Sunday, June 26, 2022

Study reveals shocking levels of beds making case for new wing at KGH

 This is from the Guardian today

"The average number of beds per 1,000 people in OECD EU nations is 4.6, but the UK has just 2.4. It also identified a major issue with GPs. “The equivalent of 1,348 fewer fully qualified full-time GPs were working in the NHS when the pandemic hit in March 2020 than there were in 2015,” it found."

No wonder our NHS is such a state, let's hope the campaign for a new wing at KGH gets some more supporters. 

My guess is the average number for the BHRUT region is worse the UK average of 2.4 per 1,000. The East London population has grown but not the bed numbers at KGH & Queens.

Hopefully local health scrutiny committee will asking what the average number of beds is for BHRUT per thousand. .

Full article at https://t.co/rJnGCKbF1c





















































Thursday, April 7, 2022

Why Cllr Athwal & Berlin's letter to about the 40 bed shortfall scandal at BHRUT needs to go asap

 Dear Councillors and MPs & GLA members


It was great that Cllrs Athwal and Berlin agreed to write a letter to Sajid Javid MP, the Secretary of State for Health, seeking that the 40 bed shortfall scandal at BHRUT be remedied at a Jewish Hustings last night.

The reports on next door are mixed, but they are enough to be very worrying about care standards at King George and Queens. Research shows long waits at A&E departments are linked to longer hospital stays and higher death rates.

So the sooner the letter goes to Sajid Javid the better. My view is a plea should be made for some of the NI increase monies to be given to hospitals like King George & Queens where staffing is such an issue that beds are being closed.

It seems the days when BHRUT staff could travel the world to find staff are now gone and NHS wages need to rise in a global market for health staff.

We do not know whether the situation has got worse or improved since Mr Trainer’s report to the board. Bob Archer, one of the speakers at our meeting on the 9th April wrote to BHRUT and got a prompt, but uninformative response, to his enquiry about this.

I hope other elected representatives also write to Mr Javid seeking help and send a message to the new wing for King George meeting this Saturday.

There is a message of support from NELSON (NE London Save our NHS), a long standing cross party campaign group below.

Regards

Andy

Nelson Statement

Members of NELSON (an alliance of NHS campaign groups across North East London) are concerned by Matthew Trainer’s comments at the March BHRUT board meeting that:

A) BHRUT has funding for 40 beds, but due to an inability to find staff they cannot be opened.

B) Quality of care is suffering due to these 40 beds being closed, in particular, stroke care is declining and A&E waits are longer than they should be

C) It should be noted that Mr Trainer says that even if all 40 beds were opened, type 1 A&E 4 hour waits would only move from being in the 20% range to the 30% range, well below the 95% safety benchmark. This is evidence of a substantial capacity deficit at BHRUT.

We call on

1) The government to increase staff pay nationally as a matter of urgency, to help attract and retain staff to BHRUT.

2) The BHRUT board to go back to monthly meetings (these are now bi-monthly) to enable the public and elected representatives to monitor the situation effectively.

3) Call on NE London MPs and GLA members to support the campaigns for more beds at the new Whipps Cross Hospital and a new wing at King George Hospital.

Two Next Door comments below, one positive and one negative, I regret to report that there are more negative than positive ones. This is to be expected with some of the worst A&E type 1 waits in England.

A positive review

“I was also there last night with my little boy, who felt so unwell he couldn't stand and was sitting on the floor in the queue. However, as soon as we triaged and sent to A&E they acted very quickly and started treatment within minutes of us walking into children's A&E.”

color:#333333"> A negative review

Sorry for your experience and my experience was similar. It was sad to see babies and children so I'll but being told they'd have to wait 5-6hrs. For what? So the company could make a profit? At one point *one* GP was seeing patients as well as doing the triage! While there were unwell children and a lady on so much pain she was quietly crying in the corner. Why was the UTC so under-resourced? Is profit so important? Over people's suffering?

Friday, April 1, 2022

Email to Councillors in 3 boroughs on 40 bed shortfall scandal & plugging new wing meeting on 9th April

Dear Barking & Dagenham, Havering & Redbridge Councillors

This is a letter sent to all Councillors in Barking & Dagenham, Havering & Redbridge.

Dear Barking & Dagenham, Havering & Redbridge Councillors

Our last campaign event outside King George Hospital called for a new wing at King George relying on the BHRUT AGM board papers stating there is a 100 bed shortfall at King George & Queens hospitals.

Since then the situation has got worse: the type 1 A&E performance is often the worst in England. In the video clip at Mr Trainer on bed shortfall from the March 2022 board meeting, Matthew Trainer, the BHRUT CE says the key hour A&E type 1 benchmark is sometimes as 20%, way below the safety benchmark of 95%




Mr Trainer says there are bed shortfalls in acute assessment and community stroke totalling around 40 beds. BHRUT has the funding to open these beds, but cannot find the staff. Mr Trainer also says that care would be “significantly different” if all the beds were staffed. Mr Trainer defines what he means by significantly different in the video clip. However, the A&E wait time would only improve marginally. It is a scandal that the NHS is not offering enough wages to attract staff.

Mr Trainer does not say this, but perhaps you will agree with me that the bed and staffing shortfall will increases the risk of poor care.

We have a public meeting calling for a new wing for King George hospital for Saturday 9th April at 3pm. Speakers include Bob Archer, (Redbridge Trades Council), Ashburn Holder, (Liberal Democrats) and RoseMary Warrington (Greens). It would be great to have some elected representatives with us too. The meeting is also on Zoom at meeting id 892 5049 4827passcode 832165

I am writing to my elected representatives requesting one of them write to Mr Trainer to enquire if the situation has improved. Once the current situation is known I expect a letter will be agreed for local newspapers and the Secretary of State along with photos of our banner calling for a new wing for King George.

The above are my own views and not of any of the speakers.

Regards

 

Andy Walker