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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
9 May 2006 at 7.30 p.m.
Contents
Meeting of the Scottish Health Campaigns Network with the Health Minister
Welcome
Welcome: Pat Lally welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Apologies
Apologies: Margaret Hinds, Elizabeth Bashir, Eric Canning and Rhoda Ritchie
Guest Speaker, Susan Watt
Pat Lally introduced the speaker, Susan Watt, Student Advisor in the UK for the Royal College of Nursing.
The RCN has 380,000 members in the UK including 38,000 in Scotland. The RCN has an influential voice at home and abroad to promote nursing interests.
The average age of student nurses is 29 years. Many trainees have family commitments and find it extremely difficult to make ends meet on the grant of £6000 per annum. This is one of the reasons for the high drop out rate from the course (28% in 2003 but improved in 2005) Care facilities for children is a huge problem for nurses. The RCN promotes family friendly policies.
Susan was asked about the loss of nurses from hospitals to take up NHS24 posts. The answer is the G grade status awarded to NHS 24 nurses.
There is great enthusiasm among nurses for the nurse led Minor Injuries Unit. The nurses will have certain protocols to follow when dealing with a patient. It was suggested that a medical presence would be an even better way of dealing with those who presented at the MIU. It was also pointed out that A&E units will deal with all injuries but MIUs can only deal with minor injuries. Anyone seriously ill will have to be referred to A&E. A suggestion was made that NHS Education should be approached regarding the training of MIU nurses.
We are indebted to Susan for explaining the work of the RCN and answering questions.
Minutes
Minutes of 11 April 2006 were adopted as correct.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer’s Report; the current amount in the bank is £2024.57. We are very grateful to East Renfrewshire Council for their continued financial support.
Correspondence
Correspondence; an invitation has been extended to Alex McIntyre, ACAD Project Manager, to address the June meeting.
Transport
Transport; Hilary Brown of Traveline Scotland advises us that she has had meaningful discussions with Grampian and Borders Health Board. Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board have still to do so.
LATEST NEWS: IN JANUARY DOUGLAS MCGREGOR RECEIVED AN E-MAIL ADVISING THAT THE JANUARY TRANSPORT MEETING HAD BEEN POSTPONED AND THAT HE WOULD BE UPDATED. AFTER REPEATED UNANSWERED LETTERS TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GROUP, WE TELEPHONED THE SECRETARY OF THE TRANSPORT GROUP TO BE INFORMED THAT THE GROUP HAS BEEN DISBANDED!! AN INTERNAL GROUP HAS BEEN SET UP. DOUGLAS MCGREGOR HAS NOT YET BEEN SENT CONFIRMATION.
TRANSPORT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. WE WONDER IF THERE IS ANY LAY PERSON CURRENTLY ON THE NEW GROUP.
Meeting of the Scottish Health Campaigns Network with the Health Minister
A report was given on the meeting of the Scottish Health Campaigns Network with the Health Minister on the 3 May.
ACAD. The case was made that minor injuries units (Nurse led) as presently arranged were unlikely to have a big impact on reducing pressures on A/E units because of the small patient numbers. There is evidence from the Western General in Edinburgh (Report by Paxman and Heaney from Edinburgh University’s department of General Practice) that 17% of patients going to Minor Injury Units had to be referred to another hospital that same day because protocols would not permit them to be treated there. Minister not aware of this level of onwards referral. The case was stated that a medical presence in Minor Injuries Unit would greatly enhance what they could do and take pressure off the A/E units. The medical presence would enhance training of doctors and nurses for the types of work that was needed across Scotland and improve patient confidence, usage, and hence the load taken by such units.
It was not accepted by the Minister that there had been slippage on the expected opening date for the Glasgow ACADs. Mr Calderwood had stated that the opening date was 2009. At our meeting with Mr Kerr it was stated that building work would start in August/September 2006 with opening in 2008.
There was a clear statement from the Minister that clinical services at the Glasgow ACADs would be solely provided by NHS staff.
Guardian Article
Attention of members was drawn to an article in the Guardian newspaper entitled ‘Huge windfall for hospital’s PFI investors as staff face job cuts’. The article referred to a deficit in the budget of the Norfolk and Norwich Trust caused by a PFI contract. The consortium decided to refinance their joint working company, Octagon, so that they could take early profits. The Commons public accounts committee say that the refinancing ‘lined the pockets of the investors’ The job losses at the Norfolk Hospital are among the largest in the current wave of cuts to tackle the deficit. A spokesperson stated ‘This is a financial problem for us. There is no doubt that PFI plays a part’.
Living Will
Louise Laing advised that she had attended a seminar in Strathclyde University led by a lawyer who addressed the subject of making a ‘Living Will’. This document would express your views in the event that you are unable to let the medical team caring for you know your wishes. Details are available on several web sites including the following; www.livingwill.org.uk. The web site of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society is www.ves.org.uk/livingwills.html
Have you remembered to pay your annual subscription? If not please send your cheque to the Treasurer as soon as possible.
Alex McIntyre, Project Manager for the ACAD has accepted our invitation to speak at the meeting of the 13th June in the Larkfield Centre at 7.30 pm. This will be the last meeting before our two month summer break. Please come and hear the latest news on the Victoria ACAD.
