Calderdale Royal Hospital’s future as small planned care clinic plus Care Home and Hospice

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The hospitals Trust has finally made public their Outline Business Case (OBC) for the shake up of hospital and community NHS services in Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield.

The OBC comes down on the side of making Calderdale Royal Hospital the small planned care hospital, carrying out planned treatments like hip or knee operations, with only 85 of its current 350 beds in use and no A&E, just a Minor Injuries Unit that would see around 22,500 patients a year.

24/7 acute and emergency care would be at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. This would include trauma, major surgery, crticial care, acute & specialist medicine, inpatient paediatric services and complex maternity services.

In addition to minor injuries units, the OBC says both hospitals would provide outpatient care for children and adults, midwifery-led maternity units and specialist psychiatric liaison services.

The OBC sees a possible future for the “redundant” space in the rest of CRH as a care home and hospice, and says

“There is potential to link up with other Care Home or Hospice providers” (p141)

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Overwhelmingly positive support again from public for second NHS strike at Calderdale Royal Hospital

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There was a good turn out at the Calderdale Royal Hospital NHS staff strike picket on the frosty morning of Monday 24th November.

Unlike the first NHS staff strikers’ picket a few weeks ago, NHS staff and supporters only picketed the main hospital entrance on Dryclough Lane this time.

Mick Coughlan, a member of staff at Calderdale Royal Hospital, said,

“As a member of UNISON I’m taking part in industrial action in protest at the decision by the Lib Dem/Conservative government’s decision not to implement the independent pay review body’s recommendation to give NHS staff a 1% pay rise. This must be contrasted with the MP’s pay review body suggestion of 11% for them being accepted. All in it together?”

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Calderdale Health and Wellbeing Board jittery over public consultation on NHS shake up

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At Calderdale HWB Board  on 30 October 2014, Jen Mulcahy, the Commissioning Support Unit Programme Manager for Right Care Right Place Right Time, gave an update on the Right Care Right Place Right Time NHS shake up in Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield.

She said this was being carried out through taking forward:

  • plans for community care in Calderdale
  • plans for community care in Kirklees
  • plans for the Calderdale and Huddersfield hospitals.

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Calderdale Community Energy sets up as Community Benefit Society

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In January 2014 the Coalition government announced its Community Energy Strategy.  At the same time Calderdale Council’s Cabinet voted to accept proposals for the Council to set up a community benefit society, Calderdale Community Energy, in partnership with local third sector organisations like Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre and Pennine Community Power.

The aim is to support the development of community renewable energy projects in Calderdale.

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Calderdale and Kirklees Councils drag their feet about whether NHS bosses’ plans are fit for purpose

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On 22nd September 2014, Calderdale and Kirklees Councils’ Joint Health Scrutiny Committee (JHSC) started scrutinising the local NHS commissioners’ proposals for chopping and changing hospital and community based health services. These proposals are known as Right Care Right Place Right Time.

The JHSC has decided that, should the options outlined in the Right Care Right Place Right Time Strategic Outline Case be developed into formal proposals, they would constitute a substantial development and variation to the health service.

The JHSC has a duty to scrutinise such substantial proposals and their impact on the people of Calderdale and Huddersfield, by requiring local NHS bodies to consult with them. Continue reading →

Support the striking Calderdale Hospital NHS Staff pickets 24th November

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Following their half-day strike last October, NHS staff are staging a second 4 hour strike, 7-11am on 24th November.

All who appreciate the staff who care for us, our friends and families when we are ill, are welcome at the pickets to show support for the strike.

The pickets will be at the main entrance to Calderdale Royal Hospital, the A&E entrance and the entrance just down the hill from the A&E entrance. Continue reading →

NHS privatisation quango tells #Calderdale and #Huddersfield hospitals trust to cut services fast

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As Plain Speaker reported in early October, Monitor is to investigate the reasons why our Hospitals Trust is facing a deficit at the end of this financial year.

Monitor is the quango set up under the 2012 Health & Social Care Act, in order to open up the NHS to EU competition law as a way of speeding up the pace of NHS privatisation.

Moves by Paul Chandler, Regional Director at Monitor, to blame the Trust’s management for the deficit does not distract from the self-evident fact that the looming deficit is the result of central government tightening the funding screws on the NHS. Continue reading →

Lies, damned lies & statistics – the #ConDem record on #NHS spending and staff numbers

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Now the General Election is getting close, and the NHS is shaping up to be a big issue for voters, ConDems are tirelessly recycling claims that they have increased NHS funding and NHS staff.

These claims need unpicking, because they conceal the reality that after nearly 5 years of ConDem government, NHS finances are about to “hit the buffers” – according to the Chief Economist at the Health Foundation. Continue reading →

Questions about transfer of £millions to #Calderdale Council from hospitals Trust that faces year-end deficit

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These are the questions Plain Speaker is asking Calderdale Adults Health and Social Care Scrutiny Panel at its meeting this evening. The Scrutiny Panel is scrutinising the Calderdale Better Care Fund plan to transfer money from the NHS to a pooled budget run by both Calderdale Council and Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group. Continue reading →

No evidence that new social care scheme will work, but Council still takes £4m from hard-pressed hospital

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Calderdale Health and Wellbeing (HWB) Board met on 30th October.

It heard that there are no grounds for believing that the new social care scheme, known as Better Care, will keep patients out of hospital.  But it went ahead and approved the transfer of £4m this year from the hard-pressed hospital to Calderdale Council’s Adult Social Care directorate. And £15m next year.

The HWB Board also approved Calderdale Council’s and Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group’s joint plan for spending this money. Continue reading →