......Plans to close accident and emergency departments at London hospitals are “fundamentally flawed”, according to a damning report.
The proposals to scrap four out of nine emergency units in north-west London also showed a “lack of regard” for the needs of local residents, said former NHS chief Timothy Rideout.
 |
| NHS GURU |
The departments at risk are at Charing Cross, Ealing, Hammersmith and Central Middlesex Hospitals.
Leader of H&F,Nick Botterill, Hammersmith and Fulham says: “We’re not going to let this rest. We’re going to make sure that this whole decision is called in, and that the matter is referred to the Secretary of State.”
A shame Cllr Cockell has not the time to get involved in this vital local campaign. His disinterest in the Borough he leads is now so obvious it is embarrassing .....
Mr Rideout was commissioned by Hammersmith and Fulham council to examine the business case for the downgrade during a consultation period over the plans which ends next month.
- A failure to explore genuine alternatives to A&E closures.
- The use of location to decide downgrade options instead of more relevant issues such as current hospital performance.
- Lack of regard for inpatient and A&E admissions who will be dramatically affected by the proposals.
Come on Dame. Pooter has more important things to think about like the LGA! Residents come at the back of the queue.
ReplyDeleteCharring Cross hospital is a vital resource for K&C residents. Wake up Cockell.
ReplyDeleteLazy bugger Cockell....too keen sorting out his financial future
ReplyDeleteThe future of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital A&E, the only one in the borough is still in doubt. Meanwhile Cockell slumbers or is he just too busy using his expense account?
ReplyDeleteThe K&C Health Scrutiny Committee will recommend the closure of Charing Cross A&E after their meeting to discuss the issue last week. This is in contrast to the strident position taken by the Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham and the outspoken view of Hammersmith and Fulham MP Greg Hands. "The best option for my constituents is for the whole flawed process to be ended and thought through afresh" he said. Quite so.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the useless Malcolm Rifkind in all of this? Not a word from our useless Kensington Member of Parliament of course. He is too busy with his non Executive Directorships (the biggest non Exec trougher in Westminster) and his Radio 4 appearances. He and Pooter are two of a kind. What a basket case for poor K&C residents
Rifkind and Cockell are coasting. They have been taking K&C voters for a ride for far too long
ReplyDeleteThe Health Scrutiny Committee was on bended toe as usual last week when it met to consider A&E closures. New boy Cllr Abbas Barkhorder turned up looking rather scruffy with an unbuttoned shirt and tie and promptly excused himself because of "conflict of interest". All very self conscious and giggly. It turned out that his "partner" is a radiologist in the NHS. Obviously a huge conflict. Surely this would help Cllr Abbas to come to an informed view?
ReplyDeleteNot so for Pooter's Tories. They are sticklers for protocol.
Not always sticklers for protocol. For quite a few years Cllr Cockell drove a coach and horses through protocol when he visited America on the council tax (New York, Boston, San Francisco) and loaded up expenses with stretch limos and dinners for friends at swanky restaurants. Sample: $416 to entertain a GLA councillor to dinner at Keanes in New York
DeleteThe Dame put a stop to this abuse
It was the same blue shirt and striped tie as his "official" Council mug shot (see "Brompton councillors"). The boy clearly needs to buy a second shirt, get a change of tie, and train his "partner" in the art of ironing
DeleteHas Cllr Abbas done anything yet? Has he sorted out the problem of speeding cars around Harrods which he promised to do?
ReplyDeleteWhat a self satisfied chap that NHS Guru looks! Where does the Dame find these photos?
ReplyDeleteWe are in the safe hands of Cllr Weale, Chairman of K&C health. Worry not, dear residents. She of Holland Park School fame, seller of playing fields and mistress of "we listen but we do not hear" is at the helm.
ReplyDeleteCllr Weale's exact words during the Holland Park School consultation were "We said that we would consult but we did not say that we would listen". The woman is a bad joke
DeleteThat is why she got fired from her job in the City
DeleteCllr Sir Merrick Cockell is Chairman of the Local Government Association and now plays on the national stage. Trivia like an A&E department in Fulham is really not his cup of tea
ReplyDeleteOh dear. An accident waiting to happen
DeleteK&C is a ship waiting to sink without trace. Thank you Pooter.
DeleteOf course the other person responsible is Councillor Fiona Buxton. But she is otherwise occupied with her recruitment job. What a useless lot. But there is no leadership from Cockell and Myers effectively just comes to the Town Hall to collect his pay.
ReplyDeleteWell this is terrible news. Cllr Buxton in charge of Health!! The very person responsible for the disaster that was Chelsea Care. The busy body who would arrive late at Kensington PCT Board meetings to make the point that "I am an important person", speak down to people and shout at the Chairman. What very bad news this is. And very dangerous for resident patients and A&E prospects.
ReplyDeleteIt goes from bad to worse
DeleteThe Weale and Buxton act. Residents will be wise to take cover and pay for private health insurance.
ReplyDeletePrivate health care will not help you have an emergency at 3 o'clock in the morning. We need our A&Es.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't I think of that?
DeleteThis is a complex subject requiring good medical and financial judgement. The A&E closures are recommended by a panel of eight Doctors, each one of whom is Chair of one of the eight Commissioning Groups of North West London. They explain their reasoning in the document "Shaping a healthier future".
ReplyDeleteThe best approach for society is usually to listen to the experts and make a judgement about them as leaders. All of these people are leaders.
Then the Leader of Hammersmith employs an ex NHS bureaucrat, Mr Rideout, who says that the doctors have got it wrong. And another leader, the MP for Hammersmith and Fulham also says the doctors got it wrong but it is not clear what his opinion is based on. And then Cllr Weale, Chair of the K&C Health Scrutiny Committee says that the Committee will support the doctors and their proposals to close the A&E centers. She and her committee think they got it right.
But around 200 residents who turned up to Cllr Weale's Scrutiny meeting were dead against closure.
This is Leadership anarchy. It undermines democracy. It happens when Leaders like Cllr Cockell use their position to feather their own nests and create cynicism about their High Office. It undermines confidence and belief in people who strive to find the right way forward and advise. It is one of the worst offenses of modern times.
There are many armchair commentators on this blog. They should study the doctors' report before jumping to conclusions and sounding off
ReplyDeleteEveryone is famous for 15 minutes in their life. Mr Rideout has had his 15 minutes.
ReplyDeleteYou are a crass idiot....the guy is well respected in his field
DeleteSo far as I know the eight doctors who wrote the report "Shaping a healthier future" are also well respected. They were each appointed Chair by their peer group
DeleteSome person needs to bang all of these heads together. Sit them all down in the same room and lock the door until they come to a common point of view.
ReplyDeleteThe person who did most of the talking at the scrutiny meeting is a gerontologist, not exactly an expert in trauma care. The reality is that the closure plans will require vast expenditure to relocate high cost departments. The funding is just not there so it will end up with compromising patient care. No one wants to talk about this.
ReplyDeleteAn obvious point being made-and one that does not bear upon whether the correct decision is being made- is why Cllr Cockell remains silent- and seemingly disinterested, whilst his counterpart in H&F has come forward with a view.
ReplyDeleteIt is taking too many people too long to realise what a waste of space Cockell is. And why doesn't Malcolm Rifkind push off and concentrate on his non Executive Directorships and make way for a new Member of Parliament for Kensington who cares about residents and is interested in their problems?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Sir Malcolm is keeping the seat warm for Boris Johnson; Richmond Park is far to marginal for his taste, so we have to await the moment when Boris makes his move.
ReplyDeleteRifkind will not give up his MP job. He needs the status to keep his non Executive Directorships and to keep the Radio 4 opportunities flowing. The new programme for Kensington, Chelsea and Fulham Conservatives is just out. Dominated by Rifkind as drop in Guest of Honour at Ward functions and Chelsea Manor Street dinners. This is how he sings for his supper. But no plans yet for a residents surgery in North Kensington
ReplyDeleteReptile
Could one of the experts on here help me? My naive assumption is that the motive of the doctors who wrote "Shaping a healthier future" was just that. Trying to shape a healthier future.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone think that there is a different motive? Is this another Hilsborough?
Anon 09:38. I have no doubt that their motives were sincere but they were naive. The money is not there to implement the plans. The future is from healthier.
ReplyDeleteThe health service as we know it is about to go into meltdown. This Government is creating a complete mess of something that (had its faults) but in the main delivered good services for people. The amount of money wasted on this meltdown is and will be astronomical. None of the future housing plans seem to have been considered in this NHS deconstruction ie 7,000 homes on the Earls Court Exhibition Site.
ReplyDeleteThe GP's who will supposedly be the oracles of all health whilst staring at their computers for the seven minutes you see them, will make a mess of it. They will not be accountable publicly for public money because they are technically independent businesses.
All happening under the watchful, 'caring eyes' of this Council, its leader and its Member of Parliament.
Please don't blame Cockell. He is just not bright enough to understand all this.
ReplyDeletePooter is actually quite smart. Cllr Sir Merrick Cockell, nominal Leader of K&C, is Chairman of the national Local Govt Association where he is promoting himself on the national stage. It is most convenient to also have some funding from K&C (£70k plus pension)to help pay the school fees
DeleteYes he is street smart and good at looking after numero uno but still not very bright
Delete09.25 you miss the point. Rifkind is to stand again at the next General Election, which is why he is back on the canape circuit. But then he will graciously retire to the Lords to let Boris in and enhance his own business career. If Boris is in a hurry he may push for this to happen sooner.
ReplyDelete