Photo from earlier today

Local parties were invited to bring banners along, just one did so today. I expect other parties will come on board will come for the November 17th rally at Redbridge Town Hall. Ashley Gunstock, a senior Green party member was away on holiday.

Those attending covered a range of parties and none at all.

The poster says 

"Build the cross party & multi-faith campaign to save our A&E" 

Getting as many people together on the 17th November must our next task to persuade NHS managers to honour their November 2017 commitment to review the King George A&E closure plan.

Bob Archer secretary of Redbridge Trades Council says:

"Save King George Hospital campaigners leafleted in High Road Ilford and held a photo-shoot in front of Redbridge Town Hall on Saturday 18 August to kick-start the campaign for a rally inside the building on Saturday 17 November. It has become clear that the local hospital trust is still looking to close A&E on the site. Local trade unions and politicians urgently need to get active in the Save King George hospital campaign."

Writing to Councillors re photo shoot for 18th August & Freedom of Information

This will go to Councillors in Havering, a similar version will go to Redbridge & B&D

Dear Councillors

Photo shoot re plan to close Cedar Chemotherapy unit at King George Hospital & transfer to Queens

Date: Saturday 18^th August Midday

Location: Outside Redbridge Town Hall

Writing to you on the 9^th August appears to have led to BHRUT issuing a statement about the Cedar unit which is the end of this email (1)

This statement is welcome, but it still leaves the questions I asked of BHRUT unanswered which are:

1 – Why were Councillors not consulted about the planned closure?

2 – Why is BHRUT breaching their own clinical services strategy, available on their website, to keep outpatients at King George?

3 – Why is BHRUT breeching their commitment to keep care close to home in their clinical services strategy?

4 – Will BHRUT provide full disclosure of the documents relating to the planned closure, especially the proposed staffing to patient ratios and the impact to the Queens car park?

5 – Can Joe Fielder, the BHRUT chair, provide an assurance that on his watch, no further cuts to services will take place until elected representatives and the public via board papers have been notified and consulted in advance?

The BHRUT statement implies the proposed closure of the Cedar unit is an improvement to their service. BHRUT also claim that the proposed closure of King George A&E will also improve the service to residents. The evidence is clear at that closing emergency admission beds at King George as preparation for the A&E has led to a worse service at both King George and Queens (2).

This begs the question of whether closing outpatient departments at King George will lead to a worse outpatient service at Queens.

BHRUT provide no evidence to support their claim that the reduction in service from five days to two days at the Cedar unit is a service improvement. So I hope you will agree that a five day a week service for the Cedar unit should be restored and the plan to close the unit abandoned.

If you cannot make the photos shoot, any quotes from Councillors for the press would be very much appreciated.

Requesting your help with regarding BHRUT statistics on Time to admit & Sepsis, Pneumonia, Urinary Tract Infections

On 29^th March I wrote to BHRUT to information about the above statistics:

My argument for the information to be released relied upon was:

 

“Page 35 at paragraph 4 (c) of a recent Redbridge Council Health Scrutiny working group report chaired by Wes Streeting MP suggests BHRUT keeps this information. I request BHRUT use the same method of calculation used to produce this information Wes Streeting's group.

 

The report is available here http://moderngov.redbridge.gov.uk/documents/s113032/BHRUTEDScrutinyWGoutcomereport-final.pdf

 

I realise this information comes at a cost. However, yesterday the Redbridge Health Scrutiny committee called for two extra wards to be opened at BHRUT. It to be proportionate for the costs of this information to be allowed for the public to judge whether additional funding for our NHS is required “ end of quote

On 1^st May 2018 BHRUT wrote to me to supply the following (3)

For the month of February

a) The average time from being seen by a doctor to a decision being made to admit: 

295 minutes 

b) The time taken to arrive at a diagnosis for the following conditions:

Pneumonia: 664 minutes

Sepsis: 673 minutes

Urinary tract infections: 446 minutes

However, since then in an email dated 7^th August (4) BHRUT refuse to provide further monthly information and cast doubt upon the information supplied on 1^st May 2018. I am seeking to lodge a “decision review”, should you be supportive of this information being provided each month I would be grateful if you could send me an email and I would use it as a reason for BHRUT to disclose the information I seek.

A recent Panamora concerning the conviction of Dr Hadiza Bawa Garba and the tragic death of Jack Adcock shows why it is important for sepsis and life threatening conditions to be diagnosed quickly.

Tracking these conditions each month is an essential part of monitering what is hapeening at King George and Queens and I would be grateful for any help you can provide on this point.

Regards

Andy Walker

(1) BHRUT statement on Cedar unit below

Dear Andy,

 

Following your recent email to several councillors and the questions you’ve raised on social media I thought it might be helpful if I provided you with the following information.

 

In June we consolidated the number of days over which we give chemotherapy treatment in the Cedar Centre at King George Hospital from four days to three. Since then, due to changes in demand and thanks to careful management of patients, we have consolidated this further to two days, ensuring we use our resources as efficiently as possible.

 

We are hugely proud of our recent track record in cancer. Just this week we hit the national standard for 12 months in a row. We’ve also introduced cutting edge technology to our radiotherapy departments that is putting us on track to being one of the most advanced cancer centres in the NHS.

 

We are always looking at ways to improve our services and are already liaising closely with Scrutiny Committee colleagues around any potential future proposals.

We will engage and involve our patients and public in any changes we would like to make to improve the quality of their care and their experiences at our hospitals,as we routinely do.     

 

All the very best.

 

Peter

(2) Various articles at http://savekinggeorgehospital.blogspot.com/ over the years. An example is here http://savekinggeorgehospital.blogspot.com/2018/07/council-attack-bhrut-over-king-george.html

3 The BHRUT email extract is below of 1st May 2018 disclosing Sepsis and other information

4 BHRUT refuse to disclose information below on 7th August:

Flyer for Saturday photo shoot

Flyer above for Saturday photo shoot, be great if you can make it.

BHRUT need to supply more information about what is happening at the Cedar Unit

I wrote to Havering Councillors and put up a Faceboook video about the proposed closure of the Cedar cancer unit at King George. Got a reply from BHRUT, at end of post, not good enough so will keep pushing for more information.

Dear Councillors

 

As a consequence of Sandie Smith writing on my Facebook page I put up a tweet on Monday morning to ask BHRUT whether it was correct that the Cedar Chemotherapy unit at King George Hospital was now only open two days a week when it used to be open for five.

 

The BHRUT website said yesterday it was still open for five days.

 

Sandie also said the Cedar unit was going to be completely closed and patients sent to Queens.

 

When I asked BHRUT recently on twitter as to whether it was correct that Sterile Services at King George had been closed and moved to Maidstone, they replied within 24 hours to confirm the closure.

 

By Wednesday afternoon, and despite me chasing, BHRUT had ignored my request from Monday. So I phoned the Cedar unit to be told it was only open two days and it is planned to closed and patients sent to Queens.

 

I have put up a Facebook video at: https://www.facebook.com/648170438895885/videos/654483111597951/?modal=admin_todo_tour

 

to persuade BHRUT to issue a statement about what is going on with the Cedar unit, but as yet I continue to be ignored. If you are supportive perhaps you could take whatever action you thought best to get BHRUT to issue a statement.

 

The conduct of BHRUT raises questions such as:

 

1 – Why were Councillors not consulted about the planned closure?

 

2 – Why is BHRUT breaching their own clinical services strategy, available on their website, to keep outpatients at King George?

 

3 – Why is BHRUT breeching their commitment to keep care close to home in their clinical services strategy?

 

4 – Will BHRUT provide full disclosure of the documents relating to the planned closure, especially the proposed staffing to patient ratios and the impact to the Queens car park?

 

5 – Can Joe Fielder, the BHRUT chair, provide an assurance that on his watch, no further cuts to services will take place until elected representatives and the public via board papers have been notified and consulted in advance?

 

On a separate, but related issue, a report by Deloitte about BHRUT was published earlier this week. The press reporting of this left out a key Deloitte recommendation to stop BHRUT meeting monthly. This will undermine our local democracy and make it more difficult for us to hold BHRUT to account. I encourage you to lobby for BHRUT to meet monthly in public.

Regards

 

 

 

Andy Walker

 

120 Blythswood Road IG3 8SG

 

http://savekinggeorgehospital.blogspot.com/

Dear Andy,

Following your recent email to several councillors and the questions you’ve raised on social media I thought it might be helpful if I provided you with the following information.

In June we consolidated the number of days over which we give chemotherapy treatment in the Cedar Centre at King George Hospital from four days to three. Since then, due to changes in demand and thanks to careful management of patients, we have consolidated this further to two days, ensuring we use our resources as efficiently as possible.

We are hugely proud of our recent track record in cancer. Just this week we hit the national standard for 12 months in a row. We’ve also introduced cutting edge technology to our radiotherapy departments that is putting us on track to being one of the most advanced cancer centres in the NHS.

We are always looking at ways to improve our services and are already liaising closely with Scrutiny Committee colleagues around any potential future proposals.

We will engage and involve our patients and public in any changes we would like to make to improve the quality of their care and their experiences at our hospitals, as we routinely do.     

All the very best.

Peter

Photo shoot Saturday Midday 18th August outside Ilford Town Hall

There will be a photo shoot to promote the petition on Saturday 18th August outside Ilford Town Hall at midday.

During the week I will be pushing NHS managers for more information regarding the proposed closure of the Cedar Chemotherapy Unit at King George. If they cannot support their claim that the unit closure is a service improvement then we will all know that it is cut that will damage patient care.

I am asking:

1 - Why Councillors were not informed about the reduction in service at the Cedar unit and proposed closure?

2 – Why is BHRUT breaching their own clinical services strategy, available on their website, to keep outpatients at King George?

3 – Why is BHRUT breaching their commitment to keep care close to home in their clinical services strategy?

4 – Will BHRUT provide full disclosure of the documents relating to the planned closure, especially the proposed staffing to patient ratios and the impact to the Queens car park?

5 – Can Joe Fielder, the BHRUT chair, provide an assurance that on his watch, no further cuts to services will take place until elected representatives and the public via board papers have been notified and consulted in advance?

After the loss of Meadow Court Care Home, Sterile Services and now the proposal to close the Cedar unit everyone must be wondering if the A&E is next.

The Save King George A&E petition promoting the 17th November meeting is here petitiion

letter sent to Recorder

Dear Sir or Madam

The Barking Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT) clinical services strategy is a cause of BHRUT's problems.

This strategy commits to closing King George A&E. Even though the plan to close King George A&E is supposed to be under review.

The bed and staffing cuts that have taken place at King George as preparation for the A&E closure have led to a deterioration in care at  BHRUT that was called staggering by Cllr Zammett earlier this year. Yet bewilderingly BHRUT are sticking with the King George A&E closure plan, prompting Redbridge Council to commit to fighting "tooth and nail" for our A&E per the recent Recorder article. 

This has prompted us to to book Redbridge town hall for a cross party public meeting for November 17th to say BHRUT need to honour their pledge to review the closure of King George A&E.

It is important that Dr Moghal, the BHRUT Medical Director gets a grip of the situation and take the King George closure plan off the BHRUT website and start making the case for expanding King George and Queens.

The evidence for the deterioration in care is at savekinggeorgehospital.blogspot.com/

Regards

Bob Archer 

Andy Walker

Petition started on Change.Org

I have set up a petition on change to promote the 17th November meeting. Once 1500 signatures are reached it causes a debate for Councillors at Redbridge Town Hall, this will lead to a discussion about how we best campaign to save our A&E.

The petition is at

Save King George A&E petition


The text is below:

We the undersigned who either live or work in Redbridge note the following:

1 - Andy Walker had a stroke diagnosed following a fit at King George Hospital in December 2017. The doctors decided that it was best for Andy to be treated in a critical care bed at King George Hospital. His care involved being put into a medical coma and given mechanical assistance with breathing. Once stabilised, Andy was transferred the next day to the Queens stroke unit. Due to the excellent care Andy has made a good recovery.

2 - Following a Freedom of Information request Andy discovered that on 12 days in February 2018, the critical care bed unit at King George Hospital was full up. The Queens critical care unit was full up 5 times in the same month. On 2 days both units were full on the same day.

3 – It is accepted that critical care beds not only improve mortality rates but also improve the quality of recovery. Critical care beds help a wide range of patients including, heart, trauma, stroke, sepsis, emergency surgery and other life threatening conditions. Critical care beds cost more to provide than other hospital beds. However, some of the cost can be off set by the increased ability of patients to work again and/or the reduction of life long handicaps which can result in long term care needs.

4 – Keith Prince AM, the London Assembly member for Havering and Councillors Deon Burton, O'Flynn, Dodin and Bob Archer, the Secretary of Redbridge Trades Council handed a letter into 10 Downing Street on the 12th July calling for more funding for critical care beds for both King George & Queens Hospitals. Cllr Emily Rodwell was unable to attend for personal reasons. The signatories represented three boroughs on a cross party basis.

5 – In Redbridge Council cabinet papers for 17th July 2018. Barking Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT) refused to give an assurance that the future of King George A&E was secure. This means 299 beds for emergency admissions at King George, including the 8 critical care beds are under threat of closure.

This led to Councillor Santos, the cabinet member for health publishing a statement on the Redbridge Council website on 17th July stating: “This Council will fight tooth and nail to retain our A&E at King George Hospital”

We ask the Council to:

a - Campaign to persuade BHRUT to honour the second recommendation of the “Revised Clinical Strategy for King George Hospital” on the East London Health & Care Partnership website which states:

“A new clinical model of emergency care is developed across North East London which builds on the roles of BHRUT, Barts Health in partnership with the Clinical Commissioning Groups and the potential for the system to offer a comprehensive and efficient urgent and emergency care model...BHRUT will initiate and lead this work” (some acronyms removed)

b - Build a cross party and cross borough campaign to extend King George Hospital by at least 2 critical care beds and one ward and work with other councils for extending Queens Hospital to cope with the increasing North East London population.

c – Support the Save King George Hospital A&E meeting for 3pm at Redbridge Town Hall on the 17th November 2018 by publicising the event on the Redbridge Council website and future cross party and cross borough events.