Hospital In Crisis

Hospital In Crisis
Suffolk Coastal Primary Care Trust plans to reduce the number of beds in the hospital from 36 to 20. They are also closing the Minor Injuries Unit. Click here to read one of many articles from the East Anglian Daily Times. Read what the PCT said in its Community Hospitals Review here.

PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THESE PLANS by posting your comments on our discussion board. Click on Have Your Say. The views of our President, Ian Tait, are set out in the letter below to Patricia Hewitt. See the views and letter from our MP, John Gummer, here.

Please WRITE with your views to the Secretary of State at the address in the letter below with a copy to John Gummer. Also RESPOND to the Consultation Document see right and be sure to complete the comments form at the back as they will be analysing the responses.

The Right Hon. Patricia Hewitt MP
The Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
LONDON SW1A 2NS 11th July 2005

Dear Minister

As a GP in Aldeburgh for 30 years I had much to do with the redevelopment of our Community Hospital. The new building opened in 1996. I am dismayed by the situation that now confronts us as a result of the huge debt incurred by our Primary Care Trust.

I write to appeal to you to prevent the arbitrary and destructive cuts in beds and services at the hospital that are now proposed by the PCT. The Trust has proposed that the number of available beds be reduced from thirty-six to twenty. It has already withdrawn the accident and emergency services

Since its development into a new Community Hospital it has performed the functions defined by your policy statements for community hospitals with an efficiency that has earned the praise of all the administrations under which it has worked. Aldeburgh is thirty miles from our nearest District General Hospital in Ipswich. Our hospital has been effective in preventing unnecessary admissions of patients to Ipswich by providing appropriate care close to their homes and by the rehabilitation of those patients discharged early from Ipswich. The Hospital has developed excellent physiotherapy and occupational therapy departments; it works very closely with the local social services in facilitating the return of patients to their own homes. All these services will be jeopardised if the proposed cuts proceed as planned.

The PCT seems unable to control expenditure, particularly that of the DGH and of other acute services. Something has gone very seriously wrong. Whatever the means adopted to correct the situation they must not be allowed to destroy what is working effectively and economically and is in line with your stated policies.

A recent local study conducted by the PCT in relation to the need for economies concluded that a minimum of thirty beds were required to allow the hospital in Aldeburgh to function effectively. The recent arbitrary decision, made without any consultation, to reduce the number of beds to twenty is simply unacceptable. We appeal to you urgently to intervene to prevent this destruction of what has become, with huge support from our local communities, a model community hospital.

Ian Tait MD FRCGP

CONSULTATION PROCESS STARTED.
Read the consultation document here.
And our Chairman’s’ response here.

Consultation meetings to be held:

NEW NEW NEW
16 September 2005 1130 - 1300 at
Aldeburgh Parish Church
Chaired by John Gummer

20 September 2005 1400 - 1600 at Kesgrave War Memorial Community Centre Kesgrave IP5 1JF

30 September 2005 1400 - 1530 at
Elisabeth Suite Orwell Hotel Hamilton Rd Felixstowe . Chaired by John Gummer.

PLEASE ATTEND IF YOU CAN.