The BBC have just published an on-line device that lets you see how your local A&E is coping this winter LINK
These are a selection of the results for Northwick Park:
As well as these issues the treatment of mental health patients is giving cause for anxiety.
Sarah Cox has posted this on Brent Fightback Facebook:
BRENT NHS KEEP YOUR PROMISES
Before the Central Middlesex A & E closed on September 10th, several people with mental health issues had raised fears about what would happen after the closure if they needed to be admitted to the mental health hospital close by in Park Royal . I asked a question about this at a packed Health Partners Forum because having to go all the way to Northwick Park A & E in order to be admitted to Park Royal, would obviously entail extra stress for patients in an already vulnerable state. The whole meeting was assured that those responsible were aware of that problem and that there would be relevant professionals on the staff of the Urgent Care Centre at Central Middlesex so that patients requiring admission to Park Royal would not need to go to A & E at Northwick Park.
These are a selection of the results for Northwick Park:
As well as these issues the treatment of mental health patients is giving cause for anxiety.
Sarah Cox has posted this on Brent Fightback Facebook:
BRENT NHS KEEP YOUR PROMISES
Before the Central Middlesex A & E closed on September 10th, several people with mental health issues had raised fears about what would happen after the closure if they needed to be admitted to the mental health hospital close by in Park Royal . I asked a question about this at a packed Health Partners Forum because having to go all the way to Northwick Park A & E in order to be admitted to Park Royal, would obviously entail extra stress for patients in an already vulnerable state. The whole meeting was assured that those responsible were aware of that problem and that there would be relevant professionals on the staff of the Urgent Care Centre at Central Middlesex so that patients requiring admission to Park Royal would not need to go to A & E at Northwick Park.
I have now learned
that this was not true. Mental Health patients who need to be admitted
to Park Royal are being told to go to A & E at Northwick Park where
they face long waits before being sent all the way back to Park Royal.
This adds greatly to their stress and anxiety.
What can we do to make the relevant authorities keep their promises?
What can we do to make the relevant authorities keep their promises?
4 comments:
I have written to the Chief Executive of Brent Harrow and Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) as well as to the Operations Directors of Northwick Park (LNWH Trust) and of the mental health trust (CNWL) as follows.
Dear Mr Larkman, Ms Benson and Ms Doran,
An issue has been brought to my attention by a member of my locality patient participation group, Sarah Cox, and I would be grateful for your urgent comments and response.
Briefly, it appears that NHS assurances that admissions to the Park Royal mental health facility are not being done by the UCC [urgent care centre based in Central Middlesex Hospital] as we had been given to understand would happen. It appears instead that that patients are having to first present to Northwick Park before being sent back to Park Royal.
I can only assume that CNWL at Park Royal is accepting referrals from the LNWHT only and is not doing so from the UCC which is run by a different privider. If we are all working on the basis of patient centred-care, then referrals from the UCC should be just as valid as those from LNW.
Ms Cox writes:
Before the Central Middlesex A & E closed on September 10th, several people with mental health issues had raised fears about what would happen after the closure if they needed to be admitted to the mental health hospital close by in Park Royal . I asked a question about this at a packed Health Partners Forum because having to go all the way to Northwick Park A & E in order to be admitted to Park Royal, would obviously entail extra stress for patients in an already vulnerable state. The whole meeting was assured that those responsible were aware of that problem and that there would be relevant professionals on the staff of the Urgent Care Centre at Central Middlesex so that patients requiring admission to Park Royal would not need to go to A & E at Northwick Park.
I have now learned that this was not true. Mental Health patients who need to be admitted to Park Royal are being told to go to A & E at Northwick Park where they face long waits before being sent all the way back to Park Royal. This adds greatly to their stress and anxiety.
Kind regards,
Nan Tewari
Chair, Harness Locality PPG
Director, Healthwatch Brent
Well everyone knew (everyone barring the highly paid NHS operators of course) that closing A & Es would result in much longer waits in the fewer facilities that would be left; that can be seen from the number crunching above.
As we have all been told, the big plan was to have lots more treatment provided out in the community so people wouldn't need to go to a hospital. This is a great idea in theory provided that the services out in the community actually exist. They don't. The NHS is still struggling to get them up and running and the problems of doing so are more complex than anyone had envisaged.
Last Saturday, 5th Dec, Northwick had closed to ambulance traffic which then overloaded St Mary's. I am told there was no place for people to sit and there were insufficient trolleys; also that there were a great many elderly people.
[Patients do need to take some responsibility also, as there were many instances of people's names being called who were plainly no longer present in the A and E, so was it really serious enough for them to have presented in the first place?]
Brent GP's south of the North Circluar Road are being told to send all their patients to St Mary's.
The independent commission into the impact of the CMH and Hammersmith A & E closures will hopefully provide an unbiassed view. Michael Mansfield QC, leading the inquiry, has a formidable reputation. He will be supported, amongst others, by John Lister who was a researcher on the People's Inquiry into London's NHS in 2012 which heralded the cuts in NHS services dressed up as Shaping a Healthier Future. (I'm still trying to work out 'healthier for whom?')
The results of the inquiry will not come soon enough for some. If you join the NHS cuts up with the cuts in adult social care, I fear that many will be left to die uncared for, in their homes this winter.
I think we need to be careful before we make judgements and take % at face value without more detailed information. An Italian friend of mine injured her foot and was advised to go to Northwick Park A&E. She was seen within 1 hour and received a very friendly and what she regarded as efficient service. She was however amazed at the other people she saw at the A&E - people with simple cold symptoms and sadly some drunks who presumably had to be allowed to sober up before their problems could be identified or dealt with.
A couple of things to note.
Northwick is having difficulties is with the 'major' cases that present to A & E.
The 4 hour target that they are not meeting is 4 hours wait to be admitted, not 4 hours to be seen.
Front of house at Northwick A & E is managed by an Urgent Care Centre (UCC). The UCC triages, or assesses, patients and decides whether they need minor treatment (which the UCC will provide) or whether the patient needs 'major' treatment (which the hospital will provide).
This means that the less severe cases are being seen and dealt with more quickly by the UCC rather than clogging up the whole of A & E.
Post a Comment