The local NHS patients’ forum, the Weymouth & Portland Health Network, says it believes the South West Ambulance Service “is not currently capable of undertaking more and longer journeys as the Clinical Service Review advocates.”
In a letter to Tim Goodson, Chief Officer of Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group, they say: “members are most concerned that SWAST clearly has difficulty in meeting their current workload, having missed many targets and with reports of taking up to an hour to attend. The CCG plans envisage more patients being treated in Bournemouth, Poole and Yeovil, instead of at Dorchester. We do not believe such initiatives can be safely carried out, unless considerable extra resources are put into the Ambulance Service.”
The Weymouth & Portland Health Network is the Dorset CCG’s independent patients’ panel for the borough, comprising NHS patients and representatives from most of the doctors’ surgeries in the borough. Weymouth-born Michel Hooper-Immins is the independent Chairman and also a Public Governor of Dorset County Hospital.
“The committee is much opposed to the closure of beds at Westhaven and Portland Hospitals,” writes Michel Hooper-immins. “These 50 beds, which we understand are 98% fully occupied throughout the year, are proposed to be replaced by only 40 beds at Weymouth Community Hospital. In fact, Weymouth & Portland needs more community beds, not less. We are sceptical that the shortfall in local community beds can be covered by sending patients to nursing homes.”
“The Committee is pleased that Dorset County Hospital will continue much as now, although an unspecified number of patients will be sent to Bournemouth or Poole. We understand this may be the low volume, high risk services. The committee recognises that many patients say how much they value their local hospital at Dorchester and do not want to be sent to the east. In serious cases this may be unavoidable, but members do not wish to see a slow movement of services out of Dorchester to Bournemouth or Poole.”
“I am encouraging all Dorset patients to respond to the Dorset CCG’s consultation,” says WPHN Chairman Michel Hooper-Immins. “I am told Weymouth and Portland have the lowest responses so far of all the localities in Dorset. It is vital that local patients have their say now, so that Dorset CCG is aware of the strength of local opinion on the NHS services that patients need, depend on and want to continue.” The consultation closes on 28 February.
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Here is the full text of the letter, dated 17 February 2017, from Michel Hooper-Immins, Chairman, Weymouth & Portland Health Network to Tim Goodson, Chief Officer of Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group.
The Weymouth & Portland Health Network held a special meeting to discuss the Clinical Services Review. Members are most concerned that the South West Ambulance Service Trust clearly has difficulty in meeting their current workload, having missed many targets and with reports of taking up to an hour to attend. The CCG plans envisage more patients being treated in Bournemouth, Poole and Yeovil, instead of at Dorchester. We do not believe such initiatives can be safely carried out, unless considerable extra resources are put into the Ambulance Service. At our December meeting, the local SWAST Manager, told us there was a 10% cut in their budget for 2017. One of our members told us that two patients died in ambulances before and after Christmas, on the way to Bournemouth Hospital. The committee believes the Ambulance Service is not currently capable of undertaking more and longer journeys as the Clinical Service Review advocates. The committee however recognises the high skills of local ambulance paramedics, but we do need many more of them.
The committee is much opposed to the closure of beds at Westhaven and Portland Hospitals. These 50 beds, which we understand are 98% fully occupied throughout the year, are proposed to be replaced by only 40 beds at Weymouth Community Hospital. In fact, Weymouth & Portland needs more community beds, not less. We are sceptical that the shortfall in local community beds can be covered by sending patients to nursing homes. We believe the excellent principle of treating more patients in their homes is a good alternative, but the highly regarded local community services, based on the Hub at Westhaven Hospital, are already severely stretched and will need considerably more finance if they are to help more patients stay out of hospital.
Westhaven Hospital is modern and was purpose-built for elderly patients. Portland Hospital is a vital resource to the island. It should serve residents across the causeway in Wyke Regis and Rodwell, closer to Portland Hospital than Weymouth Community Hospital. The committee is totally opposed to the closure of the 50 beds at Portland [16] and Westhaven [34] Hospitals, bearing in mind the ever increasing local elderly population and that Weymouth & Portland has the largest population in Dorset, outside of Bournemouth & Poole.
The Committee is pleased that Dorset County Hospital will continue much as now, although an unspecified number of patients will be sent to Bournemouth or Poole. We understand this may be the low volume, high risk services. The committee recognises that many patients say how much they value their local hospital at Dorchester and do not want to be sent to the east. In serious cases this may be unavoidable, but members do not wish to see a slow movement of services out of Dorchester to Bournemouth or Poole. We are concerned at the planned transfer of neo-natal services from Dorset County Hospital, as the value and importance of parental involvement at this crucial time, after birth, is vital. Moving this service from DCH, will cause difficulties and much additional stress to parents and families of these premature babies.
There has been criticism of the complexity of the CSR consultation document. Members welcomed the publication of the simplified version. We note that the CCG has done well in widely circulating the consultation document to the public. We look forward to contributing to further reviews and attending more of the Dorset CCG’s well organised consultation workshops and meetings. Please keep us informed.
[Signed:] MICHEL HOOPER-IMMINS, Chairman, Weymouth & Portland Health Network.
