BUCKINGHAMSHIRE PCT’S handling of changes to medical cover at Thame hospital, has been compared to the recently published report into the Nimrod crash.
In the question and answer session at the recent public meeting into the future of Thame Community Hospital, Thame resident, Len Davidson, suggested that the PCT read the review into the destruction of the aircraft as it was re-fuelling in the air above Afghanistan.
The three main causes cited for the tragedy, said Mr Davidson, were change, standardisation and cost cutting. “I suggest,” he added, “that there are some references here that we can all read into what is happening here.”
JOINING UP THE PIECES
Richard Mills, for Bucks PCT, replied: “We take our responsibilities for caring for our patients very seriously. The safety of patients is a priority.
“There are some hard decisions to be made and we must get the balance right. We cannot just buy our way out of things.
“Change is important; we need continuity but there must be a balance. We have to move on from 1948.”
He added, “We do need to change but not in a way that is risky. We cannot compromise on standards and must have checks and balances. In the Nimrod case, no one was joining up the pieces but that is what we are trying to do. If we can simplify and cut out waste, we can save resources.”
TOWN COUNCIL BEHIND THE MOTION
Town Cllr Don Butler said that the town council was fully behind the motion to be put forward at the end of the meeting, i.e. to open the four closed beds, to return medical cover to the the local GPs and to ensure that the new contract provides for at least eight hours of medical cover per week.
He added that he hoped there would be another public meeting once a decision had been made about future medical cover.
CHANGES SHOULD BENEFIT PATIENTS
District Cllr David Dodds, who chaired the meeting asked the PCT representatives which of the main principles of Lord Darzi’s recent review of the Health Service, they thought they had met? i.e. That changes should be consulted about, that those changes should be for the benefit of patients and that those changes should be looked at to see what the benefits are.
“What the PCT has done is ride rough shod over those,” he concluded. Applause from the audience.
Rachael Corser, Executive Leadfor Clinical Excellence, Community Health, replied: “Each change we make is clinically driven and we will continue to work with GPs and staff.”
In bringing the meeting to a close, Sarah Taylor, Chair of the League of Friends of Thame Community Hospital, who called the meeting, thanks all the speakers for their contributions, saying to the PCT representatives, “We will all be scrutinising your comments very carefully and I ask you to bear in mind that in the future, people in hospital will be more ill.”
PHOTO: There was a unanimous show of hands among the audience in support of the motion (See Cllr Don Butler’s contribution above)