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The summary articles in the table below related to the strategic health
authority area are copied from the following pages, indicated in the table by
key numbers.
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Charges
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Construction projects
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Resource shortfall Sources
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Treatment approval or not
- Withdrawal of Local Facilities -
Sources
Other
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Summary articles |
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An elderly woman who moved house to be near her daughter may lose her expensive NHS drugs for Alzheimer's disease because of the reluctance of her new consultant to prescribe them and the health authority to pay for them.
Guardian
Tuesday May 29, 2001 [Northampton] |
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The government's health watchdog called yesterday for a national register
of NHS complaints, after exposing a "culture of complacency" that
had allowed a Leicestershire family doctor to abuse young male patients for
12 years. Peter Green, a Loughborough GP, was jailed for eight years
in July 2000 after being found guilty of nine charges of abusing five male
patients. John
Carvel, Social affairs editor Guardian Friday August 31, 2001
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Where the treatment centres will be. The health secretary, John Reid, today
announced details of the government's controversial programme of privately run
fast-track diagnostic and treatment centres, and a number of new mobile
ophthalmology units. This guide explains where they will be.
Friday September 12, 2003 [South-west peninsula (Mercury Health Ltd),
Lincolnshire (Mercury Health Ltd), Horton hospital, north Oxford (Mercury Health
Ltd), North-east Yorks (Mercury Health Ltd), Southampton (Mercury Health Ltd),
Northumberland (Mercury Health Ltd), East Berkshire (Slough, Bracknell,
Maidenhead and Windsor/Ascot) (Mercury Health Ltd), Didcot, Oxfordshire (Mercury
Health Ltd), Ashford, Surrey (Mercury Health Ltd), Maidstone (Care UK Afrox),
Barlborough Links, Nottinghamshire (Care UK Afrox), Derriford, Plymouth (Care UK
Afrox), Chase Farm, Barnet, London (Anglo Canadian), King George hospital,
Redbridge (Anglo Canadian), Royal National throat nose and ear hospital, Kings
Cross, London (Anglo Canadian), Bradford (Nations Healthcare), Burton (Nations
Healthcare), Daventry (Birkdale Clinic), Trafford, Greater
Manchester (Netcare UK), Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore (New York
Presbyterian), Shepton Mallet, Somerset (New York Presbyterian).
Two mobile units will offer ophthalmology services in the following areas:
Cheshire and Merseyside (Netcare UK), Cumbria and Lancashire (Netcare UK),
Horton, Oxfordshire (Netcare UK), Wycombe, Bucks (Netcare UK), North Tyneside
(Netcare UK), South-west Oxfordshire (Netcare UK), North-west peninsula (Netcare
UK), Dorset/Somerset (Netcare UK), Kent/Medway (Netcare UK), Hants and Isle of
Wight (Netcare UK), Surrey and Sussex (Netcare UK), Thames Valley (Netcare UK)] |
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A FORMER Newton woman plans to take action because she believes it was the
deadly hospital super-bug MRSA that killed her husband. John Cochrane, 38, was
admitted to Glenfield Hospital in Leicester for a heart bypass on July 30.
Rugby Advertiser 09 September 2004 |
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A village doctor killed himself after becoming distressed over an
investigation into the number of patients he was referring to hospital
specialists, an inquest heard today. Dr Stephen Farley, 55, was visited at his
practice in Ibstock, Leicestershire, by officers from his local primary care
trust (PCT), who presented a bar chart comparing his rate of referrals with
other GPs. He was also sent letters from Charnwood and North West
Leicestershire PCT requesting that he retrain. Debbie Andalo and agencies
Thursday March 10, 2005 |
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A hospital trust is considering removing Bibles from patients' bedsides for
fear that they may be spreading the superbug MRSA, it emerged today. The
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS trust is meeting on Friday to discuss the
health risks from copies of Gideon Bibles provided in patient lockers in
Leicester's three main hospitals.
Thursday
June 2, 2005 |
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Hospitals feel pain of funding problems. The FT says the Department of
Health's decision to review the St Bartholemew's and Royal London PFI project
"is a symptom of a deeper malaise affecting large-scale PFI hospital
projects". Patricia Hewitt has hinted that in future there will be more
reliance on "LIFT" (local infrastructure trusts) and fewer big PFI hospitals.
An NHS executive said: "My guess is that Birmingham, and Barts and the London,
will go ahead. But they will be the last of the mega-deals". Other PFI
projects that could be in doubt include the £700m rebuild of University of
Birmingham Hospitals. Minutes from a board meeting of financial regulator
Monitor show that the DoH asked Monitor to approve the scheme's affordability
- a request that was refused on the grounds that the guarantor, not the
regulator, should carry the commercial risk. Treasury officials are known to
be sceptical about four big projects in Liverpool worth £1bn. Schemes in
Bristol, Plymouth, Hertfordshire and Leicester could also be in question.
Summary by Keep our NHS
Public of Financial Times 27 December 2005 (subscription needed to
access FT articles) |
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GPs may stop
giving children jabs in payment row. East Leicester and West Leicester
PCTs say they can no longer afford to pay for MMR, polio, tetanus and TB
vaccines and have told GPs to pay for them themselves. The PCTs have sent GPs
backdated bills for the vaccines from December 1. They have also withdrawn
funding for other services, including ear syringing and some blood tests. East
Leicester PCT is trying to make up a deficit of £1m; and Leicester City West
PCT £4.5m. The chairman of Leicestershire and Rutland LMC, the GPs' body,
said: "Without any notice, the PCTs have deducted the money from the GPs. It
has put the doctors in a very awkward position. Some might decide to opt out,
though we wouldn't advise them to. There are many ridiculous steps being taken
by PCTs to try to cut their costs." Leicester City West's chief executive
said: "These are obviously not very popular measures. Our justification for
them is that we're in a difficult financial position." Summary by Keep our NHS Public
of
Leicester Mercury 4 January
2006 |
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Mental health
ward in Leicester closed. The Herrick Ward, part of the Brandon Unit of
Leicester General Hospital, has been closed for six months with a loss of 30
beds while its future is decided. The closure saves Leicestershire Partnership
NHS Trust £400,000. Consultation on the future of the whole Brandon Unit will
take place until February 3, but the trust has stated that it wants to close
the unit completely and replace it with new wards. Summary by Keep our NHS Public
of
Leicester Mercury 4 January
2006 |
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PFI hospital will
go ahead. The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust says its £761m
Pathway PFI hospital project will commence despite doubts over the future of
large PFI deals being unviable under payment by results. The deal with private
contractor Triskelion will see Glenfield Hospital double in size, the existing
General Hospital virtually demolished and the Leicester Royal Infirmary site
converted to a new children's hospital.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 9 January 2006 |
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Health cuts in
Hewitt's back yard. Leicester West PCT is cutting support for people
trying to quit smoking and the availability of the morning-after pill in
Patricia Hewitt's constituency. The trust has a predicted £4.5m deficit.
Hewitt said that while she wanted trusts to balance their books she did not
intend this to be at the expense of patients' services. She said: "I asked for
them to make savings on administration costs to remain within their increased
budgets. I'm disappointed Leicester West primary care trust has found itself
in this situation." Elsewhere in Leicestershire Charnwood and North West
Leicestershire PCT is considering closing a mental health ward as it tries to
save £3m. Leicester East PCT (£1m predicted deficit) and Leicester West last
week told GPs they could no longer afford to pay for childhood immunisations.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 9 January 2006 |
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Leicester
Hospital trust lends PCTs money. The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS
Trust (UHL) has a £3m surplus for the year and is lending it to
Leicestershire's cash-strapped PCTs. The money will be repaid on April 1, the
new financial year. The move, in the county where Patricia Hewitt holds her
seat, is exactly the kind of deficit-avoidance scheme that the health
secretary is trying to discourage.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of BBC Online
13 January 2006 |
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Cash crisis:
ops may be delayed. Leicestershire's PCTs are considering delaying
non-urgent operations until the new financial year. The PCTs have started
discussions on the matter with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS
Trust, who they pay to carry out operations at the Royal Infirmary, General
and Glenfield hospitals.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury
16 January 2006 |
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PFI doubts lead
Hewitt to turn down hospital's trust application. An application by the
University Hospitals of Leicester trust has been put on hold while its £761m
PFI scheme is reviewed. There are rumours in the PFI market that there is a 6
month moratorium on new PFI hospitals, something the Department of Health
denies.
Summary by Keep our NHS Public
of Financial Times 19 January 2006 |
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East Midlands
trusts battle to lower £50m debt. Attempts to claw back the overspend by
closing wards in Grantham, Stamford and Skegness have provoked protest
marches. Trusts in Leicestershire have admitted they are considering delaying
routine operations. High Peak and Dales PCT in Derbyshire faces a debt of
£2.9m and has cut the hours of the minor injuries unit at Buxton Hospital,
closed wards at the New Holme and Cavendish hospitals and put a freeze on
staff recruitment. In Nottinghamshire, Nottingham City Hospital Trust is
facing a shortfall of £6.3m and has frozen recruitment and closed some wards.
Summary by Keep our NHS Public
of BBC
Online 30 January 2006 |
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Review for
Leicester hospital project. The government has asked the University
Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust to undergo a "revalidation exercise" of its
£761m PFI Pathway hospital building scheme. The project, undertaken by
consortium Triskelion Healthcare and the second biggest PFI scheme in the UK,
would see Glenfield Hospital double in size, Leicester General virtually rebuilt
and a new children's hospital open at Leicester Royal Infirmary. The decision is
part of the Department of Health's moratorium on PFI projects as it seeks to cut
the total cost of England's hospital building project by up to 40%.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 3 February 2006 |
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Bailiffs
collect NHS trust debts. Leicester City Council resorted to sending in
bailiffs when the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust failed to pay
£420,000 in business rates. The trust owed rates on the Leicester General
Hospital, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester Royal Infirmary and a pub it bought to
expand the LRI site. Summary by Keep our NHS Public
of BBC
Online 7 February 2006 |
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Debt collectors were sent into the NHS trust serving the constituency of
Patricia Hewitt, the health secretary, because it had not paid a £420,000
bill, it emerged yesterday. The bailiffs arrived at University Hospitals of
Leicester NHS Trust after it failed to respond to a summons from the city
council to pay business rates on Leicester General hospital and Glenfield
hospital for last September and November. The trust also overlooked payment
for the Pride of Leicester pub, which was required to help expand the Royal
Infirmary. John Carvel, social affairs editor
Wednesday February 8, 2006 The Guardian |
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Cash crisis
won't delay operations. The strategic health authority that covers
Patricia Hewitt's constituency has told its PCTs that it would rather they
stay in debt than delay operations. PCTs were considering putting back surgery
such as hip replacements and cataract treatments until April. Four
Leicestershire PCTs are in deficit: Leicester City West and South
Leicestershire (£2.5m each), Hinckley and Bosworth (£3m) and Charnwood and
North West Leicestershire (£1.8m). Patricia Hewitt supported the decision,
saying: "We want NHS organisations that are in deficit to get back into
balance as quickly as possible. I think it's right the SHA has taken the
decision to give PCTs a bit longer if they think that's what's needed to
spread out the finances without damaging care to patients." Summary by Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 9
February 2006 |
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MP discusses
hospital cash crisis. MP Sally Keeble is to raise the plight of
Northampton's hospital with Patricia Hewitt. A maternity ward, a 24-hour
surgery unit and 50 beds have been closed at Northampton General Hospital as
part of drastic action to save money. The hospital has also been given just
eight weeks to pay back a £2m loan. Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of
BBC
Online 15 February 2006 |
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Hospitals shut
to mentally ill. Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust is closing day
hospitals for the mentally-ill across Leicestershire in a bid to save money.
The trust has a predicted deficit of £4.6m. Five units are being shut down on
different days of the week until April when the new financial year begins. For
two months, the Langton Day Unit, at Leicester General Hospital, and the
Glenvale Day Unit, at Glenfield Hospital, will not open on Wednesdays and
Thursdays. Beechwood Day Unit, at the General, and Forest Grange Day Unit, at
Glenfield, will be closed on Fridays. The Hynca Lodge Day Unit, in Hinckley,
will not open on Mondays. Christine Palmer, spokeswoman for the trust, said:
"The decision was made because of the difficult financial situation facing the
trust." Summary by Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 16 February 200 |
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LIFT medical
centre opens in Leicester. The £2.4 million Merridale medical centre in
Braunstone, Leicester, is the first of a £50m project that will comprise eight
more facilities in the city. Also planned are £2.4 million primary care
practices in Humberstone, De Montfort University, Belgrave, Bede Island and
Groby Road, and an £11.2 million Charnwood health and social care centre.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 20 February 2006 |
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NHS trusts
still in red at end of financial year. Leicestershire's mental health
trust is struggling to break even by the end of the year, facing a deficit of
nearly half a million pounds, despite having already made cuts to services.
Hospitals for the mentally ill across the county have been shut down on
different days of the week, and the Herrick Ward, part of the Brandon Unit of
Leicester General Hospital, was also closed in December for six months to make
a saving of £400,000.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 24 February 2006 |
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A threat to
immunisation. Leicester's east and west PCTs are refusing to foot the bill
for jabs against polio, tetanus and TB, in a bid to save money. Leicestershire
and Rutland LMC has said GPs could stop providing immunisations for children.
While it is unusual in other parts of the country for PCTs to pay for the
immunisations, GPs say the situation has been sprung upon them too soon and
they are not able to budget for the change.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 3 March 2006 |
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Threat to
future of health unit. The Rutland Unit in Narborough, a 21-bed centre for
people with mental health illnesses such as schizophrenia, is to be closed.
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust has launched a consultation, but the
options do not include the centre remaining open. The patient and public
involvement forum has accused the trust of blatant cost cutting.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 7 March 2006 |
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Two big hospital
PFIs at risk. The University of North Staffordshire NHS Trust has admitted
it will not be able to afford it's £350m PFI hospital without scaling back the
project. The scheme, which also includes the construction of a community
hospital, would tie the trust in to paying the private consortium Equion between
£52m and £53m a year over 30 years, a total of around £1.5bn. The government is
also reviewing the PFI project at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS
Trust.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of
Independent 12 March 2006 |
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Cancer care
charity hit by health cash shortfall. Leicester Charity Link, a charity
that provides palliative and cancer care, is set to lose 40% of its funding
as Eastern Leicester and Leicester City West PCTs plan to withdraw their
contribution due to their deficit troubles. Leicester Charity Link says the
move will destroy its service.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 16 March 2006 |
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Hospital faces
£8m cash shortfall. Managers at Northampton General Hospital have said
that there may be further job cuts and longer waiting lists due to a funding
shortfall. Wards have already been closed.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of
BBC
Online 3 April 2006 |
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Morale among
healthcare staff is at an all time low. Staff morale at Leicester's two
PCTs is amongst the lowest in the country, according to a Healthcare
Commission report. Staff face uncertainty over the future of jobs and
services.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 3 April 2006 |
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MP steps into
rebuild delay row. Leicester East MP Keith Vaz has demanded a meeting
with Patricia Hewitt about delays to the University Hospitals of
Leicester PFI rebuilding programme in her constituency, which is
adjacent to his. Vaz said: "The bill [for consultant and architect advice]
stands at around £60m without a brick being put in place." The DoH said in
January it wanted to re-examine the plans. This week it said it hoped to
make a decision within the next three months.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Health Service Journal 6 April 2006 |
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Hospital
staff consider strike. Cleaning and catering staff and porters at
Leicester Royal Infirmary will vote in a ballot this week on whether
they would be prepared to strike over a delay in their pay rise. Unison says
cleaners, porters and catering workers at the hospital who earne £5.15 an
hour should have been receiving £5.88 since October.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 20 April 2006 |
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Three leading NHS hospitals risk being downgraded for failing to give
information on the
death rates of their heart surgery patients, the Guardian
has learned. The trusts are the only ones in the UK not to have provided key
data for the Healthcare Commission, which has been gathering information on
mortality rates linked to individual surgeons. The information will be
published today on a groundbreaking website designed to enable heart
patients and their families the chance to make informed choices about where
to have surgery. Last night one of Britain's top heart surgeons warned that
the commission might penalise the three trusts - St Mary's in Paddington,
west London,
Glenfields in
Leicester, and Morriston in Swansea - by
downgrading them in their annual performance ratings. "I think it is utterly
unacceptable in a modern health service that units no longer have the
discipline or facility to collect good outcome data," said Sir Bruce Keogh,
president of the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons. After a Guardian
investigation last year, the commission asked all hospitals performing heart
surgery to provide data on operations such as bypass grafts and aortic valve
replacements. The aim was to help patients assess a surgeon's track record
before having an operation. In a historic move the commission will publish
data on death rates at almost all the 33 hospitals performing this complex
work in England and Wales. It will disclose risk-adjusted mortality rates
for individual surgeons at 17 cardiac units, and the aggregated results for
13 units. John Carvel and Sarah Boseley
Wednesday April 26, 2006 The Guardian |
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I did think
things were going to get better, I don't feel like that now.
Leicester Royal Infirmary nurse Kate Ahrens explains why Patricia Hewitt
was booed at the RCN conference: "It involves low morale, poor wages,
questionable priorities and an obsession with the marketplace and profit
rather than patient care… Too much of our tax-payers' NHS money is going
straight into the hands of private companies - when it should be going into
making sick people better. It is an expensive sham - and we are all footing
the bill. It wasn't that long ago that we had in-house hospital cleaners and
in-house caterers; people who were part and parcel of the NHS, part of a
hospital's fabric. Not now. We've got rid of cleaners and given those jobs
to whichever company can do the job for the lowest amount of money. Not do
it best: Cheapest."
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 10 May 2006 |
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Pledge is made to
patients as £200m cuts announced. A £200million cut in the proposed PFI
redevelopment of
Leicester's three hospitals will not adversely affect patients according
to hospital bosses. The government demanded savings of £170million, out of
an original £800million scheme, which will come from less new building and
more refurbishment. The revised plan comes as a result of the government's
review of PFIs, which raised questions over the risk involved in the
project. The original scheme involved paying back contractors £92m a year
for the next 30 years, which would have exceeded the annual limit of 15% of
turnover that the DoH has recently laid down. Plans to demolish and rebuild
Leicester General will not now go ahead. The Royal Infirmary and Glenfield
will become the only two acute hospitals with specialised services on both
sites including a children's hospital at the Royal Infirmary and a women's
hospital at Glenfield.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 11 May 2006 |
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March to save
mental health unit. Protestors have marched against the planned closure
of a mental health centre in
Leicester. Staff and supporters of the 21-bed Rutland Unit in Narborough
protested outside a consultation meeting about the site's future.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of BBC
Online 15 May 2006 |
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DoH orders £200m cuts to scheme. The Department of Health has trimmed
back another major private finance initiative scheme, instructing University
Hospitals of
Leicester trust to cut just under £200m from its £761m plans to revamp
and reconfigure services at Leicester's General, Royal Infirmary and
Glenfield hospitals. University Hospitals of Leicester trust has been
working on PFI plans for five years, and had its proposals approved by the
DoH in March 2005. They were put on hold in January, amid national concern
about PFIs.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Health Service Journal 18 May 2006 |
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Health cash
problem "is worse than anticipated". Figures from Leicestershire MP
Patricia Hewitt's Department of Health detailing
Leicestershire PCTs' overspends are under exaggerated according to two
of the trusts themselves. South Leicestershire PCT was reported to have an
overspend of £8.5m but trust bosses have already admitted a £10.2m deficit;
Leicestershire City West PCT had a reported £5.13m but this debt has now
gone up to £6m.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 8 June 2006 |
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ISTC chaos
ignored. The Government is ignoring local concerns over the national ISTC
programme as evidence emerges of more schemes being scrapped or put on hold. At
least eight of 24 schemes in the £2.5bn wave two ISTC procurement have now been
dropped and another put on hold after commissioners said they were not needed.
But the DoH is not only insisting that
Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge SHA spends £38m on a elective surgical ISTC,
it has also rejected its proposals for case-mix of patients treated there. A
recent report by Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire PCTs said the DoH had
"modelled that we need this capacity" without factoring new NHS capacity into
the model. It said "there will be high risk to local providers because the aim
is for the [ISTC] to fill up first". The PCTs are also under pressure to buy
more scans under the national diagnostics procurement. Most of the commissioned
scans would substitute for work done in the NHS rather than supplement it, the
report says. Essex SHA
has been ordered to spend £45m on independent sector schemes, despite the
collapse of two ISTC projects in 2005. A paper presented to Colchester PCT's
board in January said the SHA had "identified a number of concerns" with this
but the scheme was going ahead anyway. A surgical scheme for
Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA has been halted. The SHA
said that a PFI project to upgrade
three hospitals and an ISTC could lead to over-capacity. The SHA is negotiating
to leave the national private diagnostics procurement. The DoH has allowed the
scrapping of a surgical ISTC in
York, which already has a surgical treatment centre, at Clifton Park.
Birmingham City Hospital's ISTC had been dropped and it has been reported
elsewhere that a further six schemes have been abandoned. These are:
County Durham & Tees Valley,
South
Yorkshire (both cardiology and general surgery),
South
West Peninsula, and
West
Yorkshire (both plastics and multi-specialty centres). Dr Paul Miller,
chairman of the BMA's seniors' committee, said: "There's clear evidence that
wave one schemes are surplus to requirements - spare capacity is being hawked
around like soft fruit at the end of market day. Rather than imposing wave two
schemes where they are not wanted the DoH should stop now. It should not sign
another contract before it has reviewed the whole policy."
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of
Hospital Doctor 8 June 2006 |
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NHS cash
crisis hits care.
Leicester hospitals are feeling the effects of the crisis hitting the
NHS as University Hospital's of Leicester NHS trust attempts to save £22m
this year. Compounding the problem is the reduction in the funding that
covers much treatment in the area as the county's PCTs claw back over £50m.
Doctors in the trust, which covers Leicester General Hospital, Leicester
General Infirmary and Glenfield General Hospital, asked for £25m to maintain
services and pay for developments but were told the trust could only afford
£10m. This will mean extra neonatal nurses and improvements to cancer
services will be put on hold, and a request from children's services at the
three hospitals for under £350,000 has had to be turned down.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 13 June 2006 |
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"Bosses
should explain debts". Alan Duncan, conservative MP for Rutland and
Melton has demanded that the bosses of the four PCTs in Leicester,
Leicestershire and Rutland explain how they have run up a £62m
debt, far further into the red than the £50m
reported earlier this month. The trust's bosses have not ruled out ward
closures and have warned of "tough decisions" to be made.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 16 June 2006 |
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Union fears
major job losses. Unison representatives in
Leicestershire have warned that the £62m overspend
by the county's PCTs could see as many as 1,000 jobs axed, and have called
for the government to plug the hole. The PCTs have admitted that "tough
decisions" will have to be made but have accused Unison of inflating the
fears before any plans have been decided upon. Unison has blamed not the
PCTs but the government for the deficit, singling out the "throwing away of
money on PFI schemes."
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 19 June 2006 |
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Protesters start
NGH cuts petition. Protesters campaigning against job cuts at
Northampton General Hospital have launched a petition opposing the
cost-cutting measures. Members of Northampton's Trade Union Council staged a
protest on Saturday asking shoppers to support their campaign. More than 100
jobs are expected to be axed and 47 beds closed over the next year due to a
funding crisis at the hospital. Protesters fear this could lead to longer
waiting lists, a reduction in the number of services available at the
hospital, and a decline in the quality of medical care. The protest involved
members of the Trade Union Council, the National Union of Teachers and
Pensioners Voice. Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Northampton
Chronicle & Echo 27 June 2006 |
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Protest at
city health cutbacks. Around 300 health workers and patients marched
from
Leicester city centre to the constituency office of Health Secretary and
Leicester West MP Patricia Hewitt to protest against the area's health cuts.
Leicester's three hospitals are facing millions in deficits with Union
leaders expressing fears that it will affect services. Plans to
close a 21-bed specialist
mental health unit in Narborough have already been announced. Unison
steward Tom Smith said: We're angry because services are being closed and
Patricia Hewitt is replacing them with false promises. Hands off our
services!" Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of BBC
Online 10 July 2006 |
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Ward to close
despite opposition. A ward caring for people suffering from dementia is
to close at a
Leicestershire hospital despite protests from carers. Around 6,000
people had signed a petition to keep the Bradgate ward at Loughborough
hospital open. Health managers have now confirmed its closure and said they
would be looking at providing respite care through the independent sector.
Carers said the news was like "losing the light at the end of the tunnel".
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of BBC
Online 18 July 2006 |
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Fee for tips
on NHS cuts defended. The Department of Health has defended a £316,000
payout to PricewaterhouseCoopers for advice on how to cut £68million from
Leicestershire's primary care budget. The move has provoked outcry from
union leaders over the fee for advice that may see many jobs and services
lost.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 24 July 2006 |
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Patients forced
to wait for oxygen. Patients with breathing difficulties have been
confined to their homes because of delays delivering portable
oxygen
cylinders, many being housebound for up to eight days. Users say the
cylinders are vital because they provide them with up to eight hours of
oxygen - enough to go to the shops or visit family and friends. Air
Products, which supplies cylinders to hundreds of people across
Leicestershire, said delays were caused by high levels of demand,
brought on by the recent hot weather. The company took over the home oxygen
service from GPs and pharmacists in February. Health officials said the
situation improved after pharmacists and doctors resumed control of delivery
of supplies.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester
Mercury 3 August 2006 |
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Healthcare spending is subject to a postcode lottery, with some areas
paying out more on cancer, heart disease or mental health than others, a new
report says. Primary care trusts are charged with buying healthcare to suit
the priorities of their populations, but data from the King's Fund, the
independent health foundation, finds that even taking into account varying
needs, there are large and sometimes surprising differences. For example,
the biggest spender on cancer is Daventry and South
Northamptonshire PCT, which spent £132 a head, compared with £35 a head
by the bottom-of-the-league Heart of
Birmingham PCT. Sarah Boseley and Sarah Hall
Wednesday August 9, 2006 The Guardian |
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Plans to use private sector money
to build and maintain six NHS hospitals worth nearly £1.5bn were
approved by health ministers yesterday, prompting anger among public sector
unions that foreshadows a revolt at Labour's annual conference in Manchester
next month. The six schemes, including facilities in health secretary
Patricia Hewitt's constituency in Leicester, were scaled down to take
account of the government's proposals for moving some services from
hospitals into the community. This cut the cost by more than £400m. Unison,
the biggest public sector union, said the decision to build the hospitals
under the private finance initiative (PFI) would prove "a costly error",
locking NHS trusts into inflexible repayment obligations that would burden
their balance sheets for 30 years or more. The union is expected to be
heavily critical of NHS privatisation at the Labour conference. The six
developments took the hospital building programme since Labour came to power
in 1997 to more than £10bn, almost all using using the PFI. But the clarity
of the government's message about NHS expansion was muddied by the results
of a BBC investigation of hospital cuts planned in
other parts of the country. It said these may involve the closure or
downgrading of at least 10 big hospitals, but the Department of Health said
nothing was finalised and preparations for "reconfiguration of services"
were at an early stage. The six schemes will be at:
· University Hospitals
Leicester - a £711m development including a brand new women's hospital
and a stand alone children's hospital at the Leicester Royal infirmary. The
original proposals would have cost £906m.
· University Hospital North
Staffordshire - £272m to build a community hospital and cancer centre.
· South
Devon Healthcare - £163m to redevelop Torbay hospital, including a
diagnostic centre offering MRI scans, more single rooms and day-case
operating theatres.
·
Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust - £140m for the complete redevelopment of
the Manor hospital site.
·
Salford Royal Hospitals - £112m for a new hospital with more single
rooms, an enhanced A&E department and three new operating theatres.
·
Tameside and Glossop Acute Services - £68m for three day-case operating
theatres, new surgical wards and a 30- place day hospital for elderly mental
health patients.
John Carvel, social affairs editor
Saturday August 19, 2006 The Guardian
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£3 billion: That's the cost of rebuilding our hospitals. The total cost
of rebuilding
Leicester's three hospitals will be £3 billion pounds, but most of the
money will go to contractors. Under the private finance initiative, private
contractors will provide the £711 million to refurbish Leicester Royal
Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital and Glenfield Hospital. However
hospital bosses have said they will have to pay back £84million a year for
37 years, a total of £3bn and four times the original outlay. The hospital's
bosses have also told of how the government's delay in approving the Pathway
project added an extra £60million in costs and two years to the project. The
move has drawn criticism but health bosses insist the scheme is good value
for money. Local patient's groups condemned the delays saying: "We're going
to get less hospital buildings for more money," while others voiced concerns
over the PFI aspect of the project. Leicester East MP Keith Vaz remains
"deeply concerned about the economics of the scheme" while David Taylor, MP
for North West Leicestershire, said: "PFI is a really poor deal. It's flawed
in concept. What's happening in the NHS and elsewhere bears out the lunacy
of the PFI approach."
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 22 August 2006 |
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GPs to get help
over home
oxygen fiasco. GPs are to receive guidance to help them counter
continuing problems with the home oxygen delivery service - six months after
it was privatised. Additionally, the deadline for ending FP10 prescribing of
oxygen cylinders has been pushed back yet again. Oxygen was to be removed
from the drug tariff at the end of July, but will continue to be prescribed
into 2007.
Loughborough GP Dr Dermot Ryan said: "Some of our patients are still
experiencing severe delays, with one patient getting a new excuse from [the
supplier] every day."
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Doctor
Update 22 August 2006 |
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Hospital bosses reveal how £3bn will be spent. Hospital bosses have
revealed how £3 billion will be spent over the next 37 years. The sum will
be paid to a consortium in return for a £711 million revamp of
Leicester General Hospital, Leicester Royal Infirmary and Glenfield
Hospital. Cleaners, domestic staff, cooks and porters will also be covered
by the total price tag. The private finance initiative (PFI) has proved
controversial as critics say the cost of repayments is too high. However,
hospital bosses say they had no choice but to sign the deal. Pauline Tagg,
acting chief executive of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said:
"Saying '£3 billion: That's the cost of rebuilding our hospitals' is
misleading. The cost of building Leicester's new hospitals is £711 million.
We don't have £711 million in the bank, neither does the Department of
Health, and we are not allowed to borrow money. If a hospital trust wants to
invest serious money in new places to take care of patients, PFI schemes are
the only option available. In short, it is invest via a PFI scheme or do
nothing."
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 24 August 2006 |
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Shortage of jobs
fuels fears for nursing. A third of newly qualified nurses from De
Montford University who have applied for
jobs in
Leicester's hospitals are yet to be offered posts. Union leaders fear
the problems will put off prospective nurses. In previous years, all
graduates in nursing from De Montfort were found jobs in the city's trust. Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 28 August 2006 |
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Wards and
jobs to go in NHS cuts. Sweeping cuts to NHS services are planned across
Leicester as the city tries to make savings of £22m. Eighty management
and clerical jobs at Leicester General Hospital, Leicester Royal Infirmary,
and Glenfield Hospital are at risk and mental health day hospitals at the
General and Glenfield are to close. Further cuts are expected as health
bosses have warned of an overspend in the millions of pounds unless urgent
action is taken. Union bosses believe that as many as 300 jobs will be lost,
though the trust strenuously denies this. Nick Holden, representative of the
Leicestershire health branch of Unison, said: "People who run clinics are
frontline staff. Losing positions like this will have a massive impact on
the quality of care." Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said: "The hospital's
trust is quite rightly seeking to give patients and the public even better
value."
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester Mercury 5 September 2006 |
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Debt-ridden
trusts halt IVF treatment. Infertile couples in
Northamptonshire are to be denied IVF treatment on the NHS by three
primary care trusts facing a £38m deficit. The three trusts, which will
merge into Northamptonshire PCT from next month, have suspended treatment
for all couples and are not expected to restart the service before April 1
next year at the earliest. When treatment resumes, patients will be rationed
to just one course of IVF - and only if they meet stringent criteria
governing their age, weight, sexuality and relationship history (no single
mothers or lesbian couples will be treated) which go way beyond
recommendations made by the government's rationing body, Nice. Nearly 100
couples are expected to be affected by the decision, with only women who are
already 39 - the upper age limit for treatment - or who will have their 39th
birthday by March 31 2007 still being allowed free treatment during this
period. The rationing is expected to save £155,000.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Guardian
13 September 2006 |
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Trust bosses: Bed
cuts could harm patients.
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust has admitted that plans to cut
£7.3m from this year's budget could lead to some
mental health patients being shipped out of the county, and put others
at increased risk of suicide. The proposals include the temporary closure of
an adult mental health ward and three day hospitals. Under questioning from
local councillors, trust chief executive Maggie Cork also admitted that
there was the "possibility we will need to make these proposals permanent."
She also assured that full consultation would be carried out if that were to
be the case. Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 26 September 2006 |
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The true scale of Britain's hospital superbug problems emerged today as a
leading hospital trust admitted that a 'hypervirulent' infection had claimed
the lives of at least 49 patients - and possibly as many as 78 people - in
the space of nine months. The superbug Clostridium difficile (C. difficile),
which can cause severe illness and death in patients who have undergone
surgery, appears to be at unprecedented levels. It has turned into a more
virulent strain, ironically as a result of antibiotics commonly prescribed
to fight other infections. The increase in cases is partly due to dirty
wards, but also to a shortage of beds. The bacterium has also become more
deadly because it has mutated genetically, becoming resistant to other
treatments. Three hospitals in
Leicester admitted yesterday that the bug is likely to have caused 28
patients' deaths and contributed to another 21 since the beginning of this
year. A further 29 suspicious cases have been referred to the coroner. One
of the affected hospitals lies in the constituency of the Health Secretary,
Patricia Hewitt, who has tried to prioritise infection control within the
NHS. It emerged last week that at least 20 patients are thought to have died
during an outbreak in Kent earlier this year as a resilient strain of C.
difficile spread across the country. The Healthcare Commission, the NHS's
independent inspection body, is to hold an inquiry into the outbreak at
Maidstone
Hospital, when 136 patients were diagnosed with the infection over a
three-month period. According to the commission, C. difficile is the major
infectious cause of diarrhoea acquired in UK hospitals. It can also lead to
fevers, severe inflammation and death in around 5 per cent of cases. More
than 51,000 patients in England were found to be carrying the infection last
year, with experts warning that it is now more of a danger than MRSA. The
use of detergents may also unwittingly have spread the infection. It is
thought the chemicals used on floors and equipment may encourage the
creation of bacterial spores that are much more resistant to attack. The
only answer appears to be steam-cleaning wards and immediate isolation of
infected patients, which will make it harder for hospitals to meet waiting
list targets. Jo Revill, health editor
Sunday October 1, 2006 The Observer |
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Referral centres
make lottery of GP decisions. GP referrals are increasingly being
subjected to significant interference from referral management centres, a
Pulse investigation has found. Evidence from almost 100 PCTs has found huge
variations in the way GP referrals are being handled, with some trusts using
the centres to cut up to 15 per cent of referrals. Of 93 PCTs responding to
a Pulse questionnaire, 36 had a referral management system of some sort in
place. Ten of the PCTs said their centre had a specific target to cut GP
referrals. Orthopaedics, dermatology and physiotherapy were the disciplines
where referral management was most prevalent. The most expensive centre,
dealing with orthopaedics for three PCTs in the West Midlands, cost £400,000
to set up. South
Leicestershire PCT reported that it was attempting to redirect 30 per
cent of musculoskeletal referrals away from acute hospitals. East Elmbridge
and Mid
Surrey PCT had a target to cut 15 per cent of all referrals. GPs in the
areas where the most intrusive centres were in place reported they were
holding back referrals, interfering with
patient choice and increasing
their workload.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Pulse 6 October 2006 |
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How referral
management is working.
South Leicestershire PCT:
o Musculoskeletal service
o GPSI, extended scope physios and podiatrist
o Set-up cost £2,000 a year
o Cost £100,000 a year but also treats patients
o 30 per cent of referrals redirected
o Net savings £50,000 a year
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Pulse 6 October 2006 |
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Top hospital face £5m cuts.
Leicester's hospital bosses are planning to cut back on beds, operating
theatres and staff training just a day after being rated among the best in
the country. They need to find another £5m worth of savings, despite
slashing the budget by £22m earlier this year in a bid to balance their
books. In a report to the hospitals' board, finance director Caroline Walker
said even with the savings identified they could still end the financial
year with deficits of between £16m and £37m if PCTs continue to cut back on
buying their services. Part of the cuts include a reduction in the PALS
service, which runs a network of volunteers who help patients. It will see
job cuts to save £100,000. Mr Smith said he would be watching to ensure the
service is not diminished. The main plans include closing three operating
theatres for six months and closing a catheter laboratory for six months.
The intensive care budget will be reduced by £300,000 to save on temporary
staff. There will be a clampdown on overtime and agency wages and a freeze
on all non essential recruitment. More than £1m will be saved by reducing
training and education programmes. Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury13 October 2006 |
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Psychiatric beds
to close. Cash-strapped mental health bosses are preparing to close 46
beds in psychiatric wards. The move would involve the permanent closure of
the 30-bed Herrick Ward at
Leicester General Hospital - shut temporarily in December last year - as
well as the loss of 16 beds at the hospital's Stanford Ward. Stanford Ward
would instead be used by people with eating disorders. The changes would
save about £1.2m per year overall, helping Leicestershire Partnership NHS
Trust reduce a predicted budget deficit of £3m by March. A 14-week public
consultation project has begun. Zuffar Haq, chairman of Leicester Patients
Forum, said patients would suffer.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Leicester Mercury 7 December 2006 |
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160 NHS jobs are
frozen. Over 160 NHS job vacancies in
Leicestershire have been frozen as part of Leicestershire's primary care
trusts' attempts to save millions of pounds. Leicester City PCT has frozen 48
jobs since last year, as has Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT, though
mainly in clerical and managerial areas. The "vacancy control" practise has
continued as the PCTs announced that they had to find £62m in savings. Bosses at
Leicestershire Partnership Trust have frozen 17 jobs as part of efforts to save
£7.3m and managers have said that staff cuts are necessary to make savings
across the NHS and would not affect patients. However unions and some patient
groups said that some frontline services, such as nursing, would be affected.
Although Leicester City Primary Care Trust is now hoping to fill eight of the
vacant posts, there are proposals to freeze about 40 further jobs, as a direct
result of the merger of the city's PCTs into one body. These plans could see
further savings of £2 million. A spokesperson for Leicestershire County and
Rutland PCT said that it was not clear how many more vacancies would be frozen
but none would include clinical staff. A statement from the University Hospitals
of Leicester NHS Trust, which manages Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield and
General hospitals, said: "We're currently only filling posts that are absolutely
necessary to ensure patient safety, but when the new financial year starts in
April we expect our normal recruitment policy to begin again." While most
patient groups were concerned by falling staff levels, they were encouraged that
the freezes would in most cases not affect clinical vacancies. However, Kate
McGregor, Unison representative at Leicester City PCT, said reductions in admin
posts could put increased pressure on nurses and health visitors and affect
patients. She said: "There are clinical managers who are in charge of nurses and
health visitors. What happens if there are not enough people to manage the staff
?"
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester Mercury 18 December 2006 |
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Save Our NHS.
People United Saving Hospitals, the campaign started by
Nuneaton woman, Vanessa Casey, held a torchlit protest in the town last
night. Chanting "no ifs no buts, no hospital cuts", the protesters marched
from the Griff and Coton Social Club in Heath End Road to Nuneaton Town Hall
to protest against proposed cuts to services at George Elliot Hospital.
Under the plans, Nuneaton will lose its baby care unit and some children's
services. Emergency out-of-hours operations will also be transferred to
University Hospital in Walsgrave. Miss Casey, of Bucks Hill, said: "We need
to keep our maternity, the special care baby unit and children's services at
the hospital. I feel that years ago people fought for the things we've got
and today if we don't fight for things at the hospital what are our children
and grandchildren going to have ?"
The rally was one of many held nationally in places such as
Kendal,
Chichester,
Hinckley, Coventry and Redditch to form a united front. In
London, marches
sang carols at the gates of the Department of Health.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public
of Coventry Evening Telegraph 19 December 2006 |
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Mental health
patients moved. 22
mental health patients are being moved, following the closure of three
wards as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust has taken the action to reduce its
£1.98m deficit by the end of March. Langley Ward and Belvoir Unit at
Glenfield Hospital, plus the nine-bed Grasmere Unit at Rowlatts Hill will
all be shut temporarily to save £300,000. The decision has been condemned by
campaigners who say that patients should not yet again be bearing the brunt
of the NHS financial crisis. Zuffar Haq, chair of the Leciester Patients'
Group, said: "This is terrible news for patients. Closing wards is a drastic
measure and dramatically affects patients. I know the NHS is in financial
crisis but patients always bear the brunt of cuts."
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 4 January 2007 |
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Wards close on
Hewitt's doorstep.
Leicestershire Primary Care Trust has been forced to close two
mental health wards in Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt's constituency
due to a deficit of just under £2m. The move, described as temporary,
represents a 23% reduction in the beds used for assessing and treating
elderly patients with dementia.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Times
8 January 2007 |
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Mental health
care cutbacks debated.
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust is to run public meetings on
controversial plans to shut hospital beds for adults with mental health
problems. The plans - to shut the 30-bed Herrick Ward at Leicester's General
Hospital and close 16 beds on Stanford Ward - are designed to save £1.2m a
year. The Trust said: "If these savings are not achieved through the
proposal, it would be necessary to achieve equivalent savings through
changes in some other parts of the trust's services." However critics have
accused managers of making cuts at the expense of those with mental health
problems. The first public meetings will be held in the Brandon Unit, at the
General Hospital, at 6pm on January 30. The second will be in Loughborough
on February 5. Consultation ends on March 9 and a decision will be taken by
the trust board on March 22.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 23 January 2007 |
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Health boss
in pledge on patient care. Radical plans to treat more people near home
rather than in hospital have been welcomed by watchdogs.
Leicester City Council's health scrutiny committee wanted reassurance
that the quality of patient care would not be compromised as trust bosses
battled to balance their books. However, Tim Rideout, chief executive of
Leicester City Primary Care Trust (PCT), which is facing an £11m deficit,
vowed that the bulk of new NHS funding would be used to improve patient care
and not to pay off debt.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 29 January 2007 |
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Cash help for
health trust. Councillors have agreed to
help out a struggling health trust with its finances.
Leicester City Council is going to give the city primary care trust more
than £1 million in return for services in the future. The primary care trust
is currently expecting a deficit of £10.9 million at the end of this
financial year. There have been assurances there will be no cost to the
council or the tax-payer as a result of the arrangement. Cabinet member for
finance, Councillor Peter Coley, said: "If we were not to do this, it could
lead to cuts in health services across the city. There is no good reason not
to go ahead with this."
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 29 January 2007 |
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Hospitals cut
200 beds in savings. The three main hospitals in
Leicester are to close up to eight wards and cut 900 jobs over two years
to make savings of £90m, bosses have announced. The chief executive of
University Hospitals of Leicester Trust said cuts would mainly affect office
staff, but 200 compulsory job cuts were expected. Peter Reading said the
cuts would see more services moved into the community. But union officials
said strike action could be a possibility as future care proposals had not
been made clear. "The primary care trust during the course of this year has
cut staffing numbers," said Nick Holden from workers' union Unison. "There
are no announcements from the primary care trusts in Leicestershire about
additional resources, additional staff or additional services over the next
two years". Peter Reading, UHL's chief executive, said savings were
necessary to tackle a predicted deficit of £32m across health organisations
in Leicestershire and further savings beyond this figure were required. The
trust runs Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital and
Glenfield Hospital. Wholesale closure of wards would take place.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of BBC
Online 7 February 2007 |
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Government blamed
as hospitals shed staff.
Leicestershire's Tory MPs have blamed the government for cuts hitting
the county's hospitals, accusing them of wasting investment on a decade of
organisational change. Yesterday it was announced that 900 jobs and 200 beds
are to be lost at the University of Leicester NHS Trust over the next two
years. Edward Garnier, Conservative MP for Harborough, said: "There are good
scientific and medical reasons for wanting to have people treated closer to
home and we have to get them through hospital quickly and safely. These good
reasons have been overshadowed by the appalling management by this
Government." His colleagues echoed support for trust staff and continued to
blame central control for the health service's ills. Patricia Hewitt, Health
Secretary and Leicester West MP, defended changes arguing that they were not
"financially driven" and expressed delight at the progress in modernisation.
She also attributed the lack of a health crisis - such as a pandemic - in
the last few years to the work of the NHS. A spokeswoman for the Department
of Health also defended the changes. "We have always said there will be a
number of redundancies with the new health service. The majority of these
are going to be management and 'back room' staff, not clinical staff," she
said.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 8 February 2007 |
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600 more NHS jobs
could go. Health bosses are to cut up to 600 more hospital jobs over the
next five years. The news comes just days after staff were told 900 posts
were to go and 200 beds would be lost by 2009. Now, the University Hospitals
of
Leicester Trust (UHL) says 100 to 200 full-time jobs a year could be at
risk between 2009 and 2012 as part of a £90m savings package. The move has
been condemned by union representatives, who say they have been kept in the
dark about any cuts beyond the next two years. Trust bosses said the plans
are part of "further efficiency related reductions" rather than job losses.
David Morgan, chairman of Staff Side, which represents 10 accredited unions
at Leicester's hospitals, said: "It's news to us. Efficiencies will mean job
cuts. Once it is said they could happen there is a 50/
50 chance they will. We realise the trust is having to cut its cloth
to fit plans put forward by primary care trusts. We are massively
disappointed at the number of job losses announced earlier this week. We had
no idea that the trust was planning further ahead than 2009." Staff Side has
called on the trust board to throw out the plans to axe 900 jobs and cut 200
beds. A UHL spokeswoman said the staff reductions reflected the "annual
national efficiency requirement" on NHS trusts. She said: "The numbers are
based on the fact we will treat fewer patients and employ fewer staff after
2007." The latest round of cuts are contained in a business plan approved by
the trust board. The plan, which will be submitted as part of its foundation
trust application next week, sets out the trust's business plan for the next
10 years. Angus Maitland, the trust's operations director, outlined the
predicted drop in patient numbers at Leicester's hospitals as care moved
closer to home. Mr Maitland said the trust was also looking to work more
efficiently so that people did not have to stay in hospital so long. Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 9 February 2007 |
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Government blamed
as hospitals shed staff.
Leicestershire's Tory MPs today blamed Government mishandling of the NHS
for the swathe of cuts hitting Leicester's hospitals. They say money pumped
into the county's health services has been wasted on a decade of
organisational change. Health Secretary - and Leicester West MP - Patricia
Hewitt said the changes were not "financially driven" but the result of
listening to patients and staff. She said she realised the difficult time
facing staff but was delighted at the progress in modernising services.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 9 February 2007 |
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Job losses won't
affect patient care - claim. Health bosses pledged that patient care
will not be affected by huge job losses and bed closures at
Leicester's three hospitals. There was cold comfort for staff facing
redundancy, as primary care trust bosses said it was unlikely they would
create many vacancies. It follows University Hospitals of Leicester's
announcement it is to cut 900 jobs and close 200 beds over the next two
years. Primary care trust chiefs said although they would be spending less
at the hospitals, patients would have good care closer to home. This will be
provided at community hospitals, GP surgeries and by community health teams.
Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary Care Trust (PCT) will be spending
£20m less on emergency care at UHL this year. Instead, care will be provided
through its out of hours service and schemes like its "clinical navigator"
which helps prevent emergency hospital admissions by finding alternative
care in the community. Leicester City PCT will spend about £8m, but it
intends to spend £14m less with UHL by providing services elsewhere for its
patients. Catherine Griffiths, chief executive of the Leicestershire County
and Rutland Primary Care Trust (PCT), said there would be few vacancies at
the PCT as four organisations were still being merged into one. Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 9 February 2007 |
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City hospitals
are 'too good'.
Derby's hospitals are treating patients so quickly that its neighbour,
Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary Care Trust, has asked them to
slow down because it can't afford to pay for the number of patients it
refers to them. The trust stopped referring patients in January but will
resume referrals in March as it won't have to pay for such procedures until
the new financial year in April. The trust has now asked the hospital to
meet government targets instead of exceeding them. The trust's spokeswoman
said: "Some hospitals such as Derby are able to offer waits shorter than
national waiting times but we do not have the resources to fund these. We
have therefore asked the hospital to match waiting times to the national
targets for non-urgent treatment as planned at the beginning of the year.
Referrals to Derby have temporarily been removed from the system to ensure
that all of our patients experience similar waiting times." A spokeswoman
for Derby Hospitals Trust said in response to the request: "No decision
about the action to be taken has been made." Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Derbyshire
Evening Telegraph 22 February 2007 |
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Unions prepare backlash over planned health cuts. Hundreds of staff
at
Leicester's three hospitals have signed a petition against cuts over
plans to cut thousands of jobs and close 200 beds. Unions want the plans,
which are aimed at shifting care towards the community, to be shelved.
Unison branch chairman Nick Holden said: "We are very concerned the cuts
will happen and the new community services will not materialise - the same
thing happened about 20 years ago. This is not just about the 900 jobs over
the next few years, but the continuing reductions of about 100 jobs a year
for the next 10 years." A trust spokesperson said: "We will treat 56,000
fewer patients in hospital over the next three years, meaning we will need
fewer beds and therefore fewer staff. In addition, clinical and
technological advances have made us more efficient, which further reduces
the number of staff we need." Unison is also taking its protest to Health
Secretary and Leicester West MP Patricia Hewitt.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 22 February 2007 |
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NHS protesters
confront Hewitt. Union officials came face-to-face with the Health
Secretary during a day of protest against cuts to hospital jobs and
services. Health Minister and Leicester West MP Patricia Hewitt met a
six-strong delegation opposing the loss of 1,500 jobs at
Leicestershire hospitals. A protest was held outside the MP's city
office in Woodgate, Leicester as part of a day of action against cuts and
privatisation by Unison and the Royal College of Nursing. Mandy Marsden,
Unison branch secretary for Leicestershire, said the effect of cuts in the
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust would "be huge". Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 5 March 2007 |
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5 |
NHS staff in
protest. Hospital staff are lobbying health chiefs to halt plans to
close 200 beds and cut 900 jobs over the next two years. They plan to
present a 1,000-signature petition to the chief executive of University
Hospitals of
Leicestershire NHS Trust in what protesters say is just the start of the
campaign. The trust has justified the cuts, saying they are needed as
services are reconfigured towards more care in people's homes. However staff
fear the cuts will happen before provision in the community materialises.
Nurse Kate Ahrens, local branch communications officer for union Unison,
said: "Staff are concerned they will not be able to provide the quality of
care if beds are closed and staff numbers further reduced."
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 8 March 2007 |
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Worried workers
join NHS protest. Hospital staff are stepping up their protests over job
cuts and bed closures. Dozens of staff gave up their lunch hour to picket
the headquarters of the University Hospitals of
Leicester NHS Trust board. Then union officials made an impassioned plea
to health chiefs at their board meeting to rethink plans to close 200 beds
and axe 900 jobs over the next two years. A 2,000-signature petition was
also handed to trust chairman Martin Hindle. The trust says it is having to
make cuts as services are moved out of hospitals and closer to people's
homes. Staff who joined the protests said they feared hospital services
would disappear before adequate alternatives were provided in the community.
They were also worried about the future of their own jobs and said pressure
was already being piled on as they were expected to take on more work.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 9 March 2007 |
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5 |
Mental health
wards are to remain closed to save money. Two mental health wards, which
provide beds for 46 patients, are to be closed permanently by NHS bosses.
Despite coming under fire for putting cash before care of its patients, the
Leicestershire Partnership Trust says it cannot justify keeping them
open. Herrick and Stanford wards at Leicester General Hospital were first
closed in December 2005 to save money. Now, the trust says it can cope with
demand by moving patients elsewhere, and staff who worked on the wards have
been moved to other areas, so they should remain closed. Bosses say they are
also expanding community services and the eating disorder service. Experts
say the decision has already meant beds for people with drug and alcohol
problems are being used for adult mental health patients. Rod Darby, the
trust's clinical director of drug and alcohol services says the closure has
directly affected his patients. Staff union representatives say "these
proposals appear to be driven by financial expediency rather than clinical
need." Patients, mental health support groups and staff are also speaking
out to condemn the move. In an impassioned plea to the trust, one carer said
she has had to turn to private care for her husband.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 23 March 2007 |
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Community care to
save NHS cash. Health bosses are set to consider new plans for providing
care in the community instead of in hospitals. The
Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary Care Trust Board will hear new
ideas for giving people more care in their own homes, local health centres
and GPs' surgeries. The changes have been prompted by new Government
policies and have sparked alarm from some groups, such as the Leicestershire
branch of the Keep Our NHS Public group, which does not think there is
enough consultation.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 3 April 2007 |
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Protesters picket
hospital over plan to cut 200 beds. A protest group including patients
and nurses held a demonstration against hospital bed closures. More than 20
members of Keep Our NHS Public protested outside Glenfield Hospital. The
group wants the University Hospitals of
Leicester NHS Trust to scrap plans to cut 900 jobs and close 200 beds
over the next two years. The trust says patients will be cared for either in
or nearer their homes at community locations, rather than in the county's
main hospitals. But the protestors want to see the alternatives in action
before the bed closures begin. Sally Ruane of the Leicestershire branch of
Keep Our NHS Public said: "There are a number of things that we are unhappy
about and one of them is the closure of these beds without putting in place
high quality replacement services in the community. Another concern is that
the trust is not communicating the issues properly to the public. There
ought to be proper consultation." The campaign is made up of hospital
patients, other members of the public and NHS staff, including both
community and hospital nurses. Earlier this month dozens of NHS staff gave
up their lunch hour to picket the headquarters of the University Hospitals
of Leicester NHS Trust board.
Summary by
Keep our NHS Public of Leicester
Mercury 3 April 2007 |
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Taking the private pennies - without the public grief. Private work done
in NHS hospitals brings in around £400m a year, which can be used to support
NHS work. For those hospitals that do a lot of private work it is an
important source of income which can help support specialist clinical teams.
In the last 10 years Labour has done remarkably little to touch this sector;
the only exception being
foundation trusts, which have their private income capped. Income has
stagnated over the last couple of years - it may even have declined a little
in 2006-07 - mainly because the self-pay sector of the private market has
been weak. But as NHS finances tighten some trusts may be looking towards
expanding their private work. NHS Confederation policy director Nigel
Edwards feels there is interest in increasing private work but there are
many factors limiting development - the foundation trust cap; the weak
private market; and reduced prices charged by some private hospitals. But
some trusts have increased their private work.
Swindon and Marlborough trust, for example, increased the size of its
private wing two years ago and has been keen to market it more widely and
further develop services. 'We are a real success story,' says finance
director Charlotte Moar. 'We have doubled our turnover in the last two
years.' Addenbrooke's in
Cambridge has also expressed an interest in increasing private work,
including IVF services.
London's Royal
Free Hampstead trust chief executive Andrew Way says the trust is interested
in increasing its private tertiary work - the sort of specialist work which
draws in patients from overseas. He describes the hospital's private work as
'a business within a business - There is an opportunity for England plc and
its health service to compete in the international healthcare market. We are
competing with the US, Italy and Germany. We are actively marketing these
services.' Over the last year, at least two trusts have run into trouble
with the Department of Health for promoting private work. Hammersmith
Hospitals trust was forced to withdraw a scheme offering low-risk pregnant
women one-to-one care with a midwife. Women and their partners could pay
£4,000 for round-the-clock contact with the midwife; women at higher risk of
complications were given the same contact, although not with a specified
midwife, free of charge. But the scheme was criticised by the Commons health
select committee, which said it 'provides cut-price private care within an
NHS hospital. That is unacceptable.' More recently,
Northampton General Hospital trust chief executive Andrew Riley wrote to
local GPs pointing out the hospital would perform various operations
for a fee, if patients did not want to wait
until the PCT would pay for it. Cash-strapped Northampton teaching primary
care trust had stopped paying for some minor procedures and had introduced a
minimum wait of four-and-a-half months for other routine surgery, pushing it
into the next financial year. Mr Riley told a local paper that wards might
have to be closed if the work was not forthcoming. However, the letter was
withdrawn under pressure from NHS East Midlands. So are there hidden rules
here ? Cynics would say the main
one is to do whatever private work you like - but do not get it into the
papers and do not link it to financial problems in the
NHS. If the hospital had a well-established private practice and less
obvious marketing, it would probably had got away with it. Certainly,
quicker treatment is on offer, even if hospitals are coy about putting it
that directly: websites tend to refer to 'the convenience of choosing the
timing of your treatment' and 'prompt access' rather than 'pay to jump the
queue'. What hospitals can offer without much criticism is areas that the
NHS has withdrawn from. The health select committee also looked at a
dermatology clinic in
Harrogate, which offered procedures which the NHS in the area would not
fund. It escaped without much criticism. But some years ago a number of
hospitals were forced to stop charging for some antenatal classes because
they were viewed to be normal NHS provision. The private arm of
Oxford
Radcliffe Hospitals trust even offers NHS staff 10 per cent off cosmetic
surgery. Another area would be the enhanced services the NHS is never going
to offer. For example, at least one hospital will provide a DVD of your
unborn child, at a cost of £200. The scan to produce this is carried out by
foetal medicine consultants in the early evening. You can also have your
unborn child's sex determined and have additional scans. Hospitals that do
private work say the profit is used to support NHS work. But it is not just
about profits being used to improve NHS patient care. Private work has to be
done in a way which does not compromise care for NHS patients. The DoH
guidance is quite clear that services for private patients 'should not
prejudice the interests of NHS patients'. Many trusts will put on separate
operating lists for private patients, although in some cases they will be
added on to an NHS list - or, allegedly, even put at the start of a list
(which makes it less likely their operation will be cancelled). One of the
concessions to outraged Labour backbenchers when foundation trusts were set
up was over private work. Foundation trusts are capped at the percentage of
income earned from private work in the year ending March 2003: this was to
prevent them developing into private hospitals which do a bit of NHS work on
the side. Some trusts have been exploring ways of getting round the cap.
Ways which have been looked at include setting up a third-party organisation
to do the work, which would then channel profits back into the trust; and
'outsourcing' private practice and charging an inflated amount for the
space, operating theatres and other facilities used for this work. Both of
these methods have problems. The third-party organisation would need to be
entirely separate from the main trust. If the trust appeared to control it,
then there is a risk it would have to be consolidated into the trust's
accounts. The 'rent' model could incur VAT. In extreme cases the cap is even
affecting trusts' willingness to press ahead with foundation applications.
Great Ormond Street Hospital trust has recently delayed its application, in
part because of this. The trust has built a new wing with facilities | |