Towns will 'revolt' if acute care services at Neath and Port Talbot Hospital are removed
THE people of Neath and Port Talbot will "revolt" if a major service is cut at their hospital.
Neath MP Peter Hain warned he would take the fight to save the acute medical service at the Baglan Moors site to the highest level if it was withdrawn.
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Peter Hain
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board members were today expected to approve changes from September, caused by a shortage of doctors.
Mr Hain has already accused ABM of not doing enough to recruit sufficient medics to keep the service running safely.
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The board has now detailed the extent of its search for doctors.
Mr Hain said he had spoken to ABM chairman Win Griffiths and accepted genuine efforts had been made to recruit them. But he had also made it clear that feelings in the community were running high about the service withdrawal.
"People were promised a hospital that would provide acute facilities with A&E provision. They are now being denied that and it's just not good enough," he added.
Senior medics with ABM have ruled it would be unsafe to continue with Neath Port Talbot Hospital's acute medical service because of a shortage of doctors.
The proposed changes follow a decision by the Wales Deanery, responsible for postgraduate doctor training, to move CT2 doctors — which run the acute medical service — elsewhere.
Despite Mr Hain's criticisms, ABM has said it did all it could to recruit suitably qualified doctors.
A spokeswoman explained: "An attempt to find locum doctors did not provide the answer, as available locum doctors were already being used to fill existing gaps in medical posts and they can't be relied upon to provide the continuity and stability needed to deliver such a service.
"In the autumn of 2011 an international recruitment visit was made to Dubai. Dubai was chosen because it has a proven track record, as a number of English trusts have successfully recruited doctors from Dubai. While this resulted in attracting four doctors to work in Neath Port Talbot Hospital, only one proved to be experienced enough to work safely in the acute medical rota."
As well as this, she said, the board developed opportunities for academic research doctors to provide an out-of-hours, on call service commitment to Neath Port Talbot Hospital.
"While this was not ideal in terms of day cover, it would have helped with the 24/7 rota and was considered acceptable as a short term measure," she added. "Unfortunately, while it attracted some interest from doctors, not enough came forward."
However, Mr Hain is not backing down. He insists ABM must fill the posts and continue the service at Neath Port Talbot.
"There is no compromise on this. They cannot leave those doctor posts empty. They have got to be filled," he added.
"We will not be brushed off with excuses — it's got to happen."
Asked what his next step would be if the ABM board confirms the changes to acute medical services, he said: "I will take it further. I will take it up with the government.
"I think there will be a revolt in Neath Port Talbot about it. It just isn't acceptable."
Comments
by noodleyfork
Thursday, July 05 2012, 8:15PM
“"There is no compromise on this. They cannot leave those doctor posts empty. They have got to be filled," he added. "We will not be brushed off with excuses — it's got to happen."
Errr... there aren't any doctors to fill them. Stamp your foot, tantrum all you like, if there aren't any doctors willing to take jobs in Neath, there aren't any doctors to keep the acute medical service running.
The medical recruitment crisis is happening throughout Wales - these events in Neath Port Talbot are the first of, I suspect, many similar service changes resulting from failure to fill vacancies.
No amount of shouting will change it.”
by sochat
Thursday, July 05 2012, 6:30PM
“Why are you loitering outside hospitals Neathboy234 if you are so fit.”
by GorsseinonJoe
Thursday, July 05 2012, 3:50PM
“Is this Hain trying to resurrect his politic career? Enticing people to revolt? He can't change his spots can he, student riots, physical attacks on the police and now a revolt in Neath.
If Labour hadn't allowed hundreds of millions to be wasted in the NHS by managers more interested in wallpaper than patients and their pay packets over medical equipment, Neath may not be facing these cut backs.”
by Petert53
Thursday, July 05 2012, 1:47PM
“Bloody typical of Hain - he is saying his electorate, the people of Neath are revolting :-)”
by arnoldlane
Thursday, July 05 2012, 1:28PM
“Mr Hain.
Nobody listens to a word you now say, you are all but now a none person.”
by Neathboy234
Thursday, July 05 2012, 10:34AM
“simple answer is keep yourself fit and you wouldnt need a hospital. It amazes me how many fat people u see hanging around outside a hospital with a fag in their hands.”
by flepwales
Thursday, July 05 2012, 9:54AM
“What are you talking about now Mr Hain, the people of Neath Port Talbot won`t revolt, they didn`t revolt when you knocked down our proper hospital, they didn't revolt about anything the Labour government threw at them when they were in power and they are not revolting at anything the Con-Dems are throwing at them. It doesn`t matter if its hospitals, schools, petrol prices, jobs, housing, immigration, Gypsies or anything else they won`t revolt and you all know it, the people even voted for parties who were caught lying and stealing, it's because of peoples attitude and belief in whatever politicians say that you are all able to get away with what you all do.
Why does it always have to be cut cut cut for joe bloggs while its grow grow grow for politicians political careers and bank accounts”
by Neathboy234
Thursday, July 05 2012, 9:06AM
“hafodsam you are right. Problem is some from UKIP/BNP would rather die than allow more immigrants to move here. We need to attract lots of people to move here, sadly some peoples racism wouldn't allow that.”
by Neathboy234
Thursday, July 05 2012, 9:03AM
“The people can revolt as much as they like, the hospital has tried to get doctors to come there from all over the world and failed. What do people want, do they think you can just pull new doctors out of thin air.
With restrictions being put on new immigrant doctors this is set to get only worse.
http://tinyurl.com/7awpoyr”
by hafodsam
Thursday, July 05 2012, 8:18AM
“He can take it as high as he likes, MPs don't run health in Wales anymore. It's time Peter Hain recognised that we have a devolved health service. He would be better employed getting the immigration controls changed which his government introduced and is preventing health trusts from recruiting abroad.”