Forum topic: Depth of North Mid A&E crisis revealed

Today's Guardian reports that two hospitals in Lancashire are asking patients not to visit their A&Es unless absolutely necessary - "calling on the public to help us"

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/04/patients-urged-stay-away-lancaster-and-furness-ae

The Department of Health has been trying to make out that the problems at the North Mid are caused by bad management/poor staff at the hospital. It looks to me though as if it's just the first sign of a national problem caused by underfunding, deliberate undermining of public confidence in NHS front-line workers and a never ending process of complete reorganisation.

Local MPs have arranged a public meeting about the North Mid crisis at 7pm on 26th July at the Green Towers Community Centre (round the back of the shopping mall at Edmonton Green - see https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mps-public-meeting-north-middlesex-hospital-ae-crisis-tickets-26353023603?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=esfb&utm-source=fb&utm-term=listing

Others might be interested to know that a public meeting has been organised by two local MPs (Kate Osamor - Edmonton and Catherine West - Hornsey & Wood Green) to hear from residents who are concerned about the situation.

The meeting is on Monday 25th July, 7-8.30pm at Green Towers Community Centre, Plevna Road N9 0BT

It is a free event but people are asked to register via Eventbrite;
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mps-public-meeting-north-middlesex-hospital-ae-crisis-tickets-26353023603?aff=es2

A statement from the website of David Burrowes MP mentions that there will be a debate in parliament next Wednesday on the subject of NMUH A&E;

http://www.davidburrowes.com/content/north-middlesex-hospital-0

Ahead of the public meeting about the crisis in the A&E department at the North Mid* it's worth reading in full the transcript of the Westminster Hall debate that took place on 12th July at the instigation of Joan Ryan, MP for Enfield North, and with the participation of the two other Enfield MPs (David Burrowes and Kate Osamor) and of David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, and Catherine West, MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, plus other MPs and a health minister.

www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2016-07-12a.59.0

I was intending to summarise some of the points made by the MPs, but found this too difficult. The participants had clearly done their homework ahead of the debate and all make some strong points with plenty of meat, making their speeches worth reading in full. One point that comes across is that MPs were apparently kept in the dark about the developing crisis. Predictably, Labour MPs saw the North Mid crisis as symptomatic of a wider malaise in the health service under the current and previous coalition governments. David Burrowes laid the blame mainly on the hospital's management, though he thought that the government should have "held their feet to the fire" five years ago and sacked some managers. To his credit, though, he did complain that the health service in Enfield is underfunded by comparison with other local authorities.(On the other hand, he failed to keep to his own resolution of "avoiding going down a political route" and started his speech by appearing to blame Tony Blair!)

[Edited on 22nd July to remove unsubstantiated comments about Healthwatch Enfield]

*(Monday 25th July at 7pm, not on Tuesday 26th July as previously stated on this website) it

The Healthwatch Enfield Annual Report was published on 1st July 2016 is available at
http://www.healthwatchenfield.co.uk/news/healthwatch-enfield-annual-report-2015-16-released

The Healthwatch Report strictly covers the period 1st April 2015 until 31st March 2016. In my opinion Basil Clarke makes unsubstantiated and unfair accusations of a cover up by Healthwatch. As someone who had regularly attended both the bi=monthly NM Hospital Trust Board meetings with Enfield Healthwatch and went on to attend the Hospital's Annual Meeting on 30th June 2016 I confirm the deafening silence offered to attendees at the NMUH Annual Meeting on 30th June 2016. It is only subsequent investigation by press reporters that I learnt of the appointment of Elizabeth (Libby) McManus as Interim Chief Executive and David Sloman as Interim Accountable Officer

The relevant CQC report was not published until 6th July 2016 .Any "cover up" was within the period of what is often called "Maxwellisation"

The Lead Commissioner for North Middlesex University Hospital and residents and interested parties are cordially invited to attend the HaringeyCCG Board meeting in Public on 28th July 2016 from 2pm at the Cypriot Centre, Earlham Grove N22

Donald is far more familiar with the workings of the local NHS than I am, so if he says that my accusations were unsubstantiated and unfair, then they were and the only honorable thing I can do is withdraw them. I shall remove the offending paragraph from my earlier post and apologise for any offence caused to Healthwatch Enfield people.

To get an idea of Donald's involvement in keeping tabs on the health service you just need to search for the minutes of meetings of for instance the managements of the North Middlesex University Hospital Trust or the Enfield CCG. You'll find questions and comments from Donald that go straight to the heart of the matter.

In fact, there was absolutely no reason to dream up conspiracy theories or drag Healthwatch into all this. They're clearly not responsible for the situation that has arisen at the North Mid. And, as Donald confirms, there was a "deafening silence" about the crisis when the hospital trust held its annual meeting only three weeks ago. Regardless of whether it was the hospital management who were hiding the true situation from the public or someone at a higher level, it's still scandalous and shocking that such a vital part of our health service (vital in both metaphorical and literal senses) should have been so close to collapse. In my view, the buck stops with the health secretary and the prime minister. The prime minister in question has gone (or should I say "scarpered", leaving behind utter chaos), but we still have the same health secretary.