More consultation needed over changes to Cheltenham A&E
MORE needs to be done to get input from residents over the plans to close Cheltenham's A&E to major emergencies at night, county councillors have demanded.
They have warned that the current proposals, put forward by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, have caused panic among patients.
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Cheltenham Accident and Emergency
A formal consultation on the shake-up was started by the trust on February 1.
Councillor Gordon Shurmer (C, Ashchurch, Cleeve and Oxenton Hill) said: "I'm struggling to see the case for moving it to Gloucester instead of Cheltenham."
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The trust wants ambulances to take all emergency patients to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital between 8pm and 8am.
Other services will be changed to help GRH cope with the extra patients.
On average Cheltenham deals with 16 emergency cases from 8pm to 8am. Gloucester deals with 24.
Councillors admitted they were surprised by numbers given by the trust given Cheltenham's reputation for its active nightlife.
Councillor Charmian Ruth Sheppard (LD, St Mark's, St Paul's and St Peter's) said: "It would be useful to have a deeper breakdown of those numbers."
Concerns were also raised about how it would impact the ambulance service and people getting home from hospital.
But Dr Sally Pearson, director of clinical strategy at the trust, said: "It's not the responsibility of the health service to sort out transport for people to go home."
She insisted Cheltenham A&E was not going to be closed or turned into a minor injury unit.
The trust said the changes were being introduced to counter a shortage of doctors, leading to a lack of cover for both emergency departments.
There were also concerns that trainee doctors were not being properly supervised.
Severn Deanery, which oversees the training of doctors in the area, had warned trainee doctors would be sent elsewhere if the issue was not resolved.
Ambulance Service executive officer executive Neil le Chavalier said it was not objecting to the proposals but did have 'concerns'. The two hospitals are about nine miles apart and he said taking more patients to Gloucester would increase their mileage and costs.
Have your say at www.nhsglos.nhs.uk
7 Comments
by nomossystone
Sunday, February 10 2013, 6:32PM
“Remembering the treatment I received at Gloucester hospital some years back as a day patient, I blush at the thought, lack of privacy was a very disturbing factor, I also came away with the aroma of fly spray lingering on my clothing due to a cleaning cloth soaked in this susbtance, the smell of which nearly choked me, the offending cloth had been tucked into a radiator of the cubicle I changed in.
Every patient should be given details each time they attend either the Gloucester hospital or Cheltenham -- or ANY hospital, of the person to whom they can register a complaint, having had three bad experiences with hospital stays, one always hopes for the best treatment , I have not reported any of these incidents yet because I was uncertain to whom I should contact, and as time wore on I put it to the back of my mind.
I had complained about a further incident which was not at either hospital, this complaint went straight to the PCT, the reply was very vague and insubstantial, and seemed to be loaded against me -- the patient.
Regarding sending people to A&E from Cheltenham to Gloucester, this is a disgrace, and the powers that be in Cheltenham General need to get to grips with the problem before they find they have deaths on their hands!”
by Quasi2010
Sunday, February 10 2013, 3:18PM
“TheNub has some very valid points about the gradual closure and moving of departments to Gloucester Royal. Is there a long term plan to gradually shut down and relocate the entire hospital to Gloucester and free up the Cheltenham site for redevelopment?”
by TheNub
Sunday, February 10 2013, 12:35PM
“why was a purpose built unit like the maternity unit at cgh moved to glos royal why was a purpose built stroke unit at cgh moved to grh why will the a and e unit at cgh be moved to grh because you have a board of directors led a by frank who have not got a clue how to do the job they are paid to do .its time frank and the board were ousted give the staff a chance to air there views .i know if it went to a vote of no confidence .im very confident it would be %100 thumbs down”
by Coingrass
Saturday, February 09 2013, 9:14PM
“The Trust isn't saying that Cheltenham doesn't need a full-time A&E - it's saying that in spite of its best efforts it simply cannot find the staff to fully maintain one. However, if other Trusts are not having similar difficulties then the Trust needs to explain why it is failing where others are succeeding.”
by gruesome
Saturday, February 09 2013, 11:42AM
“Hope they send some staff over otherwise all the people being seen regardless of where they live will be in a very long queue.”
by Quasi2010
Saturday, February 09 2013, 10:31AM
“People may argue that its only 9 or 10 miles further to Gloucester, but if you have had to come from one of the many remote villages in the Cotswolds those few miles could prove fatal. I find it amazing that the powers that be could even consider that a town the size of Cheltenham, and its surrounding catchment area, does not need a full time casualty department. It would mean some 250,000 people would be relying on one department.”
by paul813
Saturday, February 09 2013, 9:24AM
“they need to ask the opinion of the people of cheltenham it is those people that it will effect, i for one think its wrong !!some people do not drive or cant afford a taxi or the parking charges thats no good to the patient , a lot more people weill just say sod it i would make my way to chelt gen but if its go to be glos royal ill call a ambulance . you best buy buy another fleet of ambulances , this is not saving money its just plain STUPID”