Rochdale Infirmary A&E closure - an open letter to the Labour Party

Date published: 25/09/2006

A member of the A&E team at Rochdale Infirmary has written an open letter to the Labour Party highlighting the very real problems the decision to close A&E services at the hospital could potentially bring.

-------------------------------------

An open letter to the Labour Party following the decision to downgrade both Rochdale and Burnley A&E’s; "Best for Health", apparently.

What will you say?

What will you say to the young mother who has found her baby not breathing, as the ambulance drives past the hospital where the A&E has closed? Will you tell her that the extra fifteen minutes travelling will not make any difference? That the likelihood of her baby surviving was so slim anyway that it really makes no odds?

What will you say to the man whose cardiac function is left at 40% after his heart attack, because he was not thrombolysed in time; his heart muscle dying as the ambulance sped past what used to be the most efficient A&E department in the country for treating heart attacks?

Alternatively, what will you say to the paramedic who has to explain why the patient she thrombolysed died? Will you stand by her and say that there really is no difference between the back of an ambulance with a two person crew and a fully functional resuscitation room with senior A&E doctors and anaesthetists on stand by?

What will you say to the family of the woman in the accident, who dies five minutes after passing her, now defunct, A&E; the golden hour having just expired? Will you tell them that if she had just been five minutes early we could have saved her, but alas...?

What will you say to the man who drives up to the door of what used to be A&E saying: "Please help my wife has just collapsed!" and when you get there she is in cardiac arrest? Will you say I’m sorry, but there’s nothing we can do here, but we’ll call an ambulance for you?

What will you say?

The answer, of course, is nothing. You will not be there, having to explain why that person did not have the right address or say: "If only they had been nearer". That will be left to us; the ones who pick up the pieces; the ones who do the job. We strive to meet impossible targets whilst more and more resources are taken away, and this is called "Making it Better" for "Healthy Futures". You will not be expected to do it…

…yet you demand it of us.

Yours Sincerely

Richard Watkins, RGN