Dear Trafford MPs,

I am writing to you following the referral to the Secretary of State for Health of the ‘New Health Deal for Trafford’ by the Manchester and Trafford Joint Health Scrutiny committee.

As you know, the proposal recommends the downgrading and closure of Trafford’s A&E unit, the loss of intensive care, emergency surgery and children’s services at the birthplace of the NHS.

If these proposals were implemented, there would be a dramatic knock-on effect which would lengthen waiting lists and queues for treatment at Wythenshawe hospital, Manchester Central and Salford Royal, all of which serve your constituents.

As a result of the referral, Jeremy Hunt will now make the final decision on the future of our local hospital and the impact on 38,000 patients who last year attended casualty at Trafford.

As our three Trafford MPs, we would like to request that on this issue you deliver in Parliament a strong and united public voice for maintaining services at Trafford and upholding the democratic voice of your constituents, in keeping with the clear views already expressed by the public, their Trafford Councillors and Joint Health Scrutiny Committee members.

To this end, we request a joint meeting with all three of you and representatives of our campaign, so that you are brought fully up to date about the campaign to Save Trafford General.

Further, we would like you to facilitate a meeting between yourselves, campaign representatives and Mr Hunt so that your constituents have the opportunity to personally present the case against these cuts.

As you know, our Save Trafford General petition has been signed by 12,500 local people – the biggest petition ever raised in the borough – and was presented to 10 Downing Street at the end of last year. The strength of public feeling for our campaign to Save Trafford General is very clear.

We request that you demand a parliamentary debate, specifically about the future of Trafford General and accident and emergency services, in the context of the forthcoming ‘Healthier Together’ proposals for Great Manchester hospitals.

We also request that you consider jointly sponsoring an early day motion in the House of Commons in support of maintaining all threatened services at Trafford General.

The future of services at Trafford General is an issue of the utmost importance to local people throughout the borough. We urge our local MPs to work together to save the birthplace of the NHS from these disastrous cuts.

We would also be grateful for any suggestions from you, individually or collectively, about how the campaign to save Trafford General can be further advanced.

We look forward to a positive response.

Regards,

Matthew Finnegan,

Chair, Save Trafford General campaign

TRAFFORD General faces a ‘no beds’ crisis as the cuts-threatened hospital is full-up with patients.

Record numbers of patients are being admitted through the hospital’s closure-threatened A&E unit – occupying more hospital beds than ever before.

And the shortage of empty beds means that surgical operations are now being cancelled at the last minute.

The beds crisis is also being repeated at neighbouring hospitals, including Wythenshawe and Central Manchester, which cannot cope with the overspill of patients from Trafford.

Health chiefs blame the long, cold winter for the increase in hospital admissions – but Save Trafford General campaigners say it highlights the effect of cuts at the hospital.

They are now asking local MPs Kate Green and Paul Goggins to demand answers about the increased demand for A&E services and how many operations have been cancelled as a result.

Campaign chair Matthew Finnegan said: “This is a very worrying situation.

“Appointments are being cancelled because Trafford General is full-up and has no empty beds because admissions to the hospital have increased.

“Ironically, patients are being admitted through the busy A&E unit which is threatened with closure by health bosses, because they claim it is under-used!

“It makes a mockery of the claims of health bosses that they can afford to shut A&E and everyone can then be treated in the community. Services are simply not available in the community.

“Meanwhile operations at Trafford General are being cancelled on a regular basis because there are simply not enough beds for patients.”

He added: “Health bosses must abandon their A&E closure plans and invest in our local hospital, otherwise we are going to see even more patients being turned away from treatment. This is a disgraceful situation.

“The demand for local hospital services is clearly too much for Trafford General now, even without the planned future cuts.”

TWO health governors have demanded the withdrawal of a ‘biased’ magazine which misleads the public about the future of Trafford General.

The magazine, Trafford Talks Health, devotes the whole of page 5 in the current issue to announcing that the ‘New Health Deal Proposal Approved’ and that accident and emergency services at the hospital have already been downgraded.

The article fails to mention that councillors from Trafford and Manchester have referred the decision over the future of Trafford General to the Secretary of State and that there will be no changes to services pending this decision.

Trafford’s two health governors, Matthew Finnegan and George Devlin , who were last year elected to the Board of the Central Manchester Trust which now runs Trafford General, have demanded that the magazine is withdrawn and pulped.

They say the information being provided to the public, is “biased, partial and inaccurate” and have demanded that the magazine is immediately withdrawn.

Mr Finnegan said: “It’s disgraceful that public money is being used to mislead the public in this way.

“No decision has been made about the future of threatened services at Trafford General – that is now up to the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

“Trafford’s health commissioners have no business presenting the public with misinformation like this. They give the impression that services have already been closed, when that is simply not true.”

Mr Devlin added: “Trafford commissioners have given the public in Trafford misleading information about the services at Trafford General Hospital.

“They have misrepresented Central Manchester and the services provided at Trafford General.

“These commissioners are potentially discouraging people from using the services available at Trafford General hospital.”

The two governors are now demanding that the Central Manchester Trust pass on their concerns to the commissioners, the magazine is withdrawn and that a public statement is issued by the Trust disassociating themselves from the magazine’s biased and inaccurate content.

They are also demanding details of the Trusts plans for informing the public of Trafford, staff and all other stakeholders about the continuation of A+E, intensive care, emergency surgery and children’s services at Trafford General.

CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed the decision to refer the closure of Trafford General’s A&E unit to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Councillors on the Manchester and Trafford Joint Health Scrutiny Committee have written to Mr Hunt branding the plans as “a substantial variation in health services which are not in the interests of the health service or patients of Trafford and Manchester”.

They are worried about the impact on A&E services at Wythenshawe Hospital if the Trafford closure plan went ahead and the lack of integrated community care in Trafford to deal with emergency patients.

They also question whether the public were properly engaged and consulted about the plans; the clinical evidence available; and the impact on patient choice.

And councillors back the local campaign group, Save Trafford General, which has demanded that any changes to the hospital should be halted and only considered as part of the forthcoming review of emergency and urgent services throughout Greater Manchester.

Councillors say NHS Greater Manchester has failed to adequately address their concerns and that the plans should now be put ‘in abeyance’ until they can be considered as part of the ‘Healthier Together’ review.

Save Trafford General Campaign Chair Matthew Finnegan said: “We are delighted local councillors have backed the fight to save Trafford General.

“Referring the decision to the Health Secretary will delay any closure of Trafford’s A&E and that can only be good news for the 38,000 local people in the borough who use casualty every year.

“It also means the final decision on the future of Trafford General will now have to be made by the Government.

“We will step up our campaign and put maximum pressure on Jeremy Hunt.”

He added: “People power has already delayed this closure plan, now people power needs to force the Government to ditch these plans to cut services at Trafford General, birthplace of our NHS. ”

• Read the letter to Jeremy Hunt HERE > Referral Letter – Final

HEALTH chiefs have voted to close Trafford General’s A&E department and other vital services – to no-one’s great surprise.

But now the fight to save Trafford General will switch to Whitehall and Westminster with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt (above) making the final decision about the future of the birthplace of the NHS.

The Greater Manchester NHS Board – packed full of health professionals and members of the establishment  - predictably agreed  to the plans to close A&E and intensive care, and end emergency surgery and all children’s services at the hospital at a meeting at Sale Town Hall on Thursday.

They ignored the 12,500 members of the public who signed the petition to save services; the thousands who marched through Urmston,; councillors from all three political parties; and the members of the joint Manchester/Trafford Health Scrutiny Committee who all unanimously supported our campaign.

But the final decision is not in the hands of this cosy closed shop of health professionals with GM NHS  - it rests with the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

And campaigners have now vowed to step up their campaign to persuade the Government to stop the cuts at Trafford General. Read the rest of this entry »

THE campaign to Save Trafford General has been given a major boost tonight as councillors voted to refer plans to close A&E to Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

It means the plans to begin to shut A&E, intensive care and end children services and emergency surgery in March will now be put off for at least six months.

And with that stay of execution, campaigners have renewed their demand for the future of the birthplace of the NHS to be considered as part of the forthcoming Greater Manchester review of hospital services.

A meeting of the joint all-party Trafford and Manchester city council Health Scrutiny Committee unanimously voted to refer the closure plans to the Health Secretary.

It means the Government will now make the final decision on the future of the birthplace of the NHS.

Councillors were told the plans for Trafford were “inadequate and rushed through”, “perplexing” and “precipitate”.

Committee Chair Councillor Eddy Newman said there were serious concerns that  ”integrated care” – which health chiefs claim will replace A&E – was inadequate and did not fully exist in Trafford.

Emergency patients would be diverted from Trafford to already over-loaded A&E departments at Wythenshawe, Manchester Royal Infirmary and Salford Royal and face delays for treatment as queues lengthened still further.

Choice would be limited for patients both from Manchester and Trafford, while the public consultation over the plans had been “selectively interpreted” .

Cllr Newman added that any decisions on the future of Trafford General services needed to be included in part of the so-called “Healthier Together” review into hospitals services throughout Greater Manchester.

He added: ” There is unanimity amongst all of us about this. This proposal is precipitate. Proposals for Stockport and Salford will have an impact on Trafford and we need to see what that means for local services.

“These plans for Trafford should be put in abeyance until they can be seen as part of the ‘Healthier Together’ proposals.”

He also praised the Save Trafford General community campaign for engaging with the public more effectively than health chiefs.

Cllr Newman added:” Their campaign has had far stronger public engagement and reached many more people affected by these changes to hospital services.”

Campaigners at Manchester Town Hall applauded the unanimous decision and praised councillors for referring the decision about the  future of the hospital to the Health Secretary.

Campaign Chair Matthew Finnegan said: “This is a huge step forward for our campaign in halting the plans to close A&E and other services at Trafford General, by putting the final decision in the hands of the Government.

“We have been campaigning for almost two years against these plans which are driven by cost-cutting and the convenience of clinicians and are not in the best interests of local people.

“The campaign will now be set on persuading the Government to save the birthplace of our NHS and to protect local hospital services for local people.

“The buck now stops with Jeremy Hunt – we intend to step up the campaign to Save Trafford General and make sure we bring as much pressure as possible on the Government.”

COUNCILLORS are being urged to block plans to close Trafford’s A&E at two vital meetings later this month.

Both Trafford’s Health Scrutiny Committee and a joint meeting with Manchester’s Health Scrutiny Committee will  discuss the outcome of the public consultation on closure plans.

Trafford’s Strategic Programme Board – a collection of health professionals many of whom have been involved in formulating the closure proposals – have predictably already given the go-ahead to the plans.

They have ignored a 12,500 name protest petition and massive public opposition to the plans to close the A&E unit, the Intensive Care Unit and stop children’s services and acute surgery at the birthplace of the NHS.

But now councillors in both Manchester and Trafford can halt the plans by referring them to the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

Campaigners hope they will argue that the plans will not improve health services for people in both Trafford and Manchester but will have a serious detrimental impact.

Councillors will also be under pressure to argue that the Trafford proposals must be considered as part of a planned massive shake-up of hospital services in Greater Manchester later this year.

Save Trafford General Campaign Chair Matthew Finnegan said: “It’s no surprise that health professionals have  ignored the views of the overwhelming majority of local people and have taken a ‘we know best attitude.’

“The ball is now in the court of local councillors who have the power to de-rail these reckless and dangerous plans to cut services at Trafford General.

“The plans are driven by cost-cutting and the convenience of clinicians – not the best interests of local people who risk delays and longer queues for vital treatment at other already over-crowded hospitals.

“We will be urging local councillors in both Trafford and Manchester to maintain a united front and to stand up for the interests of local patients.

“We are also urging the public to turn out in force to attend both meetings to show the strength of local opposition to the plans.”

• Trafford’s Health Scrutiny Committee meets at 6.30pm on Wednesday January 9th at Quay West, Trafford Wharf Road, Trafford Park, M17 1HH
• Manchester’s joint Health Scrutiny Committee meets at 6.30 on Monday, January 14th at Manchester Town Hall.

“

THIS is the Save Trafford General community campaign’s official response to the public consultation over the NEW HEALTH DEAL FOR TRAFFORD.

Background

The Save Trafford General Campaign is a community based campaign established to enable local people in Trafford to have their say on the proposed changes at Trafford General Hospital.

The campaign was launched in June 2011 when it was first announced that Trafford Healthcare Hospital Trust was no longer viable as a hospital trust because it could not achieve Foundation Trust status by April 2014 – the date laid down by the Department of Health for all Hospital Trusts to achieve this new status.

As a result, it was decided Trafford Healthcare Hospital Trust would seek an ‘acquisition partner’ and effectively be incorporated into the core business of the acquisition partner.

By September 2012, having completed what was described as ‘an open and transparent’ acquisition process, a decision was made that the Central Manchester University Hospital Trust had been successful in acquiring Trafford Healthcare Hospital Trust. It would become part of Central Manchester on the 1^st April 2012.

As the acquisition was taking place Trafford PCT in consultation with the Shadow Clinical Commissioning Group launched the pre-consultation phase of the New Health Deal for Trafford.

Throughout the acquisition process and the pre-consultation phase, members of the Save Trafford General Campaign raised questions around the future of:

• accident and emergency services
• acute surgery
• the pediatric observation and assessment unit
• intensive care services.

These questions were raised both in private meetings with the commissioners and in public at the ‘pre- consultation meetings’.

Each time, we received reassurances from commissioners that no decisions had been made about the shape of these services for the future. There were further reassurances that the acquisition of Trafford Healthcare Hospital Trust was an ‘as is acquisition’ and that no changes were planned for the future. Read the rest of this entry »

BELOW is a letter written to Stretford and Urmston MP Kate Green, by one of her constituents, about the public CON-sultation over the future of Trafford General.

Dear Mrs Green,

My name is Alessandra: I am a Trafford resident and a very happy one! I was extremely glad to receive the Consultation on Plans to Redesign Hospital Services in Trafford and be able to express my opinion like many other residents, although the booklet does not make it clear in what measure will our views be taken into consideration.

The reason I am writing is because the consultation booklet deserves a more detailed answer than the box-ticking-exercise at the end. I would like to start with a preliminary consideration: both the state of the situation at the moment and the impact of the changes in the future are not properly delineated. They may seem to be, but this impression falls at a slightly more attentive reading. This is the premise of what will follow.

In terms of presentation I am sorry to say that the booklet reads more like a public relations exercise than a serious paper rooted in research.

Not a single figure provided is substantiated by an external source. For example, we read that TGH is costing too much at the moment: £19 million more than is available [p.4-5] . What remains obscure is why this is the case. What reasons lie behind this state of affairs?

I do not expect to have a break-down of TGH expenditure, but it might be helpful to understand some of the background for the huge debt that is being dealt with.

Another example: at p. 7 we are informed that 5% of people believe in the importance of having an A&E service at TGH. Given the crucial figure of 95% who must therefore think that A&E is a disposable service, it would be useful to understand how  these figures have been arrived at.. Mentioning “online polls, a telephone survey and at events” is not enough to lend a shred of credibility to these numbers. The TGH Factfile at p.5 is perhaps the most evident example of such wishy-washy approach.

Not a single figure provided is substantiated

Read the rest of this entry »