ft. William, spoke about Managed Clinical Networks that had been set up in the face of threatened closure of the hospital. There is enough work for generalists in local hospitals. He urged training of generalist surgeons and a clear career pattern established. People don’t get better in a helicopter or ambulance. If Belford were to be downgraded there would be 4 times the number of people transferred to a major hospital. People need appropriate surgical services within reasonable distance.

Sir John Arbuthnott Chair of GGNHS Board said that a safe and high quality service for Scotland is wanted. The Board must work to close the credibility gap. Sir John Temple had said that there are far more Health Boards in Scotland than in England. Sir John Arbuthnott stated that the GGNHS Board is talking to Lothian Health Board about collaboration.

David Wishart of Local Health Concern said that there is chronic mismanagement and waste in the NHS. The number of jobs in administration has increased dramatically. Although the health budget has increased the waiting lists are far too large.

David Love, Deputy Chair of the BMA Scotland, stated that 90% of care takes place in the community. Dr Sedgewick pointed out that GPs want their patients attended to as soon as possible and so improvements in the acute hospital services are vital. Dr Love said that work force planning has been badly lacking and action is needed now.

The full report of the debate is available on www.scottish.parliament.uk until 11 May.

Victoria ACAD

The new design for the Victoria ACAD was discussed. The overall area of the building is 30,000

sq m (a 10,000 sq m increase on the original plan). There will be 273 staff parking places and 324 for the public. On the gusset to the west of the site there will be temporary parking during the building phase. The Forum has written to the Health Board asking that these parking places be retained when the ACAD is operational. The 60 slow stream rehabilitation beds that will be moved from the Mansionhouse unit, will now be accommodated within the ACAD building and not in a separate building.

Langside & Battlefield Community Council

Report of the meeting called by Dr Silber, chair of Langside & Battlefield Community Council.

This was a very productive meeting of C.C. officers from Langside, Mount Florida and Cathcart.

It was accepted that although hospital provision is of major importance it is not a planning issue. The focus has to be on transport to and from the ACAD and the implication and impact of 400,000 patient episodes per year. In effect this means there will be approximately 1,500 per day, based on the ACAD operating on a 5-day week. All C.C.s have a right to ask their City Councilor for a road impact map of the area around the ACAD. They are entitled to raise their concerns whether they live in the area or not. We would ask all members of the Forum to express their concerns in writing to the planning department of the City Council at 229 George Street G1 1QU. The C.C.s are proposing to hold a joint meeting and to invite their City Councillors to attend.

A Public Meeting will be held in Newlands South Church Hall Wednesday 11 May at 2 p.m. Margaret Hinds will speak about the new Victoria ACAD.

The AGM of the Health Forum S.E. will take place on the 10 May 2005 in the Larkfield Centre Govanhill at 7.30 p.m. followed by the regular meeting.

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