Union arranges meetings over health changes
PUBLIC meetings into the massive changes coming in at Neath Port Talbot Hospital will be held next week.
Unison, which has organised the two meetings, is urging residents and health workers to attend and air their views.
It says it is not limited to workers at Neath Port Talbot Hospital, as staff at Morriston Hospital have also reported feeling under pressure since the switch took place.
A senior union official said one possible outcome was the formation of a people's campaign over the changes.
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Neath Port Talbot's acute medical services were switched to Swansea and Bridgend last month because Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board struggled to find enough qualified doctors to run it.
The majority of emergency medical cases from the Neath Port Talbot area now go to Morriston or Singleton instead.
A smaller proportion, around 20 per cent, go to the Princess of Wales in Bridgend.
Staff and beds from Neath Port Talbot have transferred to the other three hospitals.
However, patients who have had their initial treatment elsewhere will be able to recuperate at Neath Port Talbot if they are not well enough to be sent home directly.
"We have called the meetings to find out what the public and staff feel," said Unison's regional organiser Eddie Gabrielsen.
"We don't have a line on it at the moment but we are aware staff are feeling under pressure. It is having a knock-on effect in Morriston since everything moved.
"Staff are coming under pressure because of the additional throughput and because of staffing shortages.
"They (ABM) have cut back on overtime and agency workers, which we can understand, but staff say it is increasingly difficult to get holidays and there are major repercussions if there is any sickness."
The first meeting is on Tuesday in Neath's Castle Hotel, with the second being held in the Dalton Road Community Centre in Port Talbot's Sandfields estate next Thursday.
Both start at 7.30pm and will last around two hours.
Unison's ABM health branch, which is hosting the meetings, has invited Professor Tony Beddow of the Socialist Health Association and ABM chief executive Paul Roberts to attend.
Mr Gabrielsen said any resident and health worker was welcome to attend and air their views, regardless of whether they supported or opposed the situation at the hospital.
He said any concerns would be raised with the health board, and there was the possibility of a campaign focusing on the changes and the general provision of services.
"We would want the public to be involved rather than have it union-led," he added.
"We will kick-start it and then see where we are going."
Another linked change is the transfer of Cimla Hospital's intensive therapy Brynedd Ward to Neath Port Talbot.
This has led to fears that, with only the Glannant Ward for stroke patients left open, Cimla's future could now be in doubt.
Neath South councillor Peter Rees said: "I will be at Tuesday's meeting when I will be raising my concerns about Cimla."
ABM says Neath Port Talbot Hospital is not closing and will play an important role in future service provision. It has announced a series of new or expanded services at a cost of around £2 million in the coming months, with more following. However, no decision on Cimla has yet been made.
paul.lewis@swwmedia.co.uk
01792 514694
Comments
by ABM_Health
Friday, September 14 2012, 4:12PM
“Hi Visionski and Bonzo 327,
We're going to be out and about shortly to speak to patients and the public directly via a series of engagement events (details of which will be publicised soon). Why don't you come along to some of these?
By the way - not sure why you think we are 'spinning', and if you could give me an example of where you think we have done this, I'd be happy to respond. We're just trying to engage with people and explain what can be quite complicated issues because we are keen that everyone is as informed as possible. We really do want to hear your views, and we also want to support greater understanding of the challenges of NHS care in the 21st century.
We're not in some ivory tower … we all use the NHS too you know!”
by bonzo327
Friday, September 14 2012, 3:35PM
“Its very interesting to read the ABM health board email. I must say the Health board has become extremely slick in the Art of spin.
I am amazed that the labour government spent £60 million on a new hospital in Neath and a few years later the same government down grades the hospital!! It is like an episode of "Yes minister"
Where is the invisible Health minister at a time like this? You haven't heard a word from her – she is just hiding behind the spin of the Health Board.
The Health Board can spin and spin all it wants asking for the peoples view, but everyone knows this is not the case. They are not listening. So why bother to "encourage" people to write to them when they will take no notice.”
by VISIONSKI
Friday, September 14 2012, 2:54PM
“This is my response to the ABM Health Board after hearing about staff moral at Morriston Hospital since the changes were implemented all is not well as reported by the Hospital spokesman. What really annoys me, the problem of Doctor shortages was highlighted long before the New Hospital at Neath,Port Talbot was built! Why then did they choose to spend £60m to build a new Hospital and filling the public with false promises when they could have upgraded the old Neath General for far less. The problem of staff shortages might still have arisen in the future but the financial costs would have been far less than what it is today. These changes are not always about staff shortages as suggested as this is happening up and down the country so cost is probably the biggest factor.”
by ABM_Health
Friday, September 14 2012, 12:47PM
“Here is our response in full:
"The recent changes at Neath Port Talbot Hospital were based on the advice of senior doctors who said, without urgent changes we would not be able to provide a safe service for patients at the hospital from September. Having exhausted all other avenues to attract the right doctors we had no option but to make changes or put patients at risk and that is not acceptable.
"Both staff and trade union representatives were closely involved at all stages of the service change process. This was a significant transfer of services which was achieved smoothly thanks to the efforts made by staff right across the Health Board. We continue to work closely with staff to resolve any issues arising from such a large service change. We appreciate this has been a difficult time for staff and would like to thank them once again for their professionalism and understanding during this change.
"The whole of NHS Wales is currently experiencing a number of major challenges and reviewing their services. The whole point of this review is to make services more effective and efficient. We need to make changes so our services both now and in the future are safe and of a high quality. Unfortunately the medical staffing issues we have experienced in NPT Hospital will potentially affect a number of our services in the near future and we have explained the reasons for this in the 'What's wrong with the NHS in Wales?' FAQ paper on the home page of the ABM website http://tinyurl.com/9eq8ucm
"Along with representatives from the trade unions, local authority, voluntary sector, community health council and patient groups, staff from across the Health Board, including doctors and nurses, have been reviewing services and developing proposals.
"At the end of this month the Health Board will be sharing these proposals with staff and the public. The 'Changing for the Better' document will be available on the ABM website, through social networking, GP surgeries and public buildings. At this point we will also be holding a number of public information events across the area to discuss the options we are considering and will publicise these in due course.
"We are keen to hear the views of all our staff, patients, and residents and encourage everyone to take part. Everyone should consider signing up to "You Tell Us™" (http://tinyurl.com/c9853xh) which is a website run for us by the University of Swansea to collect people's views now and in the future. There is much more information on our website http://tinyurl.com/9qqdffh”