Monday 15th August 2016
Our First Public Meeting Calls to Build the Campaign so that Acute and Emergency Services Remain at South Tyneside Hospital.
Opening the meeting Emma Lewell-Buck started by saying:
“We all know that the Government is decimating our NHS. We all know about Jeremy Hunt's attack on the work force, the junior doctors and the nurses, but what many people don't know is about the immense pressures that they are putting on local hospitals right up and down the country. They are reducing the workforce, increasing the role of the private sector and starving the NHS of the funding forcing areas to come up with plans of how they can re-configure their hospitals and their local health services. One part of that plan is the reduction in the north east of accident and emergency provision.
...Clinical reviews have commenced on a number of clinical services based at our hospital, which from downgrading, or from being delivered elsewhere, will reduce the need for us to have an accident and emergency in the current form.
...I have spoken to staff, clinicians, and trade unions and all the signs are pointing to a downgrading of services for South Tyneside, inclusive of A&E provision moving to Sunderland. Sunderland are expanding these services against a far more challenging financial situation than our hospital is in.
...These moves do not appear to be based on any evidence or strategic planning to meet the health needs of our borough. They are being rushed through at pace, with scant regard for the health needs of our local population. There is a blatant lack of transparency and accountability. All minutes since the alliance - and in spite of repeated requests - have not been made available to the public, and I have been given no clear blueprint of what it is that this hospital is actually trying to achieve. ...I know that the people of South Tyneside are not going to put up with this. Tonight is about sharing information and planning our next steps together.”
Unison area organiser and the Save South Tyneside Hospital Campaign organiser Gemma Taylor spoke next outlining the origins of the Save South Tyneside Hospital Campaign, coming out of the concern of local people and the Public Service alliance of local trade unions. She said that:
“What gave rise to our concerns was that this alliance was formed without any public consultation and the announcement that the South Tyneside Foundation Trust would deliver more of the rehabilitation, screening and diagnostics and City Hospitals Sunderland would deliver more of the acute and emergency services. We all know that if a hospital does not have acute services, it will make the A&E non-viable. The campaign is working very closely with our two local MPs to try and protect acute and emergency services. She spoke about the regular activities so far, which includes entering into dialogue with the Trust even though we don't agree with the direction.”
Roger Nettleship Chair of the Save South Tyneside Hospital Campaign was the final speaker from the platform. After speaking about the history of the campaign, which had its origins in the campaign to save the Jarrow Walk-In centre, he went on to speak about the context. He said that the government is orchestrating this downgrading of our hospital through its “5 year forward View”. He said:
“What struck us about this is that it is a vicious austerity campaign to destroy as much as possible of the publicly provided and publicly funded NHS in 5 years and replace it as much as they can with a privately provided and funded health system using the US model of private health care.
We have to stop this whole direction and dismantle much of the mechanisms put in place by this and previous governments such as the market in health between providers and commissioners and the way the NHS is deliberately underfunded. This was in the aims of the campaign.
One vital question that is very important to ask is are there any public authorities nationally, or locally, accountable to the people that are standing up for the NHS. Instead what we have is this question being reduced to competing Trusts and Chief Executives in the climate of Trusts being deliberately under resourced in funds and medical staff, and where the government can force mergers and partnerships with the private sector and close and wreck our acute hospitals and emergency services. This is no way to run a health service.
We formed the campaign to become a social movement in South Tyneside to defend our health service and become that public authority. This is bringing people together regardless of political opinion, party or organisation (or none), as well as our elected representatives. This is behind the initial work with the petition and the cards to the MPs. The most important thing is that this is not our campaign but your campaign. We call on people to join it and shape it with us.
We know not everyone can come to our bi-weekly meetings, but it is important to act in an organised way and send a delegate from your group or organisation, then everyone else come to those activities you can get to. We know people in the hospital are taking a stand, even many of the clinicians and governors are opposing this direction for our NHS and for our hospital.
Access to health care is a right of all in a modern society and we demand that it must be guaranteed, and no hospital should be placed in deficit. Let us plan this campaign. They haven't seen anything yet. Lets plan for the biggest demonstration South Tyneside has ever seen and get everyone out.”
During the hour and half discussion that followed with a roving mike, people gave dozens of contributions to the discussion on the vital importance of the campaign to save the acute and emergency services at the South Tyneside hospital, and how the plans will also effect services in Sunderland, so acknowledging the need for a campaign there.
South Tyneside District Hospital consultation surgeon Kamil Wynne told the meeting that most clinicians at the hospital oppose any possible moving of services to the Royal. He said: “The majority of us do not think that this has been thought out properly.”
The meeting concluded with Emma Lewell-Buck thanking everybody for coming along and thanking all of the people who made such powerful contributions. She said this was the start of the campaign. Many unions and parties are on board and the message - which is loud and clear - is: Hands off our hospital, and don't underestimate the people of South Tyneside.
