A walk-in GP centre is coming to Hayes!

Hillingdon PCT has announced that from autumn 2009 there will be a walk-in medical service in the town centre of Hayes. This free NHS service will be open 8am - 8 pm with a GP available 365 days of the year.

This service will be provided by Bondcare Medical Services Ltd, an independent provider of healthcare services across the UK.

Joan

NHS Harrow, 14 April 2009

NHS Harrow is the new working name of Harrow PCT. Apparently several PCTs have adopted this style, as it is clearer to the public what the function of the organisation actually is.

This report covers main items of the recent Board meeting, held on 14 April

1. Performance All seems quite satisfactory. The (98% in less than) 4 hour A&E target (at Northwick Park, of course) has been achieved for the whole year, in fact NPH is the only London hospital that has gone from ‘red’ to ‘green’ within a single year. Regarding immunization there are variations in the GP records and the PCT’s own counting.

2. Finance and Budgets The overall closing balance will be very near the target of a surplus of £1.7 M, there may be some changes because the Pharmacy contract has been changed nationally. No major changes are expected for the coming year.

3. Sustainable Health Care This was presented by the Director of Public Health. It is concerned with saving carbon in the borough, everyone agrees it’s a good thing to do but no one knows what the costs will be. One suggestion that met with general approval was the suggestion that people should write shorter reports.

4. Primary Medical Services in East Harrow This was about the provision of new services, to replace a Health Centre that was closed about 2 years ago and some GP practices that have closed. Three alternative proposals were presented, each involving the Community Health Centre in Belmont, supported by a 2 GP led Health Centres. A local consultation is to be held shortly.

Paul

Voluntary Services in Hillingdon & Mount Vernon

Voluntary Services for both Hillingdon and Mount Vernon Hospitals have proved to be invaluable. There are the volunteer drivers who transport patients to and from the hospitals in their own car; others work in the charity shops raising money for the hospitals. In the past the Comforts Fund has provided funding for many projects and equipment in both hospitals. Another aspect of their work is escorting patients to and from reception to the correct clinic, doctor or ward. They certainly are an asset.

YOUR HOSPITAL NEEDS YOU - BECOME A VOLUNTEER

New Watford and Three Rivers Health and Social Care Group

On 7^th April, in Watford Town Hall, a new health and social care group was launched by Hertfordshire Local Involvement Network. That LINk covers a very wide area and it is therefore setting up a number of sub-groups, of which this one, covering Watford and Three Rivers, is among the first.

The event was a great success. Over forty people attended, including representatives from Herts. County Council, Watford Council, Three Rivers Council, West Herts PCT, West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust and various voluntary organisations. Donald Edwards, our Publicity Officer, and I represented The Community Voice but it was good to see a number of other members present too.

As our two organisations share much common ground, we were allowed to display Community Voice publicity boards, to show our own range of interests. I was also invited to speak briefly to welcome the new organisation on behalf of our members. Increasing public awareness and input into local health and social care services will benefit us all. We look forward to working closely with the new group and are confident that this will be to our mutual advantage.

Joan

Next Meeting, on Thursday 7th May 2009

At this meeting, Maria O’Brien, Interim Managing Director of Provider Services, Hillingdon PCT, will be our guest speaker, speaking on: “The whirlwind of change - in local NHS services”.
As always we will meet at 7.45pm in the Post Graduate Centre at Mount Vernon Hospital. Visitors are welcome.

Do you know about all the changes that are taking place? If not, come and find out!

Joan

Our April Meeting

David McVittie is always a popular guest speaker. He has charm and is frank. As Hillingdon Hospital’s Chief Executive, his news is up to date and correct. So, he enchants his audience – and our April meeting was a great success.

Firstly, his Board intends to rebuild Hillingdon Hospital on its present site. It looked at all options and this was the best. In an ideal world the RAF site at Uxbridge might be first choice, but in practice it is not a front runner.

No London acute hospital has been successful so far in achieving foundation trust status in under three years, so his Trust is not alone in its disappointment that its application is on hold. It remains confident of ultimate success. It already has over 5,500 Foundation Trust members and has recently held elections for Governors.

He spoke about the current trauma and stroke public consultation. His hospital receives less than one major trauma case per week, so it cannot not match the criteria for a major trauma centre, but the proposals will allow it to continue, as now, to deal with the majority of local trauma cases.

However, his hospital already provides a hyper-acute-stroke service for most of the day, so it is disappointed by the consultation proposals, which would send all local stroke patients to Northwick Park Hospital for the first 72 hours of a stroke attack. His hospital would then become a local stroke unit, dealing only with transient ischaemic attacks and rehabilitation.

His Trust’s vision for Mount Vernon is unchanged. The new car park outside the Mount Vernon Treatment Centre will open in June. Various old buildings must be demolished. New cancer wards are needed, also new staff accommodation and new wards for elderly care. A joint venture with the private Bishopswood Hospital could lead to shared accommodation for endoscopy services.

The Trust is proud of its two new facilities. Bevan Ward in Hillingon Hospital provides en-suite single rooms. The Mount Vernon Treatment Centre provides top class elective care.

The Trust has also done well in meeting national targets, in achieving a small financial surplus, in the outcome of staff surveys, in its thriving Patients in Partnership programme and in introducing its consultant-led Emergency Admissions Unit which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The speaker stayed late to answer questions and to hear audience comments. As always our meeting provided an opportunity for members to relate directly to the speaker - interchanging views and information, to mutual advantage, we hope.

Joan