Concerns at latest plans for Frenchay and Thornbury hospital sites

Having promised community rehabilitation beds at both Frenchay and Thornbury hospital sites in 2015, last year local NHS chiefs abandoned those plans and went back to the drawing board.

Your Focus Team's concerns deepened in January when we learnt that North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) had given the nod to developer Redrow to put in a planning application on land previously set aside for new health facilities at the former Frenchay Hospital site.

Now new plans have been announced that would see only 40-50 “rehabilitation” beds provided, fewer than previously suggested and all at Frenchay. Thornbury would have just 6-10 NHS-funded beds, not for rehabilitation, within a new privately run Nursing Care home.

We welcome efforts to treat more people at home but with a fast growing population are they providing enough beds for those for whom that is not appropriate?  We also think that allowing homes to be built on the land at Frenchay previously set aside for health facilities would make the latest proposals for the old hospital site hard to deliver.

They've also made another promise of a new health centre at Thornbury - we’ll believe it when we see it!

Your Focus Team will keep fighting for the health services we need.

Houses proposed on land set aside for health facility at Frenchay

Your Focus Team was shocked to learn that North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) have given the nod to developer Redrow to put in a planning application on land previously set aside for new health facilities at the former Frenchay Hospital site.

Back in November we were told that the future requirements for community health and care facilities at Frenchay and Thornbury were going back to the drawing board. We know now that, by that time, NBT were already in talks with Redrow about developing housing across much of the Frenchay site.

We think it is outrageous that the NBT are considering allowing houses to be built on land that was supposed to be used for community health facilities before they’ve worked out how they are going to provide those facilities. It's a sad reflection on Government underfunding of our local NHS that they feel under pressure to do this.

Partial victory in health campaign - but more cuts to come

Your Focus Team welcomes news that local health managers have rowed back on proposals to cut the upper age limit for which women are eligible for IVF treatment on the NHS after protests - but more cuts are to come.

Faced with a growing deficit, NHS chiefs proposed a series of cuts to local health services, including limiting fertility treatment to women between 30 and 35 years of age. They already only fund one treatment, rather than the NICE recommendation of up to 3. They have now decided to keep the age limit for IVF treatment at 40. However they are still proposing that any woman whose partner has a child from a previous relationship will not be eligible for IVF treatment. On top of this, we have been warned that there will be millions in cuts announced after the New Year.

Together with Bristol and North Somerset, South Gloucestershire is one of only 14 areas in the country targeted for extra cuts under the Conservative Government’s Capped Expenditure Process. Many of our NHS services are already being stretched close to breaking point. We are calling for greater investment in the NHS so that health managers can concentrate on how to improve services, not how to cut them. Thank you to everyone who has already signed our petition to protect local NHS funding. If you haven’t already, you can do so here.

Early closing at Yate MIU

Thank you to everyone who has responded so far to our survey about the Yate Minor Injuries Unit closing when it gets too busy. 

It was very clear from your experiences how frustrating and worrying it is to find the service closed when you are in distress. In some cases people had travelled from Thornbury or even further away, only to find they had to drive miles in the other direction to Southmead instead.

There is also confusion about which is the right service to use for different problems. One person described the NHS A and E coverage as "poor, inadequate, and confusing". Some did not realise the MIU cannot deal with illnesses. Only one mentioned having used their GP Minor Injury Service as an alternative. 

On Wednesday Claire used your responses when she questioned local health chiefs on the closures at the South Gloucestershire CCG AGM. They said that if people were travelling a long way they should ring to check first - though one person in our survey had done just this and got no response. When they got to the MIU it was closed, even though it should have been open.

Health chiefs also said that all GPs are now offering a Minor Injury Service during their opening hours and that this is advertised in the surgeries, in surgery newsletters and on their websites. Claire pointed out that if you're not a regular user of your surgery you won't see these notices. You have to ring your surgery to book an appointment.

The CCG are promoting their Right Care First Time page. This has links to find out where your nearest GP, Minor Injury Unit, pharmacy and other services are but does not have clear advice on which service to use when. If you're not sure ring 111.

We think the NHS needs to start thinking about it from a patient's point of view.

If you have an experience to share, please do complete our survey - it will only take a few minutes.

Sign our petition on NHS funding

We recently reported on the difficult choices local NHS officials are facing due to the funding crisis in the health service. Most controversially they are proposing to limit fertility treatment, which is already not being provided in line with national recommendations.

We have now launched a petition calling on the Government to increase funding - you can sign it here.

Don't forget to respond to the NHS consultation too.

Cuts to local health services

Faced with a growing deficit, NHS chiefs have proposed a series of changes to local health services to cut costs. You can find out more about their plans and how to have your say on their website.

Most controversially, they are proposing to limit fertility treatment to women between 30 and 35 years of age. They already only fund one treatment, rather than the NICE recommendation of up to 3. This would mean that access to fertility treatment was even more limited. Your have until 15th September to have your say on this - some of the other consultations finish as early as next week.

During the recent election, the Liberal Democrats proposed putting an extra 1p in the pound on income tax to increase NHS funding. Across the country, we are seeing the consequences of under funding.

Cutting waiting times by shutting out patients

Your Focus Team was shocked to learn that Sirona, who run the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) in Yate, are being allowed to shut the doors to new patients when they're busy so they can meet their waiting time targets.

Of course there is no guarantee if you're redirected to A&E that you'll be seen any more quickly there than if you'd been allowed to wait at the MIU. Neither Southmead or the Children's Hospital are easy to get to from Yate, especially when injured. This seems to be about meeting targets, not meeting the needs of patients.

Claire Young is asking for your experiences of being turned away by the Yate MIU during the advertised opening hours. Please fill in our short survey  - the more evidence we have, the better we can speak up for you. We have already heard from a number of disgruntled users, including someone who travelled from Thornbury with two young children, only to be told they would have to go to Bristol Children's Hospital, and another who found the unit closed 2 hours early.

How could maternity services improve?

The NHS Maternity Review wants to hear what you think is good about maternity services and what could be done to improve them. The consultation is open until 31 October to anyone with an interest in maternity, including women and their families, professionals, commissioners and other organisations. You can have your say here.

Have your say on out-of-hours GP services in our area

BrisDoc, who currently provides the GP out-of-hours service for South, Central and North Bristol is hoping to expand into South Gloucestershire in the future. They would like to gather your thoughts and views on the planned urgent care services. If you would like to contribute, there is meeting on Sunday 11th March, at 10.45am, after the 10.00am service, at St Michael the Archangel Parish Church, Church Lane, Winterbourne BS36 1SE. Please let Caroline Hawkins know if you can attend by emailing caroline.hawkins2@nhs.net or by ringing 0791 747 4732. If you can not attend but would like to express your views please email caroline.hawkins2@nhs.net with your comments.

NHS consultation - meeting tonight

North Bristol NHS Trust plan to become a Foundation Trust from December 2012. They want to know your views on the plans and are holding a meeting at Frenchay Hospital tonight, Wednesday 28 September. The meeting runs from 7pm to 8.30pm in the Monica Britton Museum. More information is available on the Trust's website.

New NHS Constitution

The Government is currently consulting on a new NHS Constitution setting out the rights of patients. You can view and make comments on the consultation online.