06/07/06 - Cuts
Announced
Health campaigners worst fears were realised as the Worcester
Acute Trust announced sweeping cuts at the Alexandra Hospital
in a meeting last week. In the proposals that will go to public
consultation in October the Alexandra hospital would no longer
offer birthing facilities, 24 paediatric care and current
gynaecology services would also be affected.
Save the Alex Action Group have condemned any move to cut
Maternity, Paediatric and gynaecology services at the Hospital.
Local dad and Save The Alex campaigner said
The trust have changed their
reason for these cuts, in November last year they
said it was all about money and know they claim it's
all about clinical safety. In fact Dr Charles Ashton,
Medical Director said during the meeting
If I had a sick child and
was driving past the Alexandra Hospital I would
carry on straight to Worcester.
These comments are an insult
to the hard working staff and the parents / children
who rely on these services. They also go against what
the trust said to our MP who asked if current services
were safe and was told yes. |
The Trust say the have independent
clinical evidence that shows why the maternity unit should
close as yet they have failed to put this evidence into the
public arena for scrutiny, the question has to be asked how
good can the evidence be.
They could not win the financial
argument so now they are trying to scare parents with clinical
safety . How can it be safer for moms in labour to travel
to Worcester or Birmingham
The board nodded these cuts through, yet when questioned they
admitted they have not consulted with other Acute trusts in
the area to see if they could cope with impact of patients
from the Alexandra using their Services. It is thought that
most moms would travel to Birmingham to give birth even if
just 800 out of the total 1,800 did so what hospital could
cope with that influx of patients. We know the Women's Hospital
in Birmingham is facing cut backs as well. The board also
admitted they had not looked at the financial impact of gearing
up Worcester to cope with the extra capacity, an estimated
£15m - £20m from what staff have told us.
(Taken from Worcester News) But one midwife, who wants to
be anonymous, has questioned how the Royal would cope with
the extra demand, she said
The trust says it wants to
create a women-centred unit with consultant-led and
midwife-led obstetric units running side-by-side and
although this sounds wonderful I want to know when
and how the trust think they can realise this proposal
when they are already in huge amounts of debt.
She said most women were able
to give birth naturally without intervention, but
feared a centralised service would lead to a 'medicalised
approach'. |
Lack of one-to-one care in labour,
unrealistic time scales and managed assembly line labours
inevitably culminate in an increased risk of a cascade of
intervention which distresses both woman and baby.
The Alex campaign group is planning several protests, the
first of which will be taking part in regional March this
Saturday in Birmingham (Please see separate e-mail). The group
will be lobbying the current PCT and the New PCT when it is
formed in October as well as the SHA, MP's and Health Ministers
in London.
Neal also commented
| We have already had 2 meeting's
with Jacqui Smith MP and have a further meeting this
Friday with Jacqui and the PCT Chair. We are currently
getting dates together for protests at the hospital
and the SHA these will be announced next week. It is
vital that the public support this direct action as
we can only successfully fight these cuts in numbers |
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