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Issue: 24 <\/b><\/p>\n
April 2015<\/b><\/p>\n
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This occasional newsletter is researched, written and edited by a group of concerned residents in Ealing, West London who want to preserve our NHS. We view the wholesale engagement of private, for-profit healthcare service suppliers as unnecessary, profligate and dangerous. Process improvement is what is needed in our NHS \u2013 not revolution.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Over 500 Attend Evening Save the NHS Rally in London on 10 March 2015.<\/b><\/p>\n Patients, clinical staff and politicians \u00a0from all over London came together for a lively rally at Hammersmith Town Hall on Tuesday 10 March 2015. It was a show of force by those who are worried and unhappy with the actual and planned NHS cuts, closures and privatisations. Many of the attendees were members of NHS campaigning groups throughout London.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The mood amongst speakers and audience members was one of optimism that the Government\u2019s assault on the NHS could be challenged and defeated. Everyone was encouraged to vote at May\u2019s General Election for candidates and political parties who would defend the NHS. A vote for the Conservative Party was universally viewed as a vote for the death of the NHS.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of the most impressive platform speakers was Ealing Hospital consultant Gurjinder Sandhu. He caught the mood of the meeting perfectly when he asked \u2018\u2026we bailed out the banks in 2008 so why can\u2019t we bail out the hospitals in 2015?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read Rally Chair Anne Drinkell\u2019s report on the event at:<\/span><\/p>\n www.saveourhospitals.blogspot.co.uk<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ealing Hospital A&E Outperforms Northwick Park A&E in February 2015<\/b><\/p>\n NHS figures show that Ealing Hospital A&E outperformed Northwick Park A&E and London and national average A&E performances in February 2015. These figures relate to waiting times for the most seriously ill patients (so called Type-1).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This poor performance by Northwick Park comes 12 weeks after the opening of its new \u00a321 million A&E unit.. Many local ambulance, GP and CCG initiatives are also in place to stop A&E patients being taken to Northwick Park, presumably to take the pressure off Northwick Park A&E. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n And so the questions must be asked again and again:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n + Why plan to close Ealing Hospital A&E unit?<\/span><\/p>\n + What more can be done to improve the performance of Northwick Park A&E unit?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n (From information supplied by Colin Standfield of Save Our Hospitals)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n NHS Resorts to Untruths in Defending its \u2018Shaping a Healthier Future\u2019 (SaHF) Strategy<\/b><\/p>\n The NHS NW London SaHF Winter 2015 \u00a0newsletter states \u2018…while performance nationally dipped, the North West sector was the highest performing in London in the last few months of 2014 \u2013 at 92.87% – for all types of A&E performance and was above both the London and the national average performance for the quarter\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, NHS official data reveals that at no time in the last quarter of 2014 was the North West London figure above the London average and in only 4 weeks did it creep above the England average. If you take \u2018Type-1\u2019 performance rather than \u2018All Attendees\u2019 the figures were, \u00a0and continue to be, even worse.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n NHS NW London SaHF continue to state publicly that \u2018there were increases in demand in A&E services across the country during the winter period\u2019. However the NHS\u2019s own data clearly shows that there was no significant winter pressure on A&E demand, anywhere. For example in November 2014 the NHS huffed and puffed about a \u2018surge\u2019 in A&E demand reaching 417,000 in England in one week. Given that the nation\u2019s A&Es in June 2014 had coped with 460,000 attendances\/week, highlighting this November figure was disingenuous to say the least.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n So just what are we to make of these untruths? Is it merely incompetent reading and interpreting of the NHS data or does it amount to attempted deception by NHS NW London SaHF?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Information again supplied by Colin Standfield of Save Our Hospitals)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n No More A&E Closures \u2013 NHS NW London SaHF Bombshell<\/b><\/p>\n The SaHF newsletter tells us this as well as that there will be no \u2018further changes to local A&E services in the next three years\u2019. All this makes a mockery of the SaHF Option allegedly chosen by residents in 2012. Within three years the four A&E units at Central Middlesex, Hammersmith, Charing Cross and Ealing Hospital would be closed. Well the first two were closed \u2013 in September 2014. And now Charing Cross and Ealing A&Es will not close at all. The Independent Reconfiguration Panel pronounced in September 2013 that it was unconvinced by proposals to close Charing Cross and Ealing A&Es. The hospitals (Trusts) were told to maintain A&E services until more convincing plans had been drawn up and alternative services put in place. Here we are 19 months later and such plans and alternative services are clearly not in place.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The newsletter goes on to say that (as from 2018) Charing Cross and Ealing A&Es will continue to operate \u2018from new buildings\u2019. One does wonder where these new buildings will be built on the Ealing Hospital site and which current buildings will be demolished to make way for them. But these post-2018 A&Es will be \u2018modern A&Es\u2019 \u2013 a term yet to be defined by the NHS. Many of us are certain that no blue light ambulances will deliver patients to these modern A&Es and that they will have no intensive care beds or consultants. Put crudely these \u2018modern A&Es\u2019 will not be A&Es at all. Yet another NHS untruth raises its ugly head. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ealing Hospital Maternity Unit Closure Date is Still a Mystery<\/b><\/p>\n At the ECCG meeting held in Ealing Town Hall on 18 March 2015 it was announced that there was still no confirmed date for the closure of the maternity unit. Ealing mothers-to-be, 120 Ealing Hospital midwives and local NHS activists are variously anxious, angered and bemused by this continuing management failure.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n SaHF plans in February 2013 included the closure of Ealing Hospital Maternity Unit. This was confirmed in October 2013 by the Secretary of State. In October 2014 ECCG stated that closure would be \u2018as soon as possible\u2019. March 2015 was suggested as a likely date for closure.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here we are 17 months on from when the Secretary of State decided on the closure and NHS NW London is still unable to organise future childbirth provision alternatives to Ealing Hospital. Surely this is incompetence. Is this a failure of the SaHF strategy? Is this a failure by ECCG and\/or NHS NW London? Is it all about the money and space not being available to expand other maternity units in north west London?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is no way to run a public healthcare service.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n NW London Hospital Health Commission<\/b><\/p>\n Chaired by Michael Mansfield QC, this is an independent investigation on the impact of the \u2018Shaping a Healthier Future\u2019 (SaHF) programme. The programme includes the closure of 4 of our 9 hospital A&E units, two of which closed in September 2014. The Commission is funded by Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow Councils.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After three of the four public hearings – in Hammersmith on 14 March, Ealing on 21 March and Hounslow on 28 March \u2013 a distinct pattern is emerging:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n + SaHF is about cost savings and generating capital receipts by land disposal<\/span><\/p>\n + Hospital A&E services have been reduced before any out-of-hospital alternative services have been established in the community<\/span><\/p>\n + 90%+ of witnesses cannot see how longer journey times and fewer hospital beds and services will give us all a healthier future<\/span><\/p>\n + SaHF strategy completely ignores current population growth as well as future London Plan residential growth <\/span><\/p>\n + No high level engagement between SaHF and senior Local Authorities\u2019 staff at any time \u2013 2011 to 2015<\/span><\/p>\n + No local senior NHS \/SaHF staff have accepted invitations to give verbal evidence. Why won\u2019t Dr Spencer, Dr Spicer, Dr Parmar and Thirza Sawnett defend the SaHF strategy in public?<\/span><\/p>\n + The management consultants who conceived SaHF (notably McKinsey & Co) have failed to participate in these hearings<\/span><\/p>\n + Healthwatch sees itself as a \u2018friend of CCGs\u2019 – not surprising in a way as it was set up and is funded by the Department of Health<\/span><\/p>\n + The SaHF transformation seems to have casually expanded from taking \u2018at least three years\u2019 in 2012 to now in 2015 being a five year project \u2018ending\u2019 in perhaps 2018<\/span><\/p>\n + Magnificent and courageous verbal evidence delivered by practising clinicians<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For reports and YouTube coverage of the Commission see: <\/span>www.saveourhospitals.blogspot<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Keep Our NHS Public (KONP) in North Central London To Take Five CCGs to Court for Failure to Consult on Privatisation Plans<\/b><\/p>\n Five Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) \u2013 in Camden, Islington, Haringey, Brent and Enfield \u2013 have decided to combine Out Of Hours (OOH) GP service and the 111 telephone helpline and put it out to tender. This decision was taken without any consultation with the one million patients who use these services. KONP in north central London wants these services to be run by NHS staff and is taking these CCGs to Court for their failure to consult. More at www.camdenkeepournhspublic.org.uk \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n NHS NW London Spent Over \u00a313 Million on Management Consultancy Since 1 April 2014<\/b><\/p>\n A Freedom of Information request has revealed that NHS NW London has spent over \u00a313 million on management consultancy over the last 11 months. The money was spent to support the NHS NW London \u2018Shaping a Healthier Future\u2019 (SaHF) strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Three companies received the bulk of our money \u2013 McKinsey (and McKinsey-led consortia) \u00a37, 237,600, PA Consulting \u00a33,366,336 and PWC \u00a31,528,06.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n NHS NW London is just one of 27 NHS area teams in England. If all of them have spent similar amounts on \u2018strategy and transformation\u2019 then the total national spend on management consultancy over the last 11 months could be over \u00a3350 million. In London alone if the other two area teams spent as much as NW London then the total London management consultancy spend would be almost \u00a340 million.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Let\u2019s hope that the independent NW London Mansfield Healthcare Commission reveals just how well or badly our \u00a313+ million has been recently spent on the SaHF \u2018strategy and transformation\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n REPORTS ON LONDON\u2019S NHS<\/b><\/p>\n Two reports were published in March 2015 on this topic. The larger report is <\/span>\u2018London\u2019s NHS Into the Unknown\u2019<\/span><\/i> which is the second report by The People\u2019s Inquiry into NHS London. <\/span>\u2018Critical Condition: London\u2019s NHS\u2019<\/span><\/i> is a smaller report from the London Assembly Labour group.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2018London\u2019s NHS Into the Unknown\u2019<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n This 47 page report is an updated version of the original March 2014 report. A deepening divide is identified between Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and the hospitals, mental health and community health service trusts which deliver front line services.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The report reveals increasing concerns about the lack of strategic overview of healthcare in London. It is very critical of the operation of a number of healthcare initiatives. It finds no grounds for optimism that anything substantial will be achieved by the Better Care Fund. It finds no evidence of the work of the local Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Watch organisations and little evidence of local engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The report finds that the London Ambulance Service performance has weakened. It also finds little improvement in mental health resourcing or funding. On the Primary Care front there is frightening evidence that community nursing services don\u2019t exist.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A new recommendation is to tackle system failure and integrate care in and outside hospital. A repeated now urgent recommendation is an independent review of the clinical case for reconfiguration.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The people\u2019s Inquiry is chaired by Roy Lilley and sponsored by Unite, the <\/span> Union. The report can be downloaded at <\/span>www.peoplesinquiry.org.uk<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2018Critical Condition: London\u2019s NHS\u2019<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n