Monday, February 22, 2016

BHRUT cancel meeting with campaigners

Steve Russell Deputy Chief executive of BHRUT and Rachel Royal offered to meet campaigners at 1:30pm today to discuss concerns about how the plan to close King George A&E is impacting upon patient care at both King George and Queens Hospitals.


A key concern is why were 29 acute beds cut from our hospitals for the period April 2015 to December 2015?


For two senior Hospital  managers to take time to discuss our Hospitals was very welcome. I asked Steve and Rachel if it  was OK to for other campaigners to attend along with
Lara Keay a journalist from the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian. I was told it was OK, but BHRUT had second thoughts and cancelled the meeting.

Councillors from across the political spectrum were going and so it is a disappointment that the meeting has been cancelled.

Shortly after BHRUT cancelled the meeting I was sent a Freedom of Information Request which shows Queens having to send patients to King George in January 2015 due to all acute beds at Queens being full up. This an extract received by me on 19th February.

“1) How many and which days Queens Hospital had all its acute beds full and long each instance lasted in the month of January 2015

1-17, 19-31 January 2015 – no beds available

2) How many patients entering Queens as an emergency were transferred to other hospitals as a consequence of Queens being unable to cope due to not having enough acute beds in January 2015 and how many went to King George Hospital?
transfer to King George Hospital: 13”


 

Steve and Rachel were asked to reconsider their decision to discuss this information but they refused. A Freedom of Information Request for the January 2016 figures has been made:

I will be asking this question of Dr Maureen Dalziel, Chair of BHRUT at the next board meeting on Wednesday 2nd March.

Dr Daizel: will you agree to consider no more acute bed cuts at King George and Queens Hospitals until -

  1. The 95% four hour A&E safety benchmark waiting time has been met for a 12 month period at both King George and Queens Hospitals?
  2. Acute beds are not full at Queens Hospital leading to patient transfers to King George Hospital for a 12 month period?


BHRUT have been offered a right of reply on this site.

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