Group report for 3 April 2009
Since our Mtg on 14 February 09 the shambles re signing the PFI deal for the New Build Hospital at Kirkcaldy goes on. A deadline of 28 February 09 to sign up was missed for the 6th time. At a Mtg of Hospital Board on Wed 18 March 09 the Chair stated that the deal would be signed by Friday 20 March 09,however, since then no statement has been made by NHS Fife to the media or on its website to confirm this fact. The Board had claimed that although not signed an Advance Work Agreement had been made with Consort Health Care to start work on the project allowing it to finish as per schedule at the end of 2011. From looking at site after 4 months a tower crane has been built and fencing put round the site. We feel this must put NHS Fife at a disadvantage when finally trying to agree the terms. More concerning was a Report on BBC Newnight Scotland when talking about the Forth Road Bridge funding that the Westminster Government was now bailing out PFI companies who could not raise the funds. It then cited that the Victoria Project in Kirkcaldy was one of them. Neither NHS Fife nor Consort Health Care would comment on this fact when approached by the local paper. This would not surprise us as further delays to the Project would be an embarrassment to one Gordon Brown who is the Kirkcaldy MP. Re single room beds in new builds NHS Fife claims 50% for the new Victoria citing the fact that the contract was agreed prior to Nicola Sturgeon's announcement. I have since found out that the new Forth Valley Hospital which originally claimed 50% of single bedded rooms is now telling the local community it will be 75%. This Hospital is over 50% built which makes Fife's claims look silly. John Winton Local Health Concern
Group Report for AGM Feb 2009
LHC REPORT FOR SHCN MEETING ON 14 FEBRUARY 2009
Since last Meeting LHC has met with Scottish Health Council (Fife) and Chair of NHS Fife to discuss lack of public engagement re changes at Queen Margaret Hospital. Whilst the discussions were cordial we still wait for real evidence of public engagement.
The final signing of Contract for the new PFI build at Kirkcaldy has been put back yet again from mid-January to 28 February 09. This is the fifth time in 12 months the signing has been postponed. It is all to do with financial arrangements in the current climate. There are obvious worries that the financial settlement will impinge on Fife's budgets affecting all non-PFI arrangements including Queen Margaret.
...............................
John Winton
Chair LHC West Fife
Group Report for SHCN meeting 11 Oct 2008
REPORT FROM LOCAL HEALTH CONCERN FOR SHCN MEETING ON 11 OCTOBER 2008 Things are fairly quiet in Fife just now. There have been further delays to signing the PFI deal for the New Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. As such getting schedules for all work associated with Fife's changes is proving difficult. Following Nicola Sturgeon's comments at Annual Review re engaging with the public we now see possible signs of movement from NHS Fife, however, time will tell. On that basis and following promises of meetings with Local Health Council and NHS Fife I will obviously delay any further comments on Queen Margaret Hospital Services in our Meetings with the Health Minister. Worryingly following the C-diff problems at Vale of Leven and Paisley we have now had two instances of enforced ward closures at Queen Margaret in as many weeks. It is obvious some sort of National strategy is required. ................................. John WintonLocal Health Concern
Group Report 10 May 2008
REPORT FROM LHC FOR MEETING ON 10 MAY 2008
Little to report this month other than NHS Fife have now admitted that financial close for PFI contract which should have completed Dec 07 is now forecast up to Oct 08 meaning further delays.
Attempts to get a full Schedule of activities for PFI Build and subsequent non-PFI modifications at Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline have been put on hold by Board until Contract is signed.
Fife is due its Annual Review mid-June. At Board Mtg end of April the target figures to be presented to the Minister were discussed . The delayed discharge figures which have been classed as impossible to meet for the last year have miraculously been met. I wonder if the figures next reported after the Review will still meet the target.
John Winton Local Health Concern
Group Report for 1 March 2008
LOCAL HEALTH CONCERN REPORT FOR SHCN MEETING ON 1 MARCH 2008 Since January Meeting LHC has following the Ayrshire and Lanarkshire decisions publically called for an Independent Review of NHS Fife Centralisation Proposals. This attracted local media publicity and an element of public support but with one exception an eerie silence from local Politicians of all Parties. Following LHC's Meetings with the Health Minister last Autumn we wrote to the Chair of NHS Fife informing him of the extra facilities asked for at Queen Margaret Hospital. The reply was disappointing in the extreme where the Chair merely reiterated the 5 year old NHS Fife Plan and did not even comment on the public engagement insisted on by the Health Secretary at NHS Fife's Review. Copies of letter and reply have been sent to Nicola Sturgeon. On the new PFI Build front at Kirkcaldy we are now told the final contract with Consort Health Care is unlikely to be signed until mid-Summer. This represents a further 6 month delay and rumours still abound that contractural problems are being encountered. In general information on progress has virtually dried up. The Queen Margaret Re-Configuration Group Meetings have now been cancelled for the third time in a row. We gather this is due to complete lack of guidance or decision making by the Board of NHS Fife.
LocalHealth Concern Report for 19 Jan 2008
LOCAL HEALTH CONCERN REPORT FOR SHCN MEETING ON 19 JANUARY 2008 Since September Report LHC has secured 2 Meetings with Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon, one hosted by SNP West Fife Councillors and one by Lib Dem MSP for Dunfermline. On both occasions we asked for the same extra facilities at QMH - extended Elective Surgery (beyond 24 hours), enhanced Minor Injuries Unit and guarantee that all West Fife Day Treatment, Consultations and Clinics be made available locally. The Secretary was supportive but gave no promises - she did however insist NHS Fife liaise with the West Fife public. On transport as part of Fife Bus Service Changes we now have a direct express link from centre of Dunfermline to Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy. Stagecoach had introduced service at the end of October - unfortunately NHS Fife were totally unaware of those changes. So much for working in liaison. The new PFI Contract to build the Kirkcaldy extension is still not signed (slipped from November 07) with no indication when but rumours suggest problems between NHS Fife and Consort Healthcare - following publication of Edinburgh Royal Contract with Consort - coincidence? However full planning permission now granted for Kirkcaldy extension with Fife Council now getting £1m from NHS Fife to part fund dual carriageway on road quarter of a mile from site - partnership or robbing Peter to pay Paul? The PFI deal for the new St Andrew's D & T C now signed, somewhat more expensive than previously indicated. LHC have responded to Consultations on "Better Health Better Care" and Independent Scrutiny Panels for major service change.
LOCAL HEALTH CONCERN REPORT FOR SHCN MEETING ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2007
LOCAL HEALTH CONCERN REPORT FOR SHCN MEETING ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2007
On 13 August 07 following NHS Fife Review Local Campaigners met with Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon re the situation of Queen Margaret Hospital Dunfermline. This Meeting had been arranged through the local SNP Candidates and Officials. Whilst Ms Sturgeon as expected would not reverse the Right for Fife decision at this late stage she did take on board some of our requests to enhance the facilities currently planned at the Hospital. This included extending Day Surgery to more extensive Elective Surgery, enhancing the cover at the proposed Minor Injuries Unit and forcing through initiatives on transport to hospitals which has become completely bogged down. We now wait to see what pressure can be put on NHS Fife to improve the facilities. In general she seemed supportive.
Towards Christmas NHS Fife is expected to sign a PFI deal on major new builds at Kirkcaldy and St Andrews worth some £150m. At last Board Mtg the Financial Director gave warning that these new Schemes could lead to massive deficits and proposed a cost cutting exercise to negate this problem.
Over the last 3 years NHS Fife have shown a surplus (mainly on capital) of £5m. It is projected that by 2012 (when the PFI is expected to kick in) Fife will be running a deficit of £10.5m. To get round this cuts of £2.6m per year starting next April are proposed. We don't know where the cuts will come but it causes concern for the even limited amount of money to be spent at QMH turning it to a Diagnostic & Treatment Centre. I think that says it all about PFI.
For those interested in the privately run Treatment Centre at Strathcatho I recently sent a Press Cutting stating worries that due to patients refusal to go would lead to the private firm being paid for nothing. At last Board Mtg it emerged that in Fife some 75% of those patients eligible for treatment have turned down their operations (mostly orthopaedic) at Strathcatho. As such, the Board has introduced providing transport for patients attending and hotel type facilities for relatives at hospital with a follow up veiled threat to pull those who refuse to attend off the Waiting List. It is thought that Tayside and Grampian are having similar problems. We did get a shock last week when hearing that Fife patients were being offered vasectomies at Strathcatho (which was never discussed or even announced to people in Fife).
Letter to Health Minister re MIU 28 July 2007
Printed on Question List on day but due to position on List was not dealt with as such. I await a written reply.
John Winton
Local Health Concern
28 July 2007
Scottish Health Council
Fife Office
Dear Sirs
NHS FIFE REVIEW BY HEALTH MINISTER ON 13 AUGUST 07
I would like the following question to be put to the Health Minister as one of the public questions.
MINOR INJURY UNITS:
In the case of self attenders at above Units, some Units are adjacent to A & E trauma facilities and some are at a remote site. Prior to deciding to establish a Minor Injury Unit at Queen Margaret Hospital I assume some investigation of statistics was carried out. Can you give me the percentage of self attenders who subsequently had to be transferred to the Trauma Unit in A & E be it on the same site or on a remote site?
There must be evidence from Minor Injury Units in Scotland & England to produce these figures.
Yours faithfully
John Winton
Fife Annual Review 13 August 2007
Fife annual review held on monday 13th-----Nicola Sturgeon is much sharper than Kerr was, that came through quite clearly As we feared however she refused to overturn the Fife centralisation decision stating it was too far down the line which I fear will also be Glasgows fate However after the event she met with a group of our campaigners privately at which we put forward ideas for increasing planned services at Queen Margaret She seemed quite supportive ---so we keep on battling away as should you for any additions you see possible Watch the Q&A sessions at the end. The Health council scrutinises the questions and puts them in order with the later ones only being answered by post. In Fife the Local Health Council blatently put all the awkward ones towards the end--that way the visiting media would not hear the answers.
LHC: LOCAL HEALTH CONCERN REPORT FOR SHCN MEETING ON 12 MAY 2007
Fairly quiet on Local Health Board front.
The contract for the new PFI Build at Kirkcaldy (approx £120m) is unlikely to be signed before November, however, the non-PFI refurbishment of the old Victoria and modification of Queen Margaret to a Diagnostic & Treatment Centre now looks likely to complete in 2014 (up to 3 years late). However, if a new Health Minister is in place, following a Meeting with Shona Robeson there may be some review of the contract.
Locally, our Group issued a Statement and Leaflets calling for a change of Executive at last Thursday's Election although 2 of our Group publically endorsed the SNP Candidate (a long-term campaigner). The outcome was the removal of the sitting Labour MSP replaced by a Lib Dem MSP who we had had some rows with over lack of support for our campaign. It was obvious that the previous swing to Lib Dems at Westminster By-Election last year had carried through to this Election and Local Authority results.
Our attempt to replace the Local Health Concern Councillor with a replacement failed. Unfortunately it appears she came fourth in a Three Seat Ward and was a victim of larger size wards, the Lib Dems swing in the Town and the problems encountered throughout by Small Party Candidates. It seems she had excellent support in the old Ward where she is a Community Councillor but the addition of other areas part Labour and part Lib Dem were too much to overcome.
However it was obvious that the Hospital problem was still a major issue in the Town going by all Election addresses and canvassing the public.
John Winton
Local Health Concern
LHC: REPORT FROM LHC FOR SHCN MTG ON SAT 3 MARCH 2007
LHC: LHC Sept 06
LHC: May 06 REPORT TO SHCN FROM LOCAL HEALTH CONCERN FOR MEETING
LHC: LOCAL HEALTH CONCERN REPORT 1 APRIL 06
LHC: Feb 06 LHC WEST FIFE REPORT
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