Thames still investigating who blocked the main sewer on Wembley High Road

A Thames Water spokesman said today regarding the sewer works on Wembley High Road:

The removal of the concrete in the sewer is more complicated than first thought, and we’ve had to extend our finish date to allow us to remove it entirely. We’re still investigating the cause of the blockage and who poured it down there, and we’ll be taking further action once we know who it is.

The spokesman confirmed that Thames have extended their permit for the sewer works on the High Road until December 22nd.

Imperial CEO Ian Dalton resigns to go to NHS Improvment with NW London NHS in turmoil

Sir Richard Sykes, Chairman of Imperial College Healthcare Trust, shocked those attending the Imperial Board meeting yesterday when he announced that CEO, Ian Dalton, was leaving his post after less than 5 months in the job. Imperial, which runs west London hospitals, will now have to begin the long and costly process of finding yet another CEO.

Ian Dalton has now moved to NHS Improvement as their new CEO. NHSI is the body that, only last month, knocked back capital investment plans to reconfigure health delivery in outer NW London on the grounds that there was not sufficient evidence that these plans would work. This was the initial bid for capital funds to develop services which, local health bosses claim, would enable the safe closure of Ealing Hospital.

Dalton’s resignation followed almost immediately the well-attended and highly successful open event organised by Imperial management at Charing Cross Hospital. At that event Dalton outlined the excellent work being carried out at the hospital and gave an assurance that Charing Cross could not be closed in the foreseeable future without damaging public health. However, long-term closure plans have not been withdrawn by the CCGs in NW London: what we have is a ‘pause’, not a guarantee of the long-term future of Charing Cross as a major acute hospital.

The resignation occurs at a time of particular turbulence in upper management levels of the NW London NHS. Several key managers have left in recent months and other posts remain unfilled. Managers are caught between a government demand to cut costs even further and, among health professionals, a recognition of the growing need for better funded health services for a fast expanding population.

Merril Hammer, Chair of SOH, said she was stunned by the sudden departure of Ian Dalton. At the Imperial AGM held at St Pauls Church Hammersmith in September, he had outlined ambitious plans for engaging with the local health community.

Ms Hammer said:

I am, of course, pleased that Imperial has now declared a ‘pause’ on the closure but given the unprecedented pressure on the facilities at Charing Cross and the highly skilled committed staff there, health bosses need to stop long-term closure plans and not just ‘pause’ them.

Please support Sufra NW London Winter Appeal - without your help where will Khalil sleep tonight?

From Sufra NW London
 

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Last Friday, Haseena called me asking if we could help 19-year-old Khalil who had been sleeping rough for the past two weeks. A friend of a friend who worked at McDonald's had got in touch with her after noticing him picking leftovers from customer trays. I told her to send him over immediately.

Khalil tells his story in a short film here.

When I first set eyes on Khalil he was slumped against a table, his head buried in his arms. What made it worse was that he didn’t look like a 19-year-old - I wouldn't be surprised if he were actually much younger. Pulling out a chair, I sat down opposite him and asked what had happened.

Khalil is a refugee from Afghanistan, who came to this country 3 years ago with his younger brother. The siblings were orphaned when they were 4 and 6 years old. On arrival they were granted humanitarian leave and had been living with a man who was apparently their 'uncle'.

Following a dispute, the 'uncle' kicked them out of the house. His brother was taken into care, while Khalil was left to fend for himself. For the past two weeks he has been sleeping on a bench in the park, not far away from Sufra NW London.

"I sleep in the day", he said to me.

"It is too cold at night and it's dangerous." When I probed him further he told me that he was regularly propositioned for sex by seedy characters who roam the park at night.

"You have to watch carefully", he continued.

Today, we launch our #WinterAppeal to help Khalil - and others -  find refuge during these cold nights, whilst we arrange permanent accommodation. The winter months are the busiest time at Sufra NW London. Last Friday, over 70 people attended the Community Kitchen and we ran out of food!

But it isn't just rough sleepers at risk; countless families must choose between putting food on the table or heating their homes. Even a winter coat is unaffordable.

This winter, we don't want to turn anyone away. But to ensure that we can support every individual and family during the festive period and beyond, we need to raise £10,000 to maintain our emergency front-line services.

You can donate here.

Khalil was a drama student before he became homeless. He has an amazing sense of humour despite his misfortune. And he definitely doesn’t fit the (rather unfair) stereotype of a homeless guy begging for money to buy drugs or alcohol. He's desperate to work and has downloaded the Deliveroo app, but he can’t get a job until he has a roof over his head.

Without your help, where will Khalil sleep tonight?

Please open your heart and donate generously towards our #WinterAppeal here.

And finally...

If you're doing your Christmas shopping online, please use this link to direct you to your favourite retailer. A percentage of your shop will be donated to Sufra NW London. At no cost to you.

Infant school objects to Barnet siting waste facility close by

From The View from Dollis Hill facebook

On behalf of Our Lady of Grace Infant School, we write to formally register our strong objection to the proposed siting of a Waste Transfer Station (WTS) on the Edgware Road within very close proximity to our school. Our children range from 3-7 years and our playground backs onto the Edgware Road. We are gravely concerned about the inevitable impact on air quality which our children will be exposed to. We are also concerned about the impact on the local infrastructure, traffic and adjacent land uses, including other environmental stressors that might already exist.

We believe that the very close proximity of this WTS to an Infant School of very young children is of grave concern. Its proposed site will undoubtedly have an adverse effect on the health and well being of the children. We are under an obligation to provide a safe environment for our children and strongly believe that the WTS would jeopardise this. It is our understanding that the pollution levels on this stretch of the Edgware Road already exceed European guidelines, any further contributing factor to the local area would be unacceptable.

We believe that a decision to site the WTS in its proposed site will impose a disproportionate burden upon low-income and minority communities who live in this local area and attend our school. The overburden on this community will have a negative impact on this community creating health, environmental and quality of living concerns.

As we have not been consulted in any way, which is not in keeping with the regulations for proposed new sites, we question whether the consequences of siting this WTS on the local community and local infant school have been weighed.

Patricia Geraghty - Acting Headtreacher
And
Lee-Ann Frampton-Anderson, Chair of Governors
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Infant School
Dolls Hill Avenue, London NW2 6EU

Brent CCG are looking for Patient Representatives - deadline noon tomorrow

Brent CCG are now recruiting for exciting opportunities for people to get involved in shaping their local NHS and supporting the work within Brent by becoming a non-clinical patient representative.
We are therefore seeking to recruit individuals from Brent, particularly those who have not worked with the CCG before, to become patient representatives on committees.

To apply and download the Patient Representatives Recruitment Information Pack click here.
Please contact Ian Niven by emailing ian.niven@healthwatchbrent.co.uk or call him on 020 8912 5830 if you have any queries.

Please return the completed application form to Sian Avery by emailing her on recruitment@communitybarnet.org.uk or post it to Healthwatch Brent, 3 Rutherford Way, Wembley, MIDDX HA9 0BP

The deadline for all applications is 1 December 2017 at 12.00 noon

Alice and Amy at Barham Community Library later this month

Kilburn Lane/Salusbury Road/Carlton Vale gyratory system to be replaced by lights following road closure

Brent General Purposes Committee will be asked at its next meeting LINK to approve the stopping up of the un-named road(hatched above) also known as Premier Corner which runs between Kilburn Lane and Salusbury Road, close to Queens Park Bakerloo/Overground station.

The stopping up is to enable the development taking place which involves the demolition of Keniston Press, Premier House, Cullen House and the Falcon pub.

The gyratory system will be replaced by a signalled junction at Kilburn Lane/Salusbury Road/Carlton Vale. Westminster City Council withdrew their initial objection based on safety concerns at Fernhead Road )bottom right on satellite view) after assurances from Brent Council. The report says that the council intends to 'retain' the service for cyclists using the Carlton Vale cycle route.

Can any WM readers offer Brent Advocacy Concerns any advice? Councillors, Brent CCG, Brent CVS, Brent Healthwatch not responding.

From Brent Advocacy Concerns

Dear Martin,

I was informed today that our office (in Willesden Centre for Health and Care) has been designated as 'a clinical waste dispersal site'.  The building work to convert it is due to begin on the 2nd Jan. 2018.

I have contacted Brent CCG, councillors, Brent Healthwatch & Brent CVS, so far no one has replied.  We have not been informed about any of this but it looks like we will be evicted before Christmas.

Could you ask your readers if that is the way to treat a disability charity that has been providing services for free, for the last 30 years in Brent. 

Just today I had to turn down a business from NW10 who had asked us to represent one of their clients in an ESA benefit appeal next week.  They wanted to know who would be able to help them but there is no one.  I did suggest Brent CAB but they normally require a lot of notice, whereas we could have helped them now.

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The background to this distressing issue can be found HERE