Reconfiguration to suit WHO?

Posted By: Jean Ashworth
Date Posted: 22/09/2010

On Thursday16th September as Chair of Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee for RMBC I chaired an emergency meeting regarding the latest news that Sparthfield Ward at the Rochdale Infirmary was to close on November 1st 2010.

I called the meeting because it came as a complete shock to the dedicated staff on this very busy general surgical ward as well as again the council and Health Overview & Scrutiny committee that no communication or consultation from the Pennine Acute had been made and the Staff only received letters on the 1st September informing them that “the Trust Board had made the decision to close Sparthfield Ward on a permanent basis” losing yet another 28 beds. And we found out from this meeting that this decision had been made in June. Which leaves the staff only a few weeks to find out their future.

The meeting was well attended by the public the staff from Sparthfield Ward Councillor Gladys Sandiford Rossendale Council and also from many bosses from the Pennine Acute and Sir Jonathan Asbridge chair of the Healthy Futures programme he apologised at the lack of information that was coming through to us regarding these closures and stated that “nothing should come as a surprise”

A member of the public John Murray asked about the 42,000 plus petitions signed by the people of Rochdale against these closures and asked “did they think Rochdale had really been listened to and had a fair hearing” to which Mr Hugh Mullen Director of Operations replied “no he didn’t think Rochdale had been listened to but that it has happened and there is nothing we could do except to move on”

The Staff from Sparthfield asked were are these patients going to go and expressed concern regarding their health needs and travelling.
I also asked about Springfield Ward at the Infirmary being turned into a day case ward and 3 beds being closed on Intensive Care Unit lots more issues were raised regarding A&E and Maternity services also why they can’t recruit Doctors to work at the Infirmary to be told by Mr Mullen “that as soon as the Doctors knew it was to work at the Infirmary they did not want to come”
In the Healthy Futures book it states quite clearly that the Rochdale Infirmary would have Elected Inpatient Surgery as well as become a Cardiac Centre of Excellence, we are not having any of these and it seems when asked if any more closures would take place were told that could not be answered because of the ever changing ways medicine is taking place.

We all know that medical and surgical changes are ongoing but it will not stop the people of Rochdale,Whitworth,Bacup Todmorden and all surrounding areas needing
Medical or surgical care and attention they will never stop people being ill or accidents from happening but they are making it harder to get to the services needed by moving them away from the Rochdale area.
The winter pressures season is upon us and I have deep concerns how Oldham is going to cope and magic these extra beds from as every year it gets worse?

Time will tell but will they who have made these ridiculous decisions be around to be accountable for the misery caused?
I very much doubt it!
Councillor Jean Ashworth