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Minutes of regular meeting of the Health Service Forum South East held in the Larkfield Centre on 11 March 2003 at 7.30 p.m.
Contents
Report of public meeting in Clarkston Hall on 26 March 2003
Apologies
Apologies: - Bill and Ena Montgomery, Margaret Mitchell, Alastair Glen.
Minutes
The Minutes of the meeting of 11th February were adopted with the amendment that there was no necessity to note the absence of MSPs.
Correspondence Out
1. To Jim Whyteside Public Affairs Manager, GG NHS Board, with reference to Greater Glasgow's Local Health Plan 2002-2007 Document. Page 10 - The disposition of clinical services across sites. 3.2 - Implementation arrangements will include further work on bed numbers, and a joint planning team to ensure in-patient services are sustained at Stobhill, during the period prior to transfer.
We questioned why there was no mention of a planning team for the Victoria. The following response was received: A public Involvement Steering Group Committee will be set up and the appointment of a chairman is imminent.
The ‘monitoring’ group arrangements for Greater Glasgow are a separate matter and are being put in place by the Scottish executive. Details of theses groups and appointments will be made at ministerial level. An announcement is expected soon.
2. To Sir John Arbuthnott, questioning the escalation of the cost of the ACAD which is proposed to replace the Victoria i.e.£30 million - £56.9 million, now £80 million. Also restating our opposition to a stand-alone ACAD. We want a replacement of the services provided by the Vic -- in-patient beds and an A&E. We have always welcomed an ACAD if it is on the site of an Acute Hospital.
3. To Tom Divers reminding him that we would like a copy of the latest plans for the new ACAD building.
Correspondence In
From Sir John Arbuthnott, the Board is organising a Strategic Transport sub-committee. We will be kept informed.
Information Update
A loss of a further 129 bed has occurred at the Vic due to the Health and Safety inspection. There must a greater distance between patients beds. A return to nightingale wards has been proposed.
Stobhill has continued to be a stopgap for patients when both the Vic, the Southern and the Royal are unable to accept patients.
Quote from Alan Millburn, Health Secretary, has declared a moratorium on further closures of smaller hospitals. Big is not necessarily beautiful. (We couldn't agree more.)
The Waste Dump that had been proposed in Govan, close to the SGH has now been stopped. (For the time being anyway, we still feel a bit wary and inclined to say, "watch this space”.
Comments from the floor
Concern again expressed at the cost of travelling by taxi to the SGH. Depending on where you live it can cost £12 each way.
Will the A&E continue at the Vic if it is replaced by the ACAD? The answer is "NO". An A&E requires the back up of an Acute Hospital.
Orthopaedic patients are having operations cancelled due to shortage of beds and nurses.
The Health Board paid BUPA in Manchester £700,000 for Greater Glasgow patient care.
The ACAD will deal with all of the patients from the South West as well as the South East.
The SGH will deal with all of the in-patients from both the South East and South West. What a to-ing and fro-ing of patients and medical staff up and down the motorway!
Treasurer's Report
In Bank £1434:04 including the sum of £112.60 which was collected at the public meeting in the Battlefield Church Hall.
Our thanks to the church for the use of the hall and our thanks as always to Winnie McCallum for the enormous effort she and her committee members put into the event. It was standing room only!
Report of public meeting in Clarkston Hall on 26 March 2003
This was a very well attended meeting. The format was similar to the Battlefield meeting, basically to let people listen and question the facts. The speakers were Eric Canning, our architect, proving again how disturbing the decision of the Board is to attempt to build a hospital on top of an acute hospital. A hospital which will be the largest in the UK. Pat Lally addressed the absurdity of the transport problems that a hospital of this size would incur. He advised that Glasgow City Council had agreed across party lines the use of the Queen's Park Recreation ground for a new Victoria.
The first guest speaker was Dr Jean Turner, the Independent candidate standing on "Save Stobhill Campaign". Jean explained that the Vic and Stobhill were facing exactly the same problems with the proposal of a stand-alone ACAD, and the closures of wards.
The second speaker was Brian Stewart, Independent, from Dunfermline East. Their problem is in some ways the opposite of ours in Glasgow. They are fighting to keep the Queen Margaret hospital for "local people". This is a relatively new hospital, only 10 years old. The Fife Board's plan is to close the Queen Margaret and move services to Kirckaldy, which is a number of miles away and a relatively old hospital.
It was very interesting to listen to Jean and Brian and to know that the problems they face are so similar to ours. Clearly the unrest of local communities at the cutback of local services is spreading across the country.
At the end of the meeting Margaret Hinds announced her intention to stand as an Independent Candidate on the hospital issue. It was very heartening to have so many people express their support. It was a situation not envisaged when the Forum began its campaign and would not have happened if the all-party group of MSPs had continued with their promise to keep the NHS out of party politics.
What the people want is to have the Victoria replaced on the Queen’s Park Recreation ground.
What we don’t want is to have patients from the South East travelling to the S.G.H
What we don’t want is a stand-alone ACAD (a walk-in walk-out hospital).
What we don’t want is a hospital with no beds and no A&E
Election Campaign Help
Please help by:
* talking to your friends and family and asking them to support the campaign
* offering to help us in the election campaign
* suggesting business contacts who could be sympathetic
* sending a donation to help with the costs of the campaign.
Margaret Hinds - 616 3715 or 639 4925
Aileen Fyfe, 137 Ayr Road, Glasgow, G77 6RF. 639 6444
Louise Laing 632 0172
Dorothy Walls 637 5900
Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Health Service Forum will be the Annual General Meeting and will be held on Tuesday 8th April in the Larkfield Centre, Inglefield Street at
7:30pm followed by the regular meeting.
Hustings Meetings
- MONDAY 14th APRIL in the COUPER INSTITUTE at 7.30pm.
- TUESDAY 22nd APRIL in the CLARKSTON HALLS at 7.30pm.