We have held several meetings to consider this document and its implications for High Wycombe residents as well as the Bucks population as a whole. These meetings have been open to all Liberal Democrat Councillors and Liberal Democrat members. In addition as an active community organisation we have drawn on the experience of members, friends and relatives who have had recent experience of using NHS Health care services in Buckinghamshire. The Liberal Democrats have been represented on the local Save our Hospital Services Group and we have attended local meetings and read a wide variety of documents. We understand the consultation to be pertaining to preferred option 3. Despite local publicity to the contrary we anticipate that the voice of the public will be considered alongside that of NHS managers and clinicians as pledged on page 4 of the consultation document.
We welcome the following:
- We welcome the proposed specialist breast care unit at Wycombe hospital
- Option B for vascular services although we want further detail of the rationale for the 3 year review
- The new multi disciplinary assessment service for frail or elderly patients although we would like this to be combined with the step down unit and a new preventative unit to create a centre of excellence for older people
- The provision of new emergency care accommodation in the modern part of Wycombe hospital, however we wish this to remain open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.
- We welcome your transparency about access and transport problems on page 36 of the consultation document
- Innovative services described in the document such as IV antibiotics at home and the acute stroke unit. However, we have ongoing concerns about hospital infection rates and the lack of nursing home places for stroke victims particularly for younger patients who are finding their permanent home is among elderly dementia patients
The Consultation Process
We have concerns about the consultation process as listed below:
- Purpose of consultation appears to have been misunderstood
- Voluntary sector and hard to reach groups appear not to have been consulted effectively
- Consultation was held at a time of unusually rapid and far reaching political change
- Lack of detail in the consultation document about the impact on vulnerable groups
- The basis on which financial and staffing issues are predicated in the document appear to be open to challenge. For example a report by the Centre for Workforce Intelligence commissioned by the Department of Health predicts that there will be 20,000 doctors too many in the NHS by the end of the decade (2012). Wycombe Liberal Democrats have not had sight of the financial business case which was essential to underpin option 3 in the consultation document. We request sight of this financial paper.
- Learning Disability, Mental Health, Dentistry, physical health of the homeless are areas that are not integrated into the consultation. There is no linkage with contemporary policies like No Health without Mental Health (2011) and so lacks a holistic approach. The physical health of people with learning disability is a national and local priority and this is not mentioned at all.
This is a summary of our response. Our full response is available by emailing Ian Morton at ian.morton@wycombelibdems. org.uk
