Monday 26 September 2016

Charing Cross - no news is only partly good news


The attempt to demolish our main local – and one of the UK’s leading – hospital is now into its fifth year and some readers may have lost track of all the twists and turns.  For them I have penned this summary.

In fact, not much concrete has happened in the last few months, and now we know why.  The cash crisis and the failure to meet targets is so bad that they can neither afford the grandiose redevelopment of St Mary’s Hospital and rebuilding Charing Cross as a primary care centre, nor can they risk taking over 300 acute beds out of the system when primary, community and social care cannot cope as things are. 

Imperial are running more than a £50 million deficit this year.  They are missing their A&E and treatment times every month.  In an admirably frank interview, broadcast on BBC, the Chairman of Imperial told the Save our Hospitals campaigners that they had no money and the staff were working at breaking point.  This is what I and other MPs have been told privately for some weeks.

This week we were supposed to have the detailed plans for Charing Cross’ demolition – first mooted in June 2012 and promised annually since.  Once again they were postponed to ‘sometime in 2017’ but I have no faith in them coming to fruition in the foreseeable future.  Certainly it will now be impossible to start demolition before 2020 and another general election.  

But I still say this is only partly good news.  They still want to reduce acute beds by 500 across west London despite increasing pressures, and the reason for delay is not extra but lack of resources.

In a further twist the Orwellian ‘Shaping a Healthier Future’ project has been subsumed into the north-west London ‘Sustainability and Transformation Plan’ (STP). Old wine in new bottles, save that every part of the country will have an STP. That’s good in the sense that we are not being singled out for worse treatment than other areas any more; bad in that – judging by the new Government’s response when we debated this last week – there is going to be no extra money anywhere for the NHS.

All parts of the NHS have been ordered to sign up to their local STPs on pain of being cut out of what resources there are – and that includes local councils which now have responsibility for public health.  I am pleased to say H&F and Ealing Councils have refused to sign – on the basis that by doing so they were agreeing to the demolition of Charing Cross and Ealing Hospitals.















Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith

".....it's risen like a zombie in the guise of STP"

Leaflet your street?


We need to spread the health warnings on the dangers the Sustainability & Transformation (aka cuts & closures plan) across our communities across NW London. Loads more people would get the message if everyone was able to take a few leaflets and simply drop them in the letterboxes down their street or in the tearoom at work. If you're able to take a few to distribute please get in touch. (Attaching the final version our STP leaflet in place of earlier version in last email.)


Brent STP Public Engagement Event

Some Brent residents have taken a rather unusual tone to persuade neighbours to attend this important meeting.
"THE RESURRECTION MEN: SHAPING A HEALTHIER FUTURE REBORN. Local campaigners fought for five years against the cuts and closures that the NHS bosses tried to sell to us in the guise of Shaping a Healthier Future. We thought it was totally discredited, dead and buried, but it's risen like a zombie in the guise of STP - sounds like a sexually transmitted disease, but it stands for Sustainability and Transformation Plans. Another set of jargon for some of the same old cuts and closures" 
STP Public Engagement Event Mon 26th Sept 6.30pm Brent Civic Centre Grand Hall Engineers Way, Wembley HA9 0FJ


Imperial Board Meeting

Media interest in Imperial chair Sir Richard Sykes' admission that the trust is over worked, under funded, over stretched and under performing continues to gain publicity. There's a chance to continue the debate at Imperial's Board Meeting. 
Imperial NHS Trust Board Meeting Wed 28th Sept 11.30 - 1 Clarence Wing Board Room, St Mary's Hospital Praed St W2 1NY
http://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/6011/health-chiefs-fire-cuts-closures-plan/



SOH Saturday Stalls

Good turn out of campaigners in Shepherds Bush today - leafleting passers by including lots of people off to watch QPR Birmingham.(1 - 1 if you're interested.) Next Saturday we'll be at Lyric Square.
SOH Sat Stall Sat 1st Oct 2 - 4pm Lyric Square King St
On Sat Oct 8th we'll have a special all day stall between 10 - 4 at North End Rd. We're setting up a rota, let us know if you can help for an hour or two.


Birmingham Protest

We'll be meeting more brummies next Sunday at Birmingham's Unwelcome the Tory Conference Protest". This government needs to know how deeply people oppose their plans to cut, close and privatise our NHS. The SOH banner will be on the coach organised by Ealing Trades Council with fellow campaigners from Ealing Save Our NHS. Tickets are £10 (waged, £5 unwaged)
Coach to Protest Outside Tory Party Conference leaving Ealing Broadway Station 9am Sun 2nd Oct let us know if you'd like a ticket.

Stop Press - Junior Drs

We've just heard that the Junior Drs industrial action has been called off because of concerns about patient safety. We echo the words of BMA Junior Dr Chair Ellen McCourt who says:-
" We still oppose the imposition of the contract and are now planning a range of other actions in order to resist it, ........We hope the government will seize this opportunity to engage with junior doctors and listen to the range of voices from across the NHS raising concerns about doctors' working lives and the impact of the contract on patient care."


Regards AD (SOH secretary)
scxandh@gmail.com




Monday 19 September 2016

NHS cuts are not a 'necessity' and more news...



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Jeremy Hunt acted illegally over junior doctors, court hears
Legal challenge brought by five trainees over health secretary’s decision to impose new contract begins in high court
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/19/jeremy-hunt-acted-illegally-junior-doctors-contract-court-hears?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Facebook

The evidence of an NHS weekend effect is shaky
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/15/the-evidence-of-an-nhs-weekend-effect-is-shaky

NHS is at ‘tipping point’ as hospitals struggle with severe lack of funds
http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/11/nhs-is-at-tipping-point-as-hospitals-struggle-with-severe-lack-of-funds-6121127/#ixzz4KjDaJaFR

Feet first, our NHS is limping towards privatisation
Polly Toynbeehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/16/feet-nhs-limping-towards-privatisation-podiatry-diabetic-amputations?CMP=share_btn_tw

Rationing 'already widespread in the NHS for a variety of treatments'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3789649/Rationing-widespread-NHS-variety-treatments.html#ixzz4KjERSnuI

Face the facts: competition and profit don't work in health, education or prisons
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/12/face-the-facts-competition-and-profit-dont-work-in-health-education-or-prisons

Jeremy Hunt hasn't attended any of these NHS crisis meetings in the last year. No biggie
https://www.indy100.com/article/jeremy-hunt-hasnt-attended-any-of-these-nhs-crisis-meetings-in-the-last-year-no-biggie-7308776

GPs decry Capita's privatised backup services as 'shambles'
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/14/gps-decry-capitas-privatised-backup-services-as-shambles?CMP=share_btn_tw

58% of trusts think patient care has worsened in their local area (1) as do 54% of CCGs (2)
http://qmr.kingsfund.org.uk/2016/20?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=thekingsfund

This latest “Transformation” will kill the NHS if we let it.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/carol-ackroyd/nhs-managers-are-being-forced-to-lie-to-public

Andy Slaughter MP for Hammersmith talks about STPs at the Parliament debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNwUANQX9kc

Shadow Health Secretary quotes Leader of H&F, Stephen Cowan on STPs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1z730dYFY


Hugely significant day in Court for Junior doctors, NHS staff and patients, please check this site:
http://www.justiceforhealth.co.uk/

Jeremy Hunt acted illegally over junior doctors, court hears
Legal challenge brought by five trainees over health secretary’s decision to impose new contract begins in high court
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/19/jeremy-hunt-acted-illegally-junior-doctors-contract-court-hears?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Facebook

The evidence of an NHS weekend effect is shaky
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/15/the-evidence-of-an-nhs-weekend-effect-is-shaky

NHS is at ‘tipping point’ as hospitals struggle with severe lack of funds
http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/11/nhs-is-at-tipping-point-as-hospitals-struggle-with-severe-lack-of-funds-6121127/#ixzz4KjDaJaFR

Feet first, our NHS is limping towards privatisation
Polly Toynbeehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/16/feet-nhs-limping-towards-privatisation-podiatry-diabetic-amputations?CMP=share_btn_tw

Rationing 'already widespread in the NHS for a variety of treatments'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3789649/Rationing-widespread-NHS-variety-treatments.html#ixzz4KjERSnuI

Face the facts: competition and profit don't work in health, education or prisons
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/12/face-the-facts-competition-and-profit-dont-work-in-health-education-or-prisons

Jeremy Hunt hasn't attended any of these NHS crisis meetings in the last year. No biggie
https://www.indy100.com/article/jeremy-hunt-hasnt-attended-any-of-these-nhs-crisis-meetings-in-the-last-year-no-biggie-7308776

GPs decry Capita's privatised backup services as 'shambles'
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/14/gps-decry-capitas-privatised-backup-services-as-shambles?CMP=share_btn_tw

58% of trusts think patient care has worsened in their local area (1) as do 54% of CCGs (2)
http://qmr.kingsfund.org.uk/2016/20?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=thekingsfund

This latest “Transformation” will kill the NHS if we let it.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/carol-ackroyd/nhs-managers-are-being-forced-to-lie-to-public

Andy Slaughter MP for Hammersmith talks about STPs at the Parliament debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNwUANQX9kc

Shadow Health Secretary quotes Leader of H&F, Stephen Cowan on STPs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1z730dYFY


Hugely significant day in Court for Junior doctors, NHS staff and patients, please check this site:
http://www.justiceforhealth.co.uk/

Jeremy Hunt acted illegally over junior doctors, court hears
Legal challenge brought by five trainees over health secretary’s decision to impose new contract begins in high court
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/19/jeremy-hunt-acted-illegally-junior-doctors-contract-court-hears?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Facebook

The evidence of an NHS weekend effect is shaky
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/15/the-evidence-of-an-nhs-weekend-effect-is-shaky

NHS is at ‘tipping point’ as hospitals struggle with severe lack of funds
http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/11/nhs-is-at-tipping-point-as-hospitals-struggle-with-severe-lack-of-funds-6121127/#ixzz4KjDaJaFR

Feet first, our NHS is limping towards privatisation
Polly Toynbeehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/16/feet-nhs-limping-towards-privatisation-podiatry-diabetic-amputations?CMP=share_btn_tw

Rationing 'already widespread in the NHS for a variety of treatments'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3789649/Rationing-widespread-NHS-variety-treatments.html#ixzz4KjERSnuI

Face the facts: competition and profit don't work in health, education or prisons
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/12/face-the-facts-competition-and-profit-dont-work-in-health-education-or-prisons

Jeremy Hunt hasn't attended any of these NHS crisis meetings in the last year. No biggie
https://www.indy100.com/article/jeremy-hunt-hasnt-attended-any-of-these-nhs-crisis-meetings-in-the-last-year-no-biggie-7308776

GPs decry Capita's privatised backup services as 'shambles'
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/14/gps-decry-capitas-privatised-backup-services-as-shambles?CMP=share_btn_tw

58% of trusts think patient care has worsened in their local area (1) as do 54% of CCGs (2)
http://qmr.kingsfund.org.uk/2016/20?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=thekingsfund

This latest “Transformation” will kill the NHS if we let it.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/carol-ackroyd/nhs-managers-are-being-forced-to-lie-to-public

Andy Slaughter MP for Hammersmith talks about STPs at the Parliament debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNwUANQX9kc

Shadow Health Secretary quotes Leader of H&F, Stephen Cowan on STPs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1z730dYFY


Hugely significant day in Court for Junior doctors, NHS staff and patients, please check this site:
http://www.justiceforhealth.co.uk/

Jeremy Hunt acted illegally over junior doctors, court hears
Legal challenge brought by five trainees over health secretary’s decision to impose new contract begins in high court
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/19/jeremy-hunt-acted-illegally-junior-doctors-contract-court-hears?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Facebook

The evidence of an NHS weekend effect is shaky
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/15/the-evidence-of-an-nhs-weekend-effect-is-shaky

NHS is at ‘tipping point’ as hospitals struggle with severe lack of funds
http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/11/nhs-is-at-tipping-point-as-hospitals-struggle-with-severe-lack-of-funds-6121127/#ixzz4KjDaJaFR

Feet first, our NHS is limping towards privatisation
Polly Toynbeehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/16/feet-nhs-limping-towards-privatisation-podiatry-diabetic-amputations?CMP=share_btn_tw

Rationing 'already widespread in the NHS for a variety of treatments'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3789649/Rationing-widespread-NHS-variety-treatments.html#ixzz4KjERSnuI

Face the facts: competition and profit don't work in health, education or prisons
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/12/face-the-facts-competition-and-profit-dont-work-in-health-education-or-prisons

Jeremy Hunt hasn't attended any of these NHS crisis meetings in the last year. No biggie
https://www.indy100.com/article/jeremy-hunt-hasnt-attended-any-of-these-nhs-crisis-meetings-in-the-last-year-no-biggie-7308776

GPs decry Capita's privatised backup services as 'shambles'
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/14/gps-decry-capitas-privatised-backup-services-as-shambles?CMP=share_btn_tw

58% of trusts think patient care has worsened in their local area (1) as do 54% of CCGs (2)
http://qmr.kingsfund.org.uk/2016/20?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=thekingsfund

This latest “Transformation” will kill the NHS if we let it.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/carol-ackroyd/nhs-managers-are-being-forced-to-lie-to-public

Andy Slaughter MP for Hammersmith talks about STPs at the Parliament debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNwUANQX9kc

Shadow Health Secretary quotes Leader of H&F, Stephen Cowan on STPs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1z730dYFY


Hugely significant day in Court for Junior doctors, NHS staff and patients, please check this site:
http://www.justiceforhealth.co.uk/

Jeremy Hunt acted illegally over junior doctors, court hears
Legal challenge brought by five trainees over health secretary’s decision to impose new contract begins in high court
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/19/jeremy-hunt-acted-illegally-junior-doctors-contract-court-hears?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Facebook

The evidence of an NHS weekend effect is shaky
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/15/the-evidence-of-an-nhs-weekend-effect-is-shaky

NHS is at ‘tipping point’ as hospitals struggle with severe lack of funds
http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/11/nhs-is-at-tipping-point-as-hospitals-struggle-with-severe-lack-of-funds-6121127/#ixzz4KjDaJaFR

Feet first, our NHS is limping towards privatisation
Polly Toynbeehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/16/feet-nhs-limping-towards-privatisation-podiatry-diabetic-amputations?CMP=share_btn_tw

Rationing 'already widespread in the NHS for a variety of treatments'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3789649/Rationing-widespread-NHS-variety-treatments.html#ixzz4KjERSnuI

Face the facts: competition and profit don't work in health, education or prisons
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/12/face-the-facts-competition-and-profit-dont-work-in-health-education-or-prisons

Jeremy Hunt hasn't attended any of these NHS crisis meetings in the last year. No biggie
https://www.indy100.com/article/jeremy-hunt-hasnt-attended-any-of-these-nhs-crisis-meetings-in-the-last-year-no-biggie-7308776

GPs decry Capita's privatised backup services as 'shambles'
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/14/gps-decry-capitas-privatised-backup-services-as-shambles?CMP=share_btn_tw

58% of trusts think patient care has worsened in their local area (1) as do 54% of CCGs (2)
http://qmr.kingsfund.org.uk/2016/20?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=thekingsfund

This latest “Transformation” will kill the NHS if we let it.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/carol-ackroyd/nhs-managers-are-being-forced-to-lie-to-public

Andy Slaughter MP for Hammersmith talks about STPs at the Parliament debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNwUANQX9kc

Shadow Health Secretary quotes Leader of H&F, Stephen Cowan on STPs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1z730dYFY


Hugely significant day in Court for Junior doctors, NHS staff and patients, please check this site:
http://www.justiceforhealth.co.uk/



"The problem is funding" Sir Richard Sykes, Chairman of Imperial NHS Trust - BBC News

Please check out this BBC report, where the NHS boss, Sir Richard Sykes, tells the truth about the NHS crisis...


Check also the original video made by SOH team:

Tuesday 13 September 2016

Join the protest at Imperial NHS Trust AGM 14th Sept 2016






Imperial Protest - Lobby and Annual General Meeting

The board of Imperial NHS Trust seems determined to push on with closing Charing Cross Hospital despite clear evidence of a lack of capacity in acute services and unrealistic expectations about how much clinical work community services could cope with. 

It's important to recognise that both Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing councils have refused to sign up to the STPs on the basis that it would mean signing up to the closure of CX and Ealing Hospitals. Most local people fully support this stance and will be horrified to hear of suggestions that the councils may lose out in funding or influence in some areas as a result. 

We'll be lobbying outside Imperial NHS Trust's AGM to make these points and then attending the meeting to listen to the debate and hopefully ask questions at the end. (Flyer attached.)

Imperial NHS Trust Lobby - Protest Wed 14th Sept lobby from 16.45 AGM starts 17.45 St Paul's Church Queen Caroline St W69PJ

Click here to reserve a place at AGM or call 020 3312 5587

September newsletter


Dear Supporter,
Save Our Hospitals is gearing up for a busy autumn! And we begin this week with a lobby of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust AGM:
JOIN OUR PROTEST

LOBBY AT IMPERIAL NHS TRUST ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Wednesday 14
th September 2016 from 16.45

St Paul’s Church, Queen Caroline St, Hammersmith Broadway, W6


Make your voice heard in support of local health services and against the continuing threat to Charing Cross Hospital. Supporters will also be going into the AGM at 17.45 to listen and raise questions – book online at 
https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/events/agm-2016

This is part of our ongoing campaign against Shaping a Healthier Future (SaHF) and the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) which threaten our local health service and the NHS more widely.
NW LONDON STP
After persistent pressure, including a Freedom of Information request, health authorities in NW London were forced to publish the STP for our area – the first in the country to be published. As with SaHF, the plan is full of pious hopes and little practical detail on how alternatives to hospital provision can be provided in the context of savage cuts. The key aim of STPs is to close the funding gap between what is spent on patient care and what the government is willing to provide. THIS IS A POLITICAL CHOICE, not a health-driven plan. Put simply, the NHS – which was recognised internationally as the most efficient and effective public health provider in the world – is now seriously underfunded.
Today (Sunday 11th September) the BBC has reported that even the Chief Executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, is alarmed at the current situation:
NHS Providers, the organisation that represents hospitals in England, says unless urgent funding is provided it will have to cut staff, bring in charges or introduce "draconian rationing" of treatment, for example, of non-urgent operations.
It highlights that 80% of England's acute hospitals are in financial deficit, compared with 5% three years ago - while missed A&E waiting time targets have risen from 10% to 90%.
Imperial is one of the hospital trusts with a huge financial deficit (£50M). Instead of fighting for more funding, local health authorities aim to save money by closing 500-600 hospital beds, turning Charing Cross and Ealing hospitals into little more than day centres, and selling off NHS land. How they do this while improving facilities in the community is a mystery.
CONGRATULATIONS to H&F and Ealing local councils which have refused to sign off any proposals which include the downgrading/closure of Charing Cross and Ealing Hospitals. As the leaders of the Councils have said, the STPs are ‘about the breaking up and selling off of the NHS’. As a result, there’s a suggestion that both councils could be penalised with reduced access to social care funding and policy making forums. THIS IS UNDEMOCRATIC AND UNFAIR!

CAN YOU HELP?

SOH is a campaign group of local volunteers who are fighting to protect our health service. We are entirely funded by contributions from local people. If you would like to contribute you can send donation to SOH, 7 Kimbell Gardens, London SW6 6QG or
Directly to our account with Lloyds:  Sort Code 309897  Account Number  39956060.
We also regularly produce leaflets with updated information for distribution. We would like to increase our deliveries to homes in our area. If you feel you could deliver leaflets to your street or estate and maybe neighbouring streets, could you please email us at
scxandh@gmail.com giving us contact details and we will get back to you.
JUNIOR DOCTORS have voted to reject the imposition by Jeremy Hunt of a contract which they see as UNSAFE FOR PATIENTS AND DOCTORS, DISCRIMINATORY AGAINST WOMEN DOCTORS AND UNFAIR TO ALL DOCTORS. They have called off their action this coming week because of their concerns about patient safety. SOH agrees with the Junior Doctors that the NHS cannot be run safely with overworked, over-stressed and underpaid staff.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
We’d be delighted if you could join us at any of the following events:
Wednesday 14th September 7.30-9.30pm SOH Organising Meeting, at Hammersmith Town Hall. This is immediately after the Imperial AGM. All welcome!
Saturday 24th September       2.00-4.00pm Stall at Shepherds Bush market, Uxbridge Rd end.
Saturday 8th October               North End Rd market. H&F Council have again offered SOH a stall in the market on their “Autumn Market” event. SOH will be there from 10.00 – 16.00. This is a fun event which we hope you might attend – and even spend some time with us at the stall.

Please join our campaigning when you can – we need our NHS and our local hospitals.
Merril
Chair, SOH

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