Press on Children's A&E Scandal

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/rbnews/11209265.No_children_A_E_policy_a_disgrace___council_leader/

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/11203481.NHS_Trust_director_defends_decision_to_not_take_children_to_threatened_A_E/?ref=rl

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/rbnews/11189753.Campaigner_warns_over_future_of_King_George_Hospital/?ref=rl

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/rbnews/11182493.Ambulances_not_taking_children_to_threatened_A_E/?ref=rl

Photo re Children's A&E Scandal

 BHRUT Hospital managers obsessed with closing King George Hospital A&E decided in 2010 to stop taking young children to King George Hospital A&E by ambulance regardless of clinical need.
 
This policy has now been abandoned and clinical decision making put back in place. BHRUT are refusing to say when the clinical framework was re-instated. However, earlier this month Andy was being told off the record by NHS staff and parents that no ambulances carrying children were going to KGH A&E.

There seems to be a discrepancy between policy and practice. if it is now policy that ambulances do take children to KGH, why are staff saying that this is not happening?"

 BHRUT is setting a poor example to staff by not disclosing what goes on in our hospitals. Why and how this mistake happened needs to be opened up to prevent it from happening again.

The Trust says the decision to redirect all blue light children's ambulances to Queens was agreed by the overview and scrutiny committees, yet no-one can provide any minutes or documentation to confirm this and Redbridge councillors do not recall this ever being discussed or agreed. If KGH is a fully equipped and staffed type 1 emergency department with full adult and child resuscitation equipment then why would LAS not take acutely ill children there?

Was this decision really based on clinical considerations or on a desire to run down KGH to make it easier to eventually close it? And are we now seeing a perfectly good children's unit being deliberately underused so that there will be fewer objections to it being closed? Its important to remember that we were assured that KGH A+E would not close until there were adequate alternatives in place. Yet Queens is already at over 90% occupancy so how will it cope with the increased demand if KGH closes? It looks as if the decision to close KGH and transfer care to Queens has already been taken and the case of children's services is just one example that we have been able to unearth of where a covert policy of running down the service has been taken which is at odds with the publicly stated policy. 

Andy Walker & Dr Louise Irvine National Health Action Party

Photshoot 1pm Sunday 11 May outside Kimg George Hospital

The purpose of this Photoshoot is to request BHRUT disclose outstanding information about stopping ambulances going to King George Hospital carrying children back in 2010.