Healthy Futures, Making it Better and the IRP - Update

If you recall from earlier posts (here, here, here, here and here), the North West Strategic Health Authority has been planning to “reform” (or “shake up”) the structure of paediatric, maternity and neonatal services across the whole area through the Making It Better proposal and to the healthcare of all in NE Greater Manchester through the Healthy Futures proposals.

(An aside – what the fuck is it with such “trendy” New Labour speak for consultations to be named as “Healthy Futures”? Why not just “A Review of Healthcare in NE Greater Manchester”?).

Our local council protested the recommendations of the proposals, as it will reduce some local services, particularly A&E. Some other councils in the area were also unhappy. As a result, the proposals were sent to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP), seemingly a non-governmental body of government-paid advisors, that reviews protested health decisions for the Department of Health. The request for IRP review was submitted in Patricia Hewitt´s time (thank you, Patsy, at least you didn´t make a dumb decision this time – but …) and as the submittal date to the DoH was just before her demise and Alan Johnson´s appointment to the Secretary of State for Health post …

The IRP submitted their report on 26 June and was meant to be published (i.e. put in the public domain) on 28 July.

However, the publication of the IRP´s report has been postponed “indefinitely” (quoting a local newspaper report) to give Alan Johnson more time to study its implications.

According to a DoH spokesperson “Given the level of complexity, size and scope contained in the Manchester reconfigurations, the Department of Health would like to understand what plans there are for implementation of any changes and more time to give the matter proper consideration”. (DoH press statement here).

Good on yuh Alan for not making rash decisions – and I am sure you have important things to think about today, 1 August, with the fallout from MTAS and tomorrow or the day after or the day after … with the NHS´s Programme for IT, etc etc.

You have publically committed yourself to send all disputed consultations to the IRP (did Patsy not?). Good on yuh!

However, I am curious as to why the Independent Reconfiguration Panel´s recommendations are not made public before the ministerial decision is made.

Patricia Hewitt

Just culled from the BBC "Mr Brown is thought likely to carry out the bulk of his Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, but it has already emerged that one definite change will see Patricia Hewitt stepping down as health secretary."

Thursday update: It is tipped that Alan Johnson, formerly Education Secretary, will be appointed to Health. Patricia is definitely stepping down to spend more time with her elderly parents in Oz (? presumably she'll be resigning as an MP?).

Meanwhile ...

A & E services at the hospital where Kezia was first diagnosed with leukaemia are being axed and replaced with an "urgent care centre". What I imagine Dr Crippen would term "dumbing down".

A local couple, with a son who suffers from severe convulsions and frequently has to be rushed there, requested a judicial review on the basis of a legally-flawed public consultation. This has just been rejected at London's High Court. The couple are now considering moving house to be nearer to an A & E Department.

We well remember going down there on the Sunday we arrived and quickly being referred by A & E to the Specialist Registrar in Paediatrics.

Meanwhile ... it is revealed that the North West Strategic Health Authority underspent by £161 million last year. The local MP commented "The money was intended to be spent on health services in the North West, not sit in the bank. The Pennine Acute Trust [which manages this A & E Dept] is cutting nearly 10 per cent of its beds with the loss of services to the community. I question why we should be making these cuts when the surplus retained by the Strategic Health Authority would more than meet the deficits of the Pennine Acute and other trusts in the North West."

A total of 221 beds will be cut across the Trust’s four hospitals. I would have thought this would imply some job cuts which would further help it cut its deficit. However, the Trust has assured its staff and the unions that this won't happen - just redeployments.

Meanwhile ... at this same hospital the Trust, which earned £1,533,496 last year from staff car parking, is increasing the car parking fee from £10 to £14 per month. I guess to help meet its deficits ... or to maintain its earnings when its staff are redeployed elsewhere or when it does start the job cuts.

NHS in the Black

Dr Crippen is lost for words about the Department of Health's announcement that the National Health Service has made a £500 million surplus as, indeed, am I. But he points out that other commentators are not. The Devil's Kitchen managed to obtain an interview with our Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt.

Patricia Hewitt answers your Questions

On Question Time of 3 May Patricia Hewitt promised to answer your email questions - here they are.

In other breaking news she has announced that MTAS is to be scrapped.

Last night's Question Time

Here are viewers' comments on last night's Question Time with Patricia Hewitt.

And here is where you can email questions to her as she invited viewers and members of the audience to email her.

Question Time

Patricia Hewitt on last night's Question Time. Windows Media Player version here. RealPlayer version here.

Patricia Hewitt

I have left much of the commentary about the U.K. health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, to others such as Dr Crippen at NHS Blog Doctor (link on right).

Two of his main themes have been cuts in maternity services and the new procedures for applying to junior doctor training positions (known as MMC/MTAS) which have been widely criticised and culminated last week in two massive IT security breaches involving MTAS.

Tonight sees the airing on BBC1 of two programmes of note. The current affairs documentary Panorama focusses on cuts in maternity services when it sent an undercover reporter to work in two maternity units. Links here and here. The programme airs at 20:00 BST tonight.

The second programme is Question Time at 22:35 on BBC1. A panel of politicians and experts fields questions from the public on issues of concern. Tonight sees Patricia appearing on the panel. I hope she watches Panorama beforehand.

Both programmes can also be viewed on the BBC website for those who miss them or are not in the UK.

For a general overview of the NHS's National Programme for IT (the "Spine") and its many difficulties I would thoroughly recommend Tony Collin's IT Project Blog.