Herts NHS is facing cuts, not deficits - Libdems do not accept PCT talk of "unaffordability"

2.47.08am GMT Thu 18th Jan 2007

At a meeting with councillors last Wednesday night there was further bad news for Welwyn Hatfield's already strained health resources. In a session designed to inform councillors of the latest changes it was clear that although some positive change in primary care service provision is happening, the current situation is basically that there is not enough money even to carry on providing existing services, and we can expect even more bad news - with a strong hint that it would be Mental Health that will bear the brunt - AGAIN!

Libdem Cllr Nigel Quinton, probably the most vocal of the borough's Health Champions, said: "It would be easy to blame the PCT - but the problem is not of their making. It is the Labour government, and Mrs Hewitt's department of health that is the cause of this mess, and they should be the ones to put it right - by providing Hertfordshire with the resources it needs."

He went on: "We are being told that reconfiguration of services is required - but that we cannot have the funds to deliver the reconfiguration. By removing cancer services from the calculation the PCT is trying to do Patricia Hewitt's dirty work for her by making the new hospital "unaffordable". At the same time, PCTs are being forced to pay through the nose for GP services - GP salaries up 68% in three years according to last Friday's Independent, and are facing massive increases in energy costs for which the government is providing no additional money - despite record windfall taxes from the oil companies."

The Liberal Democrats urge everyone to back our campaign for the new hospital to be built as promised - and we repeat our previous key points:

• This campaign is not about our inability to accept the need for reconfiguration of services for the modern world.

• Investing in your Health (IiYH) was a strategy for 21st century health care and we want to see it implemented in full.

• IiYH means a new hospital in Hatfield, including the cancer centre, plus lots more community based services that we keep hearing about but have yet to see.

Please visit our website and sign our petition to save the Hatfield Hospital - http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/hatfieldhospital

For further information call Nigel Quinton on 07971 860415, or email nigel.quinton@welhat.gov.uk

Background Notes for Editors

Whilst it would be improper to report verbatim on a meeting that was not open to the public the following was the broad outline of the evening's discussion.

The PCT - largely on the back of the suggestions made by the council's health panel - Nigel Quinton (LD), Maureen Cook (Lab) and Nick Atkinson (Con) - had organised this "training session" in order to better inform council members of the nature of the changes happening within the NHS

Four GPs were present to provide some professional insights into what is happening in primary care, and officials from the PCT were there to inform on the latest on the Acute Services Review - or "why Hatfield Hospital is unaffordable".

The by now familiar story of how increased specialisation of doctors and the need to achieve critical mass in hospital departments was resulting in two trends - one to increased centralisation of certain services that needed sufficient specialist practitioners in major acute centres, and one to a decentralisation of other services that with new methods and technology could be provided closer to home.

Some encouraging examples of how patient care is improving and services previously provided at acute hospitals can now be provided at the surgery. There was also more talk about the future provision of minor injury units, urgent care centres, that will be run by primary care GPs with consultants available too.

Whilst all of this sounded good, members expressed concern that:

• This relied on individual GP practices, or groups of practices, to come up with the good ideas, and then to implement them, with little means of coordinating these changes.

• There seemed to be no clear answer on how any capital costs of these changes - e.g. new urgent care centres - would be paid for, nor by which body (although we understand it would be the PCT's role).

• GP's were now earning six figure salaries even without providing and after hours service - so where was the incentive for them to do more, more cheaply?

We then heard from the PCT who trotted out the line that building Hatfield Hospital was "the wrong thing to do" - despite the fact the East & North Herts NHS Trust - who ought really to know! - continue to tell us that Hatfield is definitely the right choice for the acute sector in this area.

The PCT continued to avoid any discussion of what would happen with cancer services - originally a major driver for Hatfield.

Most depressingly of all, the PCT informed councillors that leaving aside the new hospital, money was so tight this year that other services would be facing cuts - particularly Mental Health services.