20/11/2007 - Full Audit Commision Report

The full audit commision report can be read using the link below..

(Click here for more details)

20/11/2007 - Lobying forces Audit Commision to Change Rating

The audit commsion has change the trusts finaitial rating to 'adequate' after intensive lobying by the Trust.

(Click here for more details)

12/10/2007 - Audit Commision - Financial Rating - Inadequate

The audit commsion has downgraded the trusts finaitial rating to 'inadequate'.

(Click here for more details)

21/09/2007 - Two Years on - Answers Needed.

It is now two years since the the save the alex campaign was launced.

The Trust are still keeping the general public in the dark about the future for the maternity department, refusing to answer questions from the general public.

Govenment policy to ensure that the trust talks to the general public and keeps the general public informed obviously does not apply in this instance.

19/09/2007 - NHS Support Federation.

National demonstration, central London

Saturday 3 November.

11am: Assemble at Temple Place, Victoria Embankment, London
Noon: March through Westminster (will take approx one hour)
1pm: Rally in Trafalgar Square
1.30-4.30pm: Speakers and entertainment in the Square

Building on the successes of the Keep the NHS Working and NHS Together campaigns, the demonstration will be the focus of a public display of celebration and solidarity for an NHS that after almost 60 years, is still largely owned and run by the public sector. Widespread support for the event will send a strong message to the government that we want to keep it that way. The NHS Together alliance of unions, supporters from a broad coalition of user, patient and community groups and members of the public, are being urged to join together to make the demonstration a massive success.

(click here for more details)

(click here for the flyer)

19/09/2007 - Your letters - A thank you to the Alex.

When I had my son in 2006, I was very impressed with the services of both the Maternity Ward at the time of his birth and of Ward 14 some 8 to 10 weeks later.

My son and I joined the ''Save the Alex'' march in 2006 to keep the Maternity Services at the Alex.

I never dreamt that I would be using the services of A & E, the 'bloods' team, the Antenatal & X-Ray depts, the Early Pregnancy Assessment Ward & Ward 14 again as we did for the period 6th to 14th September 2007 who all assisted myself and my husband through our recent miscarriage.

Can you please pass on our thanks to all of the staff involved in the above 6 departments for the way in which they dealt with me on this occasion.

My visits over the above period included - A & E twice, Antenatal & bloods twice, X-ray twice, the Early Pregnancy Assessment team three times & finally Ward 14 once. All this was in a 9 day period.
I am glad the Maternity Services are on hand at the Alex, and once again I am supporting the campaign to keep the Maternity Services there please.
I made some of the above visits on my own either from work or from home & it took just 10 minutes to get there. I wonder how I would have coped if the services been moved to Worcester or elsewhere.

Thank you again The Alex and also to my employers at this time.

Name & address Supplied.

21/08/2007 - A&E closures 'put lives at risk'

Medical Care Research Unit at the University of Sheffield

There is now clear evidence that the further you travel to A&E, the more likely you are to die getting there.

10,000 patents with problems including

• Chest Pain
• Breathing problems
• Injury
• Haemorrhaging

were examined in the study

The chances of dying if you were suffering from breathing problems was found to be

• 6% if you travel less than 3 miles to A&E
• 13% if you travel between 6 and 12 miles
• 20% if you travel 12 miles or more

The distance between Redditch and Worcester is 20 miles, with no good roads in between !

(Click here for the BBC report)

(Click here for the Research)

24/07/2007 - Press Release From the Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (Given to us from the Trust)

Boost for Worcestershire Eye Patients as Countywide Services Upgraded
Media Release 24 July 2007

Thousands of eye patients across Worcestershire and beyond will benefit from a series of improvements to ophthalmology services at the Alexandra, Kidderminster and Worcestershire Royal Hospitals as well as the Princess of Wales and Tenbury Community Hospitals.

Improvements to come in the near future include new Consultant appointments, recruitment of extra senior doctors, an enhanced emergency service and easier access to services for patients who require specialised eye care.

Longer term, the county is due to get a new state of the art rapid access service to treat patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the biggest causes of poor vision in older people. There will also be further developments in the department of corneal surgery, particularly in the introduction of some new types of corneal transplantation.

A wide ranging review of services provided in Worcestershire has taken into account the needs of patients in all parts of the community, with the staff involved in providing their care using their expertise to shape the new look service.

Mr Paul B Chell, Clinical Director of Head and Neck Surgery and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, says the result is a service that will build on already excellent standards of care to ensure the highest quality treatments are available to all of the people of Worcestershire.

'One of our key principles has been to protect and enhance local services for local people, but we are also keen to ensure that they are local services that offer the very latest treatments and highest possible standards of care,' he says.

'We have also had to tackle some of the challenges posed by national changes in training for junior doctors in ophthalmology, which could have had serious implications for our emergency service - and of course we have to ensure that these services also offer good value for money.'

The positive impact of the changes on services across the county has earned the enhanced service the backing of Worcestershire Primary Care Trust who commission services for the county, and the Chairman of Worcestershire County Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) who monitor proposed changes to health services on behalf of patients.

Two new Consultant Ophthalmologists are being appointed to fill vacancies created by Consultants who have left the Trust. Consultant services are going to be remodelled, with Consultants working across sites to deliver super-specialist skills closer to home for patients.

The Beacon Award-winning Consultant-based state of the art cataract service will continue at all the Acute Trust's hospitals and plans are being developed to offer the new AMD and corneal transplant services from early 2008.

In addition, the Ophthalmology team are also looking at ways in which services might be made even more accessible, possibly by providing services through community hospitals or GP surgeries.

In addition, four new Staff Grade Ophthalmologists are being taken on to provide an emergency service. Previously, emergency ophthalmology patients would be seen by junior doctors, but following national changes in the way ophthalmologists are trained, training for juniors is now being focussed on large regional centres.

Paul Chell explains: 'We have secured extra funding to appoint to these new staff grade posts. The national changes in training could have seriously threatened our emergency service. Instead, and whilst necessarily streamlining some of the out of hours service, we have taken the opportunity in Worcestershire to appoint more experienced doctors to provide emergency care in the future.'

The Chief Executive of Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, Paul Bates, says: 'This is an imaginative and forward-looking package of developments which will bring significant benefits for ophthalmology patients in all parts of the county'

'As the organisation responsible for commissioning health services for the people of Worcestershire we welcome these improvements and we applaud Mr Chell and his team for their efforts.'

Chairman of the Worcestershire County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor John Campion, says: 'We welcome the Acute Trust’s efforts to engage with us openly while these proposals were being worked on, and we support entirely their commitment to equity of provision and quality of service.'

Trust Chairman, Michael O'Riordan and Paul Chell have given a briefing at meetings with Bromsgrove MP Julie Kirkbride and Redditch MP and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and they were satisfied that the proposal would enhance the services in the north of the county.

23/07/2007 - Press Release Save the Alex Action Group Redditch

Alex Eye Clinic Needs Your Help!

(Call for Public Consultation)

Save the Alex campaign has obtained information that a 'one sided' report put together by Worcester Eye Consultant Paul Chelm that is recommending the downsizing of the Eye Clinic at Redditch is being backed by Worcester Acute Hospitals Trust without going to public consultation.

Proposals similar to those that caused an outcry from the public and local MP's including a 20,000 strong petion from both Jacqui Smith MP and Julie Kirkbride in 2002 are being put in place by Worcester Acute Hospitals Trust against the advice of the Redditch Team.

This comes after a thorough review only 3 years ago, were it was decided to manage Ophthalmology locally because of constant friction and personality problems including allegations of bullying and racial harassment between Consultants based at different Trust sites. The current set of proposals has been put together by the same consultants as 2002 with no external advice sought.

The proposals would mean a dramatic reduction in the number of clinics, theatre sessions and staff at Redditch and Bromsgrove, in favour of new Consultant led sessions at Worcester and Kidderminster. This would force a majority of patients to travel 30 miles, taking funding away from the Alex although patients might not go because of the chose and book programme.

Already the 2nd Redditch eye consultant post has been put on hold despite the job being already advertised something that is being investigated by the County’s Health and Overview Committee. It is alleged the reason that this post has been frozen is because of disagreement of the post holder working at Worcester Royal instead of just Redditch and Bromsgrove. It is also alleged that funding has already been diverted from Redditch to appoint four mid grade doctors at Worcester.

A spokesman for the Alex campaign said,

The Alex Eye Unit has been managed efficiently and within cost, and our information says with no complaints from Gp's or local people. Given that 12,543 people used the eye clinics at Redditch and Bromsgrove and only 619 of people used the one's at Worcester it is hard to see why the trust is backing this change

Neal Stote, Chair of the Alex Campaign said

Given the uproar in 2002 and the thousands of patients that will be affected by any change I am amazed that there has been no public consultation to date, I call on the Acute Trust to take their proposals to public consultation before any changes or decisions take place.

20/07/2007 - Response to Advertiser Article

(Click Here for Article)

With reference to the report on the front page of the Advertiser of the 18th July, I was most disappointed that Mr John Rostill has once again been abusive towards the Save the Alex campaign. Whenever Mr Rostill does not understand the situation or is unable to answer a question he tends to be abusive. Mr Stote, chairman of the Save the Alex group, has admitted and apologised for his error in stating that 720 jobs have been lost. In fact it is 720 posts which have been lost, of which a small number were filled, but that does not detract from the serious situation that the Trust is in if it has to close all of those vacancies. Mr Rostill says that he is not prepared to argue with an organisation which tells lies. Mr Rostill seems to have forgotten that he told lies about the Save the Alex group and that the Trust has still not responded to a formal complaint that was made about his lies stated in the press. Perhaps he has forgotten about that just like his memory failure regarding figures.

Mr Rostill states that he does not recognise the financial figures that were quoted in the article so perhaps I can help him by reminding him of the meeting of the Trust Board at Kidderminster Hospital on Thursday 21st June this year, which was convened to receive and approve the annual accounts. Mr Rostill was present at that meeting in his official capacity. I attended that meeting as a member of the public and I asked some questions about the accounts. One of the questions was regarding 17 million which Mr Rostill had stated, in a public meeting in 2006, was the expected deficit for that year. I asked if the 17 million was included in a loan of 25 million that appeared in the Trust accounts. The Interim Finance Director stated that it was not part of the 25 million loan and the expected deficit had in fact been reduced to 9 million by various cuts and economy measures. He went on to state that the 9 million deficit had then been cleared by bringing forward income from a future year. When pressed further, the Interim Finance Director stated that the Primary Care Trust had made available 9 million pounds from a future year's allocation. This obviously means that there is 9 million less to spend on health care this year as it has been used to write off last years deficit. The 25 million is repayable over 5 years in equal instalments and is interest bearing at a rate of 5% per annum. This means that the Trust has to find 5 million a year, plus interest, for the next five years in order to clear the debt. This is in addition to balancing the books which includes paying the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) 'rental' of some 27 million for the current year for the Worcester Royal hospital.

The Save the Alex campaign members try very hard to get the facts but we very rarely receive any replies to our questions. From the outset we have said that we wish to work with the Trust Board to find a solution that will leave the people of Redditch, Bromsgrove and the surrounding areas with a hospital service that is suitable for the community, but we have not received any co-operation from the Trust Board. A document proposing what we feel are viable options has been prepared by a working group that included members of the Save the Alex team. This was sent to the Trust Board members and the PCT months ago, but there has been no acknowledgement whatsoever of these proposals.

Alan Greathead

16/07/2007 - Press Release Save the Alex Action Group Redditch

SAVE THE ALEX GROUP TO WRITE TO NEW HEALTH SECRETARY

Despite the Worcester Acute Hospitals Trust (WAHT) breaking even last financial year the Trust Board have warned this year will be tougher than ever and will include further job cuts. July last year saw the loss of 720 jobs across Worcestershire and an ongoing service review across the area that threatens to close vital services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, including Maternity, Paediatrics and Emergency Gynaecology.

In order for WAHT to break even a massive amount of money was borrowed, over 15m from the NHS bank, 25m at 5% over 5 years (source unknown) and the Worcestershire PCT forwarded 9m to ensure that the Government's break even target was met. This plus the ongoing cost of the Worcester Royal PFI Hospital, over 23m for the year 05/06 and over 25m for the year 06/07 has left WAHT at financial breaking point.

Neal Stote, Chair of the Alex Action group said

''The ongoing financial problems are of great concern; especially given the Health Commission gave WAHT a 'poor' for use of its resources in its last audit''

Health campaigners and users are also worried about the continuing threat to services, it was just under 2 years ago when WHAT proposed cuts to services at the Alexandra Hospital. Currently the Mother and Baby unit at the Alex is closed at weekends due to staff shortages, the Trust board have said they have failed to recruit the staff required.

Neal Stote, Chair of the Alex Action group said

''It is not hard to see why the Trust have failed to recruit staff, would you apply for a job if you thought the section you might join was to close. I cannot begin to imagine what staff morale is like in those services at risk.

To make things worse we are hearing that GP's are not giving the Alex as first choice and in some cases as a choice at all for expectant mums, I would encourage GP's to say why if this is the case

Given the length of time that has passed since the initial proposals, the change of PCT setup (see attached letter), a current review by the West midlands SHA and a wider Government review of the NHS taking place under Professor Darzi it is hard to see when the uncertainty will end

We now have a new Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Johnson MP, The Save the Alex Group be writing to him this week, and we will encourage others to do so to by asking them to print and send a letter (see below) to ensure that the review possess Redditch has faced will not be used as a model for other Hospitals as it has led to confusion and complete lack of Trust in WAHT

Further we will be asking that no decisions are made until the Government has carried out its review, this hopefully might succeed in getting a period of stability in Worcestershire Health services and Management Structure''

(Change of PCT Setup)

(Letter To Secretary of Health) (PDF) (txt)

3/07/2007 - Many letters of gratitude to Alex Staff

Many letters of thanks and gratitude have been received by local newspapers in recent weeks thanking the Alexander staff for their professionalism and kindness, including stories of how lives have been saved. Clearly the loss of the Maternity and the Paediatric departments at the hospital would be a grave loss to Redditch and all the surrounding areas.

(Click here for more information )

4/05/2007 - Don't forget hospital plight

SAVE The Alex activists are warning residents not to forget the town could still lost maternity, paediatrics and emergency gynaecology services despite lengthy campaigns last year.

(Click here for more information )

4/05/2007 - Redditch Partnership Report

Response to the pre consultation proposals on the reconfiguration of the Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust maternity and paediatrics units by the Redditch Partnership.

"The Redditch Partnership welcomes the opportunity to be involved in the pre consultation event to discuss the possible reconfiguration of the Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust Services.

The Redditch Partnership urges the Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust to reconsider its proposals to centralise the maternity and paediatrics units at Worcester Royal.

We strongly urge the Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust to poverty proof its proposals before anything is agreed and implemented.

Combating social exclusion is one of the Government's highest priorities. The Government's Social Exclusion Unit defines social exclusion as "a shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health, poverty and family breakdown."

The Redditch Partnership urges the Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust to do a comprehensive Health Impact Assessment on the proposals to reconfigure services to reduce the likelihood of increasing health inequalities within the most deprived part of Worcestershire, namely Redditch.

To help the Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust to re-examine its proposals we have highlighted a number of socio-economic and demographic factors that need to be taken into account."

(Click here for more information )

3/05/2007 - Governments case for hospital closures based on dodgy dossier

A new report indicating that evidence published in support of government policy was used in a selective and misleading way.

Close analysis shows there is no conclusive evidence of the overall clinical benefit of centralisation to fewer hospitals, meaning the IPPR's conclusions cannot be substantiated.

The IPPR publication was part-funded by a commercial organisation with a potential vested interest in hospital reconfiguration - raising serious questions about the incestuous relationship between the IPPR, New Labour and commercial interests.

(Click here for more information )

16/04/2007 - St John's CE Church Parishioners campaing against cuts

A pertition against the closure of the Maternity unity, 24 hour inpatient paediatric services, emergency gynaelogical services and also the closure of a significant proportion of the chaplaincy services was given to the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

The petition stated that the reduction of these services would have a detrimental effect on the welfare of women and children, and would have a negative effect on family life for those people who needed to use these services.

"The impact of these proposals will be most keenly felt by the socially deprived"

The pertition has been received and noted by the Trust Board.

(Click here for more information )

26/02/2007 - Trust Annual Report for 05/06 published

To quote directly from the report "The next twelve months will be a financially challenging year for the organisation, as the Trust is required to break-even within the year and deliver the bulk of the savings needed to address its underlying deficit. This requires the delivery of savings in excess of 18m in 2006/07. A key component of this plan (delivering 8m savings in 2006/07) is the need to achieve headcount reductions targeted at up to 15% for clinical areas and 25% for non-clinical areas, whilst still ensuring that clinically safe services can continue to be provided in line with agreed Service Level Agreement arrangements with commissioning Primary Care Trusts. The Trust has now been formally designated as a Turnaround Trust, and will receive during 2006/07 non-recurrent repayable financial support from the Strategic Health Authority to the value of 17.5 million"

(Click here for more information )

16/02/2007 - Brook Haven in patent beds to be axed

Inpatent services will no longer be provided from the unit, thereby vulnerable patents will have to travel further from their friends and family in times of greatest need.

(Click here for more information )

18/01/2007 - Comments from the General Public

You, the general public have expresses your concerns at the 'Light a candle for the Alex' event on the 30th September 2006. These responses have been collated and they can be viewed on this site.

We thank you all for your comments.

(Click here for more information )

18/01/2007 - Delay on the consultation process

The operations director for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has announced that the consultation is unlikely to start before May or June.

(Click here to read these comments)

15/12/2006 - IPPR?

What is this organisation, what links does it have with the NHS, and why is it involved in the NHS debate. We decided to find out. This organiation was founded in 1988, and the people involded in its development include the following

• Neal Kinnock
• Clive Hollick
• Lord Eatwell
• Tessa Blackstone
• James Cornford

Nick Pearce (former special adviser to Rt. Hon. David Blunkett MP) is the director of this organisation.

Clearly this organisation has very close links with the Labour party.

The article "Saving hospitals costs lives" is not to be published in detail until the end of the month. Therfore the Government are using results from a report that

• Cannot be questioned or analysed becuase the detail of the report is not in the public domain.

Further

• We are concerned that the IPPR has close links to the labour party, and so as a consequnence how can this organisation convince us as to its independance. How can a proffit making organisation that obtains commisions from goverment departments with such close links to senior people in the Labour party be considered to be independent.

In addition

• The IPPR is NOT a recognised body that specialises in public health, or the NHS.

11/12/2006 - Response to the Article in the Redditch Standard, Friday 8 December 2006 "Research says NHS change is for best"

We should like to correct some inaccuracies in the article by Emma Mottram.

First the document by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) separates the issue of heart attacks from multiple injuries.

With regard to heart attack. The IPPR states that the number of lives that could be saved each year is not 1000 as your article says but 500. This would equate to just over one person per day in the whole of the NHS in England. The IPPR document does go on to say that 1000 repeat heart attacks could be prevented. This equates to just under 3 people per day in the whole of the NHS in England. As a percentage of the 61000 patients treated 0.8% died when they could have been saved and 1.6% had unnecessary repeat heart attacks.

Everything should be done to prevent unnecessary deaths and repeat heart attacks, and IPPR does state that angioplasty (the specialist treatment referred to) is more beneficial to prevent repeat heart attacks or strokes.

The recommendation, however, is that angioplasty is performed within 3 hours of the initial 999 call. This is a longer period than the "Golden Hour" for the alternative clot-busting drug. Yet IPPR also says that 'in some cases, including in very remote areas or if the 999 call was made late, it may still be safer to treat patients locally with thrombolysis.'

In Worcestershire the following questions arise.
If angioplasty needs to be performed within 3 hours, but the clot-busting drug should be given within one hour to prevent serious complications, is good practice to give both?
Is there enough capacity at Worcester for giving angioplasty 24 hours per day? Do we have enough Consultants trained to do this? Are there enough beds and nurses trained in cardiology in Worcester for patients to be cared for after having angioplasty? Angioplasty as a procedure still has some risk, as IPPR implies.
Will there be enough ambulances and paramedics to transport all patients suffering a heart attack directly to Worcester from the whole county, especially if there is a greater call on the ambulance service to take to Worcester women in labour, babies born unexpectedly prematurely, women needing emergency gynaecology operations and sick children, as the Acute Trust is proposing?

If there is no 24 hour angioplasty service or one which cannot give angioplasty in 3 hours from an ambulance being called because of insufficient capacity at Worcester or in the ambulance service, then there would need to be extremely careful thought given to the clinical risk of closing the coronary care unit and the other coronary care beds on the wards at Redditch.

To provide sufficient capacity at Worcester, what would be the capital and revenue costs? Will central government pay as the Acute Trust has a 31.8 million budget deficit and the Primary Care Trust (which commissions services) a 16.2 million deficit? If the Acute Trust and PCT do provide the funds, what other services would have to be cut?

With regard to severe injuries, it is our understanding that it has been the case for many years that if a patient is diagnosed that they have burns, crush injuries, head injuries for example, they are automatically sent to the nearest specialist unit. If injuries are diagnosed in A&E at Redditch which need specialist treatment then a transfer is arranged for that patient to the nearest available specialist unit. The nearest one may be full. It may also be the case that the patient's condition is such that the patient needs to be stabilised locally before a transfer can be made.

Save the Alex Action Group is not interested in keeping "services the way they are", as quoted in your article. We want the best for our local community, and based on people's comments at the "Light a Candle for the Alex" day on 30 September, we have sent a discussion paper to the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority, asking for a meeting with their officers. We accept that some changes in health services may be necessary, but to discontinue local emergency, maternity and children's services in Redditch must have very careful assessment of the whole picture in Worcestershire before any action is taken.

07/12/2006 - Press Statement

There could be considerable changes in health care provision in Worcestershire. Budget deficits are causing grave concern.

The Primary Care Trust which commissions services across the County faces a 16.2 million deficit, and Paul Bates, the Chief Executive, has stated that he would not shy away from difficult decisions.

The Mental Health Trust is reported to have a 6.6 million deficit. One of their proposals is not to treat, as inpatients, under-65's in Bromsgrove. People who are under 65 in that town who need to be in hospital for their mental illness will have to go to Hillcrest in Redditch or to Kidderminster.

The Acute Trust has a deficit of 31.8 million. Proposals to transfer Maternity, the Children's Ward and emergency Gynaecology from Redditch to Worcester are known. However, at the County Council Health Oversight and Scrutiny Committee on 22 November, the Trust stated that all clinical services are being reviewed, including Accident and Emergency. The statement by the Prime Minister on 5 December about Emergency Services across the whole country also adds to our concern once again for the future of the Accident and Emergency at the Alexandra Hospital.

The West Midlands Strategic Health Authority are at the moment carrying out a review of services in the south of the region, which includes Worcestershire.

A deficit reported to be 54.6 million across the County, with the reviews mentioned above, mean that considerable changes are likely in health provision. We shall need to know why changes are made and how they will benefit the community. We shall want to see the evidence and be told exactly why the financial situation in the Health Service in this County is in such a mess.

01/12/2006 - Hospital Funding a disaster

Patricia Hewitt in a telivised health select commitee admits to failings in the funding in the Royal Hospital in Worcester. Richard Taylor MP (Wyre Forrest) went further and called the PFI deal a disaster for the county. At the end of a 25 year period the hospital with a capital value of 87 million will be handed over to the Trust, by which time the trust will have paid 942 million in interest payments.

(click here for more..)

13/11/2006 - Shadow Secretary of State for Health

Save the Alex action group have had discussions with Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health, to here of our concerns regarding the future of Maternity and Paediatrics services at Alexandra Hospital. This is his third visit to Redditch.

(click here for more..)

31/10/2006 - No review of services until the spring

The Stategic Health Authority (SHA) have anounced a review of paediatric and obstetric services accross the south of the West Midlands. As a reult of which the trusts service reconfiguration proposals will not go to public consultation until at least the spring.

The Save the Alex Action Group welcomes this development and we are on record as stating that

(click here for more..)

31/10/2006 - Job cuts to continue

John Rostill indicated that in order to continue to reduce the budget deficit, the job cutting exercise needs to continue. So far

• The trust currently has 450 vacencies
• 23 staff have taken voluntary rudundancy
• 59 staff have been given compulsorary redundancy
• 139 posts have been removed

(click here for more..)

23/10/2006 - Save The Alex - Press Release

On Sunday 22nd October Save the Alex Action Group members met up with other hospital campaign groups from as far stretched as Kendal and Chichester. The groups came together with one aim:

The group is to be called PUSH people united saving hospitals. PUSH is not connected to any political party or union body, and acknowledges the need to campaign locally as well as on a national basics.

• Save Our NHS Group Kendal
• Save St Richards Chichester
• Coventry and Warwickshire NHS-SOS
• Keep The Horton General Banbury
• Keep Our NHS Public Leicester
• Peoples Protest Group Nuneaton.
• Other health camapign groups nationwide wanted to attened the meeting as well and we are expecting PUSH to grow very quickly.

• Firstly to share information hints tips knowledge and to understand the bigger picture.
• Secondly was to organise national campaign events (The first of these is to be held on Friday 15th December)

20/10/2006 - National Audit Office Reports

The National Audit Office Reports are now available from this web site. It is interesting to note in this report that

• Worcester Acute NHS Trust only reports a deficit of 12.8 million for financial year 2003/04 and a deficit of less than 5 million for 2004/05
• Worcester Acute NHS Trust reports a cumulative deficit of 25.5 million as at 31/03/2005

With regard to the cumulative deficit reported by the Trust then the folowing statement applies

15/10/2006 - Save The Alex - Press Release
It is of regret that Mr Rostill has chosen to attack the Alex campaign as opposed to discuss the real issue - how the Trust's proposed cuts will affect the users of the Hospital and the wider community.
We have come to one conclusion - the Trusts reasoning for scrapping Maternity, Paediatric and Emergency Gynaecology services is so weak that they dare not have an open and honest debate with the public or staff. And to say that the campaign has become undisciplined is an insult to the 200 plus protesters that took part in the peaceful demonstration on the 5th October
We have been working with Local Councillors, MP's, Unison West Midlands and the Redditch Partnership to find alternatives to the current proposals. We feel it's about time Mr Rostill joined the table and talked about alternatives to the Trusts proposed cuts as well
In relation to Mr Rostill's unfounded allegations made against Neal Stote Chair of the Save The Alex Action Group, Neal feels that his comments are a personal attack on his charter and is something that should be dealt with separate to the campaign. To this end Neal will be lodging a formal complaint relating to Mr Rostill's comments with Mr O'Riordan the Chair of the Trust.

13/10/2006 - Archbishop of Cantebury warns against cuts
Doctor Rowan Williams warns against cutting back on the chaplains employed by the Trust. (Click here for more..)

13/10/2006 - Staff bullied from attending Rally
Staff have informed the local papers that the hospital management have indicated that it would not be a good idea for then to attend the Rally held last week (October 5). The Trusts chief executive has ordered all staff to remove all posters supporting the campaing from the hospital grounds. The Save the Alex campaign is saddened by these events as it is clear that the trust is trying to silence all discussion about the future of the services being provided at the Alexandra hospital. (Click here for more..)

12/10/2006 - Watchdog gives Worcestershire Acute Trust a Good Rating
The Healthcare commision have reportted that the overall care received by patents traeted by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is good. This includes shorter wating lists, and fewer cancellations, choice of treatment and the speed of response for emergency patents. The Save the Alex Action Group welcomes the findings in this report. It is for exactly these reasons why we don't want to loose our local Maternity and Paediatric services

11/10/2006 - Rally Announced - National Pensioners Convention
Save the Alex are supporting the Ralley on the 1st November by the National Pansioners Convention. The March is to start on the 1st November at 11am on the South Bank in London and is to march to Westminster Cantral Hall. March to join the 'NHS Together' lobby of parliament. (Click here for more..)

06/10/2006 - News - Nurses get job offers Down Under
Nurses facing job losses in Worcestershire are being recruited for jobs at a hospital in Australia. Cairns Base Hospital in Queensland has interviewed 26 nurses from Worcester and surrounding areas and about 20 have been offered jobs. It follows 84 nurses from Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire being taken on by the hospital. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust announced 720 job losses in April to save 30m.

05/10/2006 - Protest Outside Alexandra Hospital
Hundreds of members of the general public held a rally outside the Alexandra hospital to protest against any closure of the Maternity and Paediatric services. Staff at the hosiptal were ordered not to attend. Speakers at the event included UNISON, TUC and also Bromsgrove MP Julie Kirkbride. (Click Here for More..)

04/10/2006 - MP hands in Petition
Jacque Smith accompanied by Neal Stote deliver a 16,000 strong petition in favor of retaining maternity services at the Alexandra Hospital. (Click Here for More..

04/10/2006 - Email Received from member of Staff at the Trust
John Rostill has ordered all the posters supporting the campaign to be removed from the hospital, so guess what? yes they have all been taken down!! I think that it is very unfair that we are not allowed to fight for our jobs

04/10/2006 - Email Received from member of Staff at the Trust
Were you aware that Birmingham Women's Hospital have expressed a very strong interest in taking over paediatric services at the Alex, so the Trusts excuse that they can't get adequate paediatric cover would appear to be untrue!!

14/09/2006 - Meeting Held With Ministers
The Save the Alex Campaign group met with ministers on the 14th Septermber 2006 to discuss the future of the Alexandra Hospital. More information concerning this meeting to follow.

There are many questions that need to answered before any cuts in these services should even be considered we have put some of them to the trust click here to view those questions.