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Health Service Forum South East
Minutes of a regular meeting of the Health Service Forum S.E held in the Larkfield Centre on Tuesday
12 December 2006 at 10.30 a.m.
Contents
Welcome
Welcome Margaret Hinds welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Apologies
Apologies: Aileen Fyfe, Irene Addie, Eric Canning, Dan Macphail, Janette Butler, Mary Hamilton.
Minutes
Minutes of 14 November were adopted as correct. There were no Matters arising.
Correspondence
Correspondence; a) Reply was received from Alex McIntyre ACAD Project manager raising safety issues in the ACAD re heating/cooling system and fire alarm system. “The climate control systems within the ACAD have been designed to be energy efficient and provide a zoned control system within the building. This means that environmental conditions within all sections of the building can be turned up or down to suit their operational use opening times as well as reacting to the external climatic conditions. The system is capable of being programmed to take account of environmental and operational requirements throughout the building on a daily and weekly basis. There are no plans to install a sprinkler system within the new building. Responsibility for property, insurance and risk, including fire damage, lies with the Glasgow Healthcare Facilities Limited.”
b) Reply from Keri Stewart of SPT Executive regarding our request for a copy of the traffic survey re the SGH. The traffic study is called the Glasgow Conurbation Public Transport Study. The first stage of the study is expected to be presented to members of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport in early 2007. A copy of the approved report will be sent to us.
c) Reply to letter addressed to Sir John Arbuthnott- response from Robert Calderwood. “The in-house team are to be allowed to participate in a competitive tendering process for Soft FM Services at the new South Glasgow Hospital.”
c) No reply to letter to Robert Calderwood asking for the costs of meeting targets set by the Scottish Executive.
d) No reply to invitation sent to Chris Drapper, Transport Projects Manager, to attend a Forum meeting.
e) letter to John Scott MSP re decision to close A&E at Ayr Hospital
Treasurer’s report
Treasurer’s report. The current balance is £2449.46 after taking into account the £50 towards the Larkfield Centre Children’s party. It was agreed that the Forum would meet the expenses of Margaret Hinds and Alastair Glen attending the meeting with the Health Minister. Expenses incurred by Margaret and James in travelling to the Network meetings will also be reimbursed.
North Monitoring Group
North Monitoring Group: At the December meeting the group was informed that the post day-surgery beds may rise from 12 to 20. When the Victoria closes then the Cambuslang/Rutherglen/Newton Mearns population may choose to go to Hairmyres Hospital. Some GPs are already referring patients there. Once more we raise the question of Hairmyres being able to cope with the increase in patient numbers when the hospital also has to cope with the closure of the A&E at Monklands. It is interesting to note that the building of the new ACAD at Stobhill has already resulted in a major parking problem. The knock on effect of this is an increase in did not attend patients and an increase on the patient transport service. We can just imagine the chaos when the major building work at the Southern General begins!!
South Monitoring Group
South Monitoring Group: We again raised the length of time we have had to wait for the Bed Model to be completed. We raised again the possibility of increasing the number of overnight beds at the ACAD and if this proved necessary would they also be taken from the rehabilitation beds? Mr Calderwood confirmed that if the rise occurred it would be a re-distribution of beds. WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE MANSIONHOUSE? THE ANSWER IS CLOSED!
BMA Scotland
The BMA Scotland Public Affairs Office issued a statement on 5 December 2006;
Mr Don MacKechnie, Chairman of the BMA’s Emergency Medicine Committee said:
“There is no ‘one size fits all’ reconfiguration solution that will meet the various health needs of different communities across the country. Each locality must be given the time and opportunity to discuss what proposed changes in emergency care will mean for their local health service and be properly informed about the risks and benefits involved. Changes to emergency care will have impact not just on individual hospitals, and the other services they provide, but also on the ambulance service and primary care.”
Our comment; It is ironic that at a time when the NHS is reducing the number of A&E departments throughout Scotland there has been a marked increase in the numbers attending. No doubt there are various reasons for this but one of the principle reasons must be the lack of GP cover after hours and at weekends.
Media Coverage
There is a lot of media coverage on various aspects of the NHS. Here are only a few:
- The Scotsman published on the 15 December reported on the warning given by Audit Scotland to the health chiefs to ‘act now or face cash disaster.’ The NHS faces rising costs of wages and energy. Since April Health Boards are no longer allowed to use cash set aside for fixed assets such as new buildings to balance their books. The use of PFI to finance building projects results in millions of pounds of rent being paid to the private sector and requires good financial planning.
- It was announced in December that the current G-Pass computer system, used by a great many GPs, is to be replaced. This will be extremely costly both in terms of software and staff training time.
- According to media reports the forecast is that there are too many consultants and not enough nurses!
- The Times reported that Care UK, a nursing home company, through a 50% owned joint venture company called Partnership Health Group (PHG) has won preferred bidder status on a contract to run an NHS Hospital - the Royal South Hants Hospital. We believe that PHG is a South African company. The company will not own the building but will be responsible for administering the medical establishment from ensuring surgeons are suitably supported in operating theatres to seeing that the gardeners have the tools to cut the hedges.
Despite all this depressing news on the state of the NHS in Great Britain good wishes and good health to all of you for the New Year.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 8 January 2007
at 7.30 p.m. in the Larkfield Centre
