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NHS must answer crucial questions on Better Healthcare proposals - Burstow, Brake & Brennan
March 12, 2007 12:00 AM
Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam, Tom Brake, MP for Carshalton and Wallington, and Sean Brennan, Leader of Sutton Council, have today demanded answers from Better Healthcare Closer to Home bosses, in response to the findings of a panel set up to review the original proposals.
The Better Healthcare Closer to Home review panel published their conclusions last week, stating that the original proposals are financially unsustainable and should not be implemented. In their place, the panel recommended the creation of 4 Local Care Hospitals and a Local General Hospital, offering some A&E services.
Responding to the review's findings, Messrs Brake, Burstow and Brennan said that while any proposal which involved investment in local Healthcare was to be welcomed, crucial questions remain and caution was required until these are answered.
In a letter to Caroline Taylor, Chief Executive of Sutton and Merton PCT - and chair of the review panel - the group demanded answers on key issues:
• Accident & Emergency Services: The review stated that the Local General Hospital would provide services somewhere on the A&E "spectrum". The group demanded to know exactly which services will be available at any new Hospital.
• Impact of excluding Surrey PCT: Unlike the original BHCH proposals, the new recommendations exclude Surrey Primary Care Trusts. The group asked for clarification of the impact of this development on the financial sustainability of the whole project, as well as on the existing Epsom and St Helier Trust.
• Financial sustainability: With Surrey Primary Care Trust excluded from the new plans, serious questions remain over the sustainability of the new proposals, as commissioning from the new Hospitals will be significantly reduced. The group asked for reassurance that the proposals are sustainable on the basis of this new model.
• Future of Sutton Hospital: In addition to concerns about financial sustainability, the withdrawal of Surrey PCT from the new proposals poses serious questions about the future of Sutton Hospital. The group asked for information of the panel's intentions for this site.
• Mental Health Services: The review largely ignores the impact of the proposals on Mental Health Services. With massive changes to the commissioning model and question marks over the future of Sutton Hospital, the group requested answers on the future of Mental Health services in the borough.
• Interaction of short/medium and long-term proposals: The review body has failed to address how its proposals will interact with the short-term crisis-management measures being implemented at Epsom and St Helier Hospital Trust. The group demanded clarification.
Commenting on the review, Tom Brake MP said:
"The Better Healthcare review has come to some common-sense conclusions: the original proposals were clearly never affordable and should not have been pursued for so long."
"It is now essential that the panel provides clear answers to the questions which so many local residents want answered: what services will we have, where will they be and when will we have them?"
Paul Burstow MP spoke of the serious questions which remain unanswered after the review's report, saying:
"NHS bosses in Sutton have lost the confidence of local people and of their representatives. It is now up to them to make the case for the changes they propose."
"We must be told exactly what services will be offered at a new Hospital and what changes are proposed for Accident and Emergency."
Cllr Sean Brennan added:
"These proposals are a positive step, but they are by no means complete or convincing."
"The people of Sutton need answers to these questions before any further steps are taken."
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