Closure of Northwick Park Hospital Hydrotherapy Pool
The Harrow LibDems are concerned about the closure of Northwick Park Hospital Hydrotherapy Pool
Northwick Park Hospital recently announced the closure of their Hydrotherapy Pool.
The announcement appears to have come as a surprise to many including many of patients that have benefitted from the pool.
The Chair of Harrow LibDems has submitted a Freedom of Information
(FOI) request to LNWH NHS Trust to ask what for records of decision
making relating to the closure of the Hydrotherapy pool.
“We know that patients will be concerned about this matter and we are
doing everything we can to find out answers from the Hospital
management team on this matter” said Joseph Gaunt, Chair of Harrow
LibDems. “It is vital to have facilities like these in our community to
help people in recovery”.
The
hydrotherapy pool at Northwick Park Hospital, which has been serving people
across London for over 40 years, is expected to close at the end of August.
A
statement from London North West University Hospital NHS Trust (LWNH) said the
new NHS plan makes “a clear distinction” between facilities that should be
provided in acute hospitals with those “best provided by community
services”.
Hydrotherapy,
also known as aquatic therapy, is a form of physiotherapy. It combines massage
jets and warm water to help alleviate pain and improve overall motion and
muscle strength. Currently the pool supports both NHS and non-NHS patients with
musco-skeletal problems such as arthritis, and those recovering from orthopedic
surgery.
Thousands
of people have backed a petition by Mark
Adshead, urging for the hydrotherapy pool at Northwick Park Hospital to remain
open. Mark has described the pool as a much-needed lifeline for the community
and expects there to be severe consequences for the physical and mental health
of patients.
“While we
understand that the pool is a popular resource for a small number of patients,
it is mostly used by private users. Hydrotherapy is not usually provided in
acute hospitals, and the new NHS 10-year plan makes a clear distinction between
services that should be provided in acute hospitals and those best provided by
community services.
“Our
hospital resources must therefore be focused on faster diagnosis, expanding
surgical and outpatient services, and providing effective ward care so patients
can be discharged promptly and treated equitably.”
Spokesperson for the LNWH trust
“This is
the only relief I get from painful joints and isn’t available anywhere else in
the area.”
Hydrotherapy pool user
We urge
the LNWH trust to reconsider this decision.
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Staff at
Northwest London University Hospitals Trust have lodged a collective formal
grievance against the management over the closure of the Hydrotherapy Pool at
Northwick Park Hospital. The grievance claims that the Trust did not follow its
own HEART principles (Honesty, Equity, Accountability, Respect and Teamwork).
They believe
the Trust failed to be truthful and open having instructed staff to not tell
patients about the closure contrary to the Duty of Candour. That failure to
properly inform patients and stakeholders worsened the situation when patients
asked for information and had to be refused even when there was highly visible
campaigning about the closure and an online petition.
The
Trust's determination to close the facility regardless was revealed in a letter
to Barry Gardiner MP from Pippa Nightingale the Trust CEO. Confirming the
closure, a month later than planned, on August 30th she wrote (my emphasis):
We are engaging with our
Patient and Carer Participation Group about the pool closure and will take into
consideration any concerns that are raised through that forum. While this
discussion will not impact upon the decision, it may affect the way in
which we manage or communicate the change.
Part of that
communication is to inform patients about other local hydrotherapy providers
including the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. Nightingale claims this is a
larger facility with accessible steps and a hoist.
Staff
respond:
RNOH does have a hydrotherapy pool, but
it does not provide instructor led classes for self-funders, the capacity
required to take any further patients and lacks the required transport network
for patients. It is not in a position to provide similar services to those
provided at NPH. The statement that the Trust may develop partnerships with
public/private pools is vague and ignores the established fact that these pools
are not at the required temperature for patients with disabilities.
Current charges for self-funded
classes are double the price at RNOH compared to Northwick Park. The department
recognizes the higher than average poverty levels in Brent and the large number
of patients on low incomes in Harrow and have consistently reviewed their
pricing strategy in order to keep it financially sustainable for the Trust whilst
still affordable for the communities it serves.
Our own discussions with RNOH indicate they are not in a position to
increase their capacity to take on more patients and are not able to offer
classes on the scale that NPH currently does.
The grievance
notes:
Local authorities have the right to
scrutinise NHS service changes. If a local authority deems a proposed change to
be substantial, it can require a formal consultation.
The leader of Brent Council has
expressed concern about the closure and the fact that the Council were not made
aware, nor patients consulted. We are unaware of any opportunities that
the local councils, GPs or patient groups have had to review and scrutinise the
proposals to close the pool.
The
grievance challenges key aspects of the Trust's case on finance as well as the
Equality Impact Assessment and Health Inequalities Assessment:
The QEIA labels gender and religion
impacts as “neutral”, despite the closure disproportionately affects women,
including the only women-only hydrotherapy sessions in the area—essential for
cultural and religious inclusivity. This overlooks clear equity implications
and may not be compliant with the Equality Act 2010.
The
grievance document concludes:
Conclusions
As already demonstrated above, the Trust’s actions
to date have repeatedly shown little or no adherence to the Trust’s own values
of Honesty, Equity, Accountability, Respect and Teamwork.
Of particular importance is the lack of honesty in
communicating with the public, the unequitable treatment of patients with
disabilities for whom hydrotherapy may represent their only safe and effective
form of exercise, the lack of accountability of the executive team when invited
to discuss the proposed changes, the lack of respect demonstrated to patients,
staff and local communities and a complete lack of teamwork in regard to
finding a workable resolution.
Whilst we understand the difficult financial
position that the Trust is in and appreciate that difficult decisions must be
made, we believe there is no apparent immediate or longer-term financial gain
from this action. Even if there were any financial gains these should not, in
keeping with the ethos of the Francis Report, be placed at greater importance
than the long-term health of our patients.
We recognise that the Trust needs to increase
activity in key areas like cardiology but there is no evidence that closing the
hydrotherapy pool will improve activity in these areas. Contrary, evidence
would suggest that closing a major provider of exercise opportunities to those
at higher risk of cardiovascular disease (such as older patients and those with
rheumatological conditions) would increase the overall strain on those
services.
The Government’s 10-year plan emphasizes the
importance of physical activity and seeks to integrate it into the lives of
individuals, particularly in areas with high levels of health inequality. The
self-funded classes delivered in hydro offer a perfect example of what this
means in practice delivering high quality care to the community to assist
patients with chronic conditions manage their health independently.
Although we accept that within that 10-year period
it may be preferable for similar services to be offered in the community, such
services do not currently exist and to withdraw the services currently offered
without mitigating against this appears to be a breach to the Trust’s duty of
care to its communities.
In summary, we are seeking:
That the hydrotherapy service is maintained as is,
until an evidence-based review is undertaken, with financial transparency and
relevant clinical input. This will involve physiotherapy team managers,
consultants, and patient representatives, and if needed should be able to
investigate alternative models to keep the service open - while not
compromising the essential reform needing to be undertaken elsewhere in the
trust.
That the Trust recognises that it has acted in a
way that contradicts Trust values, damages trust from staff and patients, and
demanded that staff act in a way that we perceive as in conflict with the HCPC
standards that we are required to abide by. We want to see a commitment to do
better – and an apology to affected patients.
In a story filed today the London NW University Hosptal Trust at last made a statement to Grant Williams, local Democracy Reporter on the Hydrotherapy Pool Closure.
A spokesperson for the LNWUH NHS Trust told the Local Democracy
Reporting Service (LDRS):
“While we understand that the pool is a
popular resource for a small number of patients, it is mostly used by
private users. Hydrotherapy is not usually provided in acute hospitals,
and the new NHS 10-year plan makes a clear distinction between services
that should be provided in acute hospitals and those best provided by
community services.
“Our hospital resources must therefore be focused on faster
diagnosis, expanding surgical and outpatient services, and providing
effective ward care so patients can be discharged promptly and treated
equitably.”
