Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group is planning to close Meadow Court Nursing Home on the King George Hospital Site at their meeting at 1:30pm this Thursday.
The photo shoot is at 1pm before the meeting starts at 1;30pm at Beckett House, 2 Ilford Hill IG1 2QX
The Meadow Court closure needs to seen in the context of the Decision Making Business Plan passed in 2011 for the closure of King George A&E which states buildings are to be sold off and housing put on the site. Per the extracts below, click on pics to enlarge
The proposed closure of sterile services at King George and then moving it to Maidstone appear part of the same plan. The Sterile Services campaigners won a three month extension before the decision will be made. How can it be safe to stretch a supply chain so far away from the hospitals that need such vital equipment?
Similarly the arguments for keeping open Meadow Court seem equally compelling. The decision making business case for closing Meadow Court rests on the NHS being unable to take over from Care UK, and the private company fee is too expensive to continue with. This is like saying the police no longer have the expertise to catch criminals and have to rely on companies instead.
The key passages from the decision making case for the CCG meeting on Thursday are
Care UK have reported that they have had very limited success in marketing any of
their spare capacity (i.e. the non-block beds and the mothballed beds) to other CCGs
and local authorities. This is because other CCGs prefer to place patients into AQP
homes which cost £427 less per week while providing an equivalent standard of care. page 31
&
Re-provide the contract to NHS management
The CCG is unable to take over the direct management of the contract as it is a
commissioning organisation and is not registered with the Care Quality Commission to
provide services. The transfer of the contract to another NHS organisation would
require a procurement to take place. page 31
If there was the will Redbridge CCG could find a way to take over and manage Meadow Court, there is no law saying only corporations can run nursing homes. The use of such a flawed argument makes it clear that the real motivation is to carry out a key part of King George A&E closure plan which is clear the site and sell off land for housing.
Due scrutiny has not taken place as the business case for the Meadow Court closure has not been seen by Councillors. When the King George closure plan was passed it went before councillors for comment before the closure plan was passed. It is puzzle that the same process has not taken place this time.
Cut and paste the links below into your browser to see closure plans for KGH A&E and Meadow Court
https://healthemergency.org.uk/peoplesinquiry/pdf/NE%20London%20Decision%20Making%20Business%20Case%2002%2012%2010%20FINAL%20V1.0.pdf
http://www.redbridgeccg.nhs.uk/Downloads/About-us/Governing-body-meetings/2017/Redbridge-CCG-Governing-Body-meeting-30-November-2017.pdf
There is a lot of stuff on the net claiming that moving elderly people from their care home can shorten life expectancy unless expertly managed.
This was at the top of my search list
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1220743/YVONNE-HOSSACK-Moving-old-people-care-homes-kills--Ive-got-proof.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/elder/3343719/Moving-home-a-death-sentence.html
https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/40/5/534/46619
The last claims regarding closure. It strikes me that Redbridge Council's health scrutiny committee should be able to check that the thresholds for a safe move will be met as set out below.
These matters have now been explored exhaustively in law. Unless there is evidence that parties clearly depart from accepted good practice in their preparations, consultations and implementation of the relocation of an individual or group of residents, there is unlikely to be justification for further recourse to the courts. The legal process carries an attendant risk of adding to the stress for the residents, their families and care staff involved. Although the health, well-being and interests of individuals should never be overlooked, residents should not be used as pawns in negotiations.
The current position
Practitioners must remain vigilant to prevent irresponsible relocation of vulnerable old people such as occurred in Bury-Rossendale 1973. Examples now exist of remodelled services where good overall outcomes have been achieved with the active involvement of residents and their families [9–15]. Life contains risk at every stage. The very old and frail, and people with dementia, are particularly vulnerable as well as being less able to act effectively as their own advocates. They must therefore be protected. Expert medical advice should be sought when revision of services and movement of groups of older people are contemplated.
