Brechin voice must be heard on future of infirmary
Sir, The GPs of Brechin & Edzell have decided to take the unusual step of going public, to highlight the perceived risk facing our Community Hospital.
It is our hope that by explaining the situation, which threatens the continuing existence of our hospital, then the community to which the hospital rightly belongs, may make their views known to the politicians and managers who influence and make these decisions.
The Infirmary has seen a gradual erosion in services over the years, with almost complete loss of out-patient clinics to Stracathro, and a reduction in the number of GP beds.
This could be readily justified, as Stracathro is not far away, and needed supported for its own continuing existence. We held onto our Minor Injury Unit, which is nurse-led, but requires the continuing support and back-up of the GPs.
There is no A&E service at Stracathro. We have proportionately more GP beds than the other Angus towns, but would argue that we use them well, preventing many admissions to Ninewells by their existence. The different Angus towns and GP practices all run their community hospitals in slightly different ways, adapted over the years to what suits them best.
The whole point of a community hospital is to treat patients in their own community, by their own doctors, where this is safe and appropriate to do so.
Community hospitals nationally are currently undergoing a review, but it has been left to individual regions to decide on the way forward for their localities.
We have been asked to co-operate with a committee set up to design a uniform 'model' for all Angus community hospitals.
The stated intention is to open up all Angus community hospital beds for use by all Angus patients. This means that any unoccupied Brechin beds will be used to admit patients from other Angus towns, potentially leading to situations where we have no beds to admit Brechin patients into, so they have to go to Ninewells, whilst we devote our time to looking after patients from other areas!
We believe that this is not in the best interests of our own community, and furthermore is unsafe, as we would not know the history and background of patients from other areas. A recent survey has shown that the majority of Angus GPs share this view.
We feel so strongly about this issue that we have withdrawn our co-operation from this committee, and stated that we would not sign up to any new contract that includes this requirement.
Whilst it may be possible for the Trust to staff the Infirmary with other doctors, (as they do in Arbroath), we believe that it would be more costly and probably not a viable option.
We therefore believe that the Infirmary would become non viable with a loss of our community beds altogether, and it is unlikely that the Minor injury Unit would be able to continue alone.
The Infirmary serves our most vulnerable citizens, and losing it will mean more admissions to Ninewells, with all the stress that the extra travelling involves for patients and their visitors, and isolation from family and friends.
We have stated that we are happy to look at other 'models' of using the Infirmary but the issue of shared beds is non-negotiable.
The Trust want to use our beds to relieve pressure on Ninewells, and wish to remove control of admission rights from the local GPs. We fear that the Trust managers will insist on imposing their 'model'. We believe that the time has now come to inform and involve the local community, in the hope that the views and wishes of our community can be gathered, channelled and heard.
The new Scottish Executive has just published their vision for Scotland's Health Service, underlining their opposition to Centralisation, and state;
"At the heart of our future approach to healthcare will be a determination to provide services as locally as possible."
"That decisions about the configuration of services need to be taken with sensitivity, in a way that takes account of local feeling, the level of inequality and the constraints of geography and the local transport system."
Peter Bates, Chairman of Tayside Health Board, has reacted by offering the following advice;
"Senior Executives should take note that service re-design must fully involve local people and seek local solutions"
We therefore appeal to those interested in retaining their Infirmary to make your views known to your local politicians and councillors, patient representative groups, and anyone who can influence this ill-advised proposal, made by remote managers, who feel that they know what is best for your community.
If you wish to retain the Infirmary for the benefit of current and future generations, then the Brechin voice needs to be heard. Where is our local consultation? We are not being listened to.
We have copied this letter to your Community Council, Angus Councillors, MSP, MEP, and Brechin Partnership.
We would value some Patient representation, which currently does not exist in any organised form, at present. John Swinney (MSP), Mike Weir (MP), and Joy Mowatt (Brechin Partnership), have all indicated support, and Douglas Murray, Community Council Chair, has personally agreed to act as a focus for Patient and Community responses, and can be contacted at 623330 (day) or 624202(evenings).
Mike Weir would welcome responses via his office (01241) 874 522 or email WEIRM@parliament.uk.
We await responses from our Angus Councillors at the time of going to press.
Yours etc.,
The Brechin & Edzell GPs.
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Weather for Brechin
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
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Wind direction: South
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