Health
Service Forum South East
Minutes of a regular
meeting of the Health Service Forum S.E held in the Larkfield Centre on Tuesday
14 February 2006 at 7.30
p.m.
Report on the GGNHS Board Meeting
of the 21 February 2006
Welcome: Margaret Hinds welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Apologies: Elizabeth Bashir, Irene Addie, Mary McClelland, Catherine Milne, Rhoda Ritchie
Minutes of 10 January 2006
were adopted as correct.
Correspondence; 1) Letter to Sir John Arbuthnott
asking whether the ACAD contract would be subject to review in accordance with
the latest legislation regarding PFI contract that have escalated in price. There
has been no response as at 1 March 2006.
2) Letter to Sir John Arbuthnott re ownership of Queen’s Park School
site. Response received confirming ownership.
3) Letter to Mr McIntyre asking if the demolition contract for the School
and the cost of the new road across the QPR site are two additional contracts
out with the PFI contract for the ACAD. Response confirmed this is the case.
According to the GGNHS Board the cost of the new road is just under £1.5
million.
3) Letter of support to John Scott MSP fighting the proposed loss of
A&E at the Ayr County Hospital. Response advising that consultation is
over and they await decision. A protest march is planned for the 25 February.
4) Letter to John Hamilton, Secretary to GGNHS Board, regarding the
progress of talks between the Board and the Citizens Advice Bureaux on the
subject of CABs assisting patients with complaints.
5) E-mail to Architecture and Design re their committees views on the
new ACAD at Stobhill. A copy of the report was forwarded. It was interesting
to note that the group passed comment on the fact that at Stobhill there is
scope for expansion on the site. No such comment was made on the Victoria ACAD
site because the Health Board has bought only the area of ground necessary.
6) A letter was sent to Charles Gordon the newly elected MSP for
Cathcart asking for a meeting to discuss the Victoria ACAD. We were
advised that he was available to speak to any of his constituents at his weekly surgeries.
Treasurer’s Report; the current amount in the bank is £1814.75
The Consultation on the proposed alteration to hospital services in North Lanarkshire commenced in January
We understand that a campaign has been launched to oppose the removal
of A&E service from Monklands Hospital.
Transport Report;
On the 1 February 2006 Professor Douglas McGregor wrote to Jonathan Best, the Chair of the Transport Group, No meetings have been held for three months. To quote Douglas ‘An effective transport policy is an indispensable condition of the Board’s strategy of concentrating serious A&E and in-patient treatment in only two hospitals. If the transport policy fails – or does not emerge as an effective policy, then like the horseshoe nail in the nursery rhyme the Board’s strategy is lost.’
Complaints about the
NHS; John Hamilton responded to our letter re the involvement of Citizens Advice Bureaux advising
us to contact Steven Fenocchi at St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh. On the 23
February 2006 Steven informed us that the scheme involving CABs will be up and
running in approx 6-8 months time. i.e almost
two years after the dissolution of
the Health Councils!. Training of CAB staff and establishment of any new
CAB offices will be the responsibility of CAS (Citizens Advice Scotland). He is awaiting instruction
from the Scottish Health Dept. Jackie Burman of CAS attended our meeting on the
8 November 2005 and expected to receive approval of their framework from the
Scottish Health Department by the end of 2005 or January 2006. We wonder if the delay on the part of the
Scottish Health Department is deliberate. The number of complaints made to the
NHS has fallen and the Executive might decide that there is no need for CAS
assistance. Without the assistance and support of CAB personnel many people will
be unable to pursue legitimate complaints.
The new director of Acute Services Plan, Helen Burke, was welcomed to her first meeting.
Under the heading of NHS Argyll & Clyde Integration ‘There will be a clear requirement for non-recurrent bridging to deliver the community care plans which include substantial hospital closure programmes.’
The recommendations of Professor Calder’s group on the siting of the new children’s hospital; will be out by week commencing 6 March 2006. Catriona Renfrew stated that in the view of the NHSGG the only site that meets all criteria is the Southern General.
In connection with the Freedom of Information Act it was felt that in the run up to the 2007 Holyrood election that requests would increase significantly.
The Board achieved the waiting time targets for December 2005.
Regarding the ACADs Mr Calderwood advised that the consortia was at the detailed planning application stage. Once approved a final price structure will be submitted and the final business case put to the GGNHS Board. This was not raised at the February meeting and therefore we question whether financial closure can be achieved by the end of April 2006 and a start on site by early June 2006. He wished to highlight to members the potential risk of agreeing the tender for the construction of the road ahead of acquiring the site and receiving final approvals relating to planning and financial closure.
An open discussion followed on possible subjects of interest that could be addressed by speakers at future meetings. Subjects included nurse training and recruitment, euthanasia and writing a living will, the future of the NHS in Scotland. It was decided to contact the Royal College of Nursing.
Please note on Tuesday the 14 March 2006
Professor Stuart Murray, Director of Postgraduate General Practice, NHS
Education for Scotland, will attend our meeting to speak to us on the training
and supply of GPs. This will be an informative and interesting evening and a
good attendance would be appreciated.