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Health Service Forum South East
Minutes of a regular meeting of the Health Service Forum SE held on 9 February 2010 in the Larkfield Centre
Contents
Welcome
Margaret Hinds, chair of the Health Forum, welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Apologies
Apologies were received from Alasdair Glen, Dorothy Walls,
Minutes
The minutes of the 8 December 2009 had been circulated to members and adoption was proposed by James Sandeman seconded by Alva Caldwell.
Correspondence
a) 22 Dec 09 Response to letter to Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Public Health, re Herald article on lack of Government policy on care of the elderly. We asked why the Government had not rebuffed the claim that the SNP have no policy to deal with the increasingly elderly population and the fact that people are living longer. Grant Hughes, Team leader for the Joint Improvement Team, responded telling us of a Leadership Summit planned for the 8 Feb and anticipating that organisations like ours will be included. We have not received any further correspondence.
b) Response from Paul Cannon, Head of Administration, Acute Services division regarding written information supplied to a patient along with an appointment letter. The Outpatient Information leaflet available on the Health Board website can be downloaded but is not sent out to patients. He wanted particulars of the patient and clinic rather than address the general issue. He agreed to e-mail clerical staff at the
c) 19 Dec 09 Letter to Jane Grant re transfer of patients from ACAD to
d) 7 Jan 2010 E-mail to Ally McLaws re Dialysis at the Stobhill ACAD and the GG &C Health Board web site that said the service was still to be established,. Robert Cumming advised that dialysis is currently available. Mr McLaws replied promptly to say that he would see that the web site was changed. This has now been seen to.
e) Douglas McGregor e-mailed Richard Copland on 1 February requesting information from his November presentation to the Forum. We have repeatedly requested this information without response.
f) 18 December e-mail to Alan Seabourne, Project Manager for the new
Treasurer’s Report
Mary Hamilton reported that the balance in the bank at the 9 February 2010 was £1946.68 after deduction of the cost of a new hard drive and software for the Chairman‘s PC and the cheque for the Larkfield Centre Children’s party .
Scottish Ambulance Service
Scottish Ambulance representatives Gordon Quinn and George Weir, Area Service Managers, met with the Forum Committee on the morning of the 9 February. We asked why it has taken 90 minutes for an ambulance to collect a patient from the Victoria ACAD and make a transfer to the Infirmary across the road. It is up to the clinician who makes the call to the ambulance service to advise the urgency of the transfer. They had no figures for the number of patients who have been transferred from the ACAD to the Infirmary. The Infirmary has its own transport system but drivers will stop work at 4.30 p.m. The establishment of NHS 24 has not increased Ambulance activity. There is talk of merging the two services. At present they share the same premises in Cardonald.
There are more rapid response vehicles as well as two motorbike paramedics in the city centre. The ratio of paramedics to ordinary ambulance men is increasing year on year.
The non-emergency patient transport system is under strain. Many more requests are being made for this service. Although a disabled patient may have a mobility allowance and drive a car, the parking at the Southern General and Stobhill is very difficult. Patients are missing appointments because they can’t find a car parking space or being fined for parking illegally on site. The Ambulance Service is seriously considering restricting availability of patient transport to those who cannot walk to the ambulance. Where does this leave vulnerable people who cannot get on a bus, dread losing their balance when the bus moves off, have to walk for miles when they arrive on site to get their clinic?
Gordon and George were very perturbed about the falling number of volunteer drivers. Drivers are paid expenses of 40p per mile for the first 10,000 miles in the financial year and 25p thereafter in line with HM Customs and Tax. There have many questions asked in the Scottish Parliament about the effect of these restrictions on the viability of this service. The Health Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, consistently praises the volunteers and has promised to keep the situation under review.
The Ambulance representatives offered the Forum the opportunity of a visit from Anne Harrison, A First Responder, who can describe the role undertaken by volunteers who attend an emergency before the arrival of the Scottish Ambulance Service. They will also forward a copy of the Ambulance Service Staff Letter.
Next meeting
9 March 2010
Niall McGrogan and Mark McAllister
The New South Acute Hospital