On 8 February Yvonne Le Brun, Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery and Tim Moran, Head of Patient Public Involvement attended the Parish Council meeting to try to explain to Councillors and residents the reasons behind the temporary closure of the Fenwick Hospital.
Many of you will have seen reports of this meeting in the Press. We thank the Daily Echo, New Forest Post and Lymington Times for their coverage and leave you to form your own opinions about the views of those present.
Suffice to say the Chairman of the Council, George Bisson, has written the following letter to Tim Moran. Tim has also asked that members of the public who would like to become involved should contact him with their views and suggestions for the future of the hospital so please contact Tim as soon as possible at the address below:-
Mr T Moran
Patient Advice and Liaison Development Manager
New Forest Primary Care Trust~
8 Sterne Road
Tatchbury Mount
Calmore
SOUTHAMPTON
SO40 2RZ
Dear Tim
Thank
you for the recent presentation regarding the Fenwick Hospital
. I’m sure you have taken note of the Council’s
concerns but I would like to summarise these in writing.
Whilst I accept that patient care and safety are of the utmost importance I am at a loss as to why the Fenwick has been allowed to deteriorate to such a degree as to cause closure. I listen to the explanation of the Fenwick being an isolated site, a point I would have thought in its favour, as patients will now have further to travel in order to receive treatment and family and friends will find maintaining contact with their loved ones more difficult. I understand the advantage of the other hospitals as they each have a specialist unit whereas the Fenwick does not. This is true as the specialist unit i.e. the Physiotherapy department has already been closed.
The Day Centre is another area of concern. This much needed facility was inaugurated by a local doctor and was funded largely by public subscription. It has recently been refurbished, again at some considerable expense. I am aware that this facility was run in partnership with social services but again fail to understand why the facility has been run down as a Day Centre to provide both services for the needy and valuable respite for the carers.
You
were clear to point out that patient care and safety were
the prime drivers behind any decision and came before financial
considerations. Whilst this can be considered as a valid
point the fact remains that without funding the necessary
staffing and maintenance to return the Fenwick to a viable
unit will not be possible. It therefore follows that funding
is of prime importance and the financial savings released
by the closure of the Fenwick will only make a small dent
in the £9,800,000 deficit facing the PCT, a deficit that will need to be recovered from next year’s
budget if it is not met by the end of this financial year.
I am dismayed at the speed of the closure. Yvonne Le Brun explained that the report was only formulated the day before the meeting of the Trust board. It is inconceivable that such a major decision was taken at such short notice and without local consultation. The League of Friends were apparently informed of the decision but arrived with their newly stocked trolley only to find no patients. The board meeting was on 27 January when the Fenwick was home to twelve patients. A week later it was empty with all patients re-allocated and staff re-deployed. Having had some experience of the system I find it totally incredulous that this could happen without prior planning.
I am sure you will receive a swell of public opinion regarding this matter and hope that taken together with my comments will impress on the Trust the importance that the local community place on both the Fenwick Hospital and the associated Day Centre.
I hope you can guide the trust into making the right decision
Yours
sincerely
G
W Bisson
Chairman
Copies to:
County Councillor Mr M Kendal
District Councillor Mrs P Wyeth
NFDC Portfolio Holder for Health Mrs M D Holding
Dr Julian Lewis, MP |
