A new Super Hospital or a Super New Unit??
Further to my recent postings, if you read what Lorraine Clifton, Epsom and St Helier Trust Executive, has to say in this weeks Sutton Guardian (Pages 22-23), you will notice that she says, "we need a new build but there will probably be a years delay on it".
Does this sound like a new super hospital??
It sounds more like some extra investment on the St Helier site to me, or possibly a small unit attached to the Royal Marsden presumably funded out of a disposal of part of the Epsom site, to another health related provider. Therefore the only "world class" critical care unit we might actually get is a 10 bed one tacked on the side of the Royal Marden in due course, like the one there is at the Royal Marsden building in Central London. It may well a be very positive idea, but will that be a massive benefit to large numbers of Sutton residents?
I just cannot now see a large development as was proposed in BHCH.
Press coverage in yesterday's national Guardian and today's Daily Telegraph (page 2) does not give credance to her views that such a super hospital is likely when so many Trust's are potentially losing A&Es. The adjoining Surrey area is going from 5 A&E's down to two. The former South West London Strategic Health Authority in 2003 referred to Critical Care being at St George's, Kingston and Mayday and not in the Sutton area, so where does a super hospital with "world class services" fit in to these wider plans?
It just does not add up?
The reality is the Trust has in effect implemented the 2000 "Investing in Excellence" plans (well worth a read) which the proposals prior to Better Health care Closer to Home (BHCH). The 10 Local Care Hospitals (of which 8 of the sites already in effect already carry out that function) will evolve in a more piecemeal way with the Surrey PCT and Merton & Sutton PCT developing revenue led local changes through their turnaround plans rather than the capital plans proposed in BHCH.
Perhaps the Epsom and St Helier Trust should stop raising expectations.
Does this sound like a new super hospital??
It sounds more like some extra investment on the St Helier site to me, or possibly a small unit attached to the Royal Marsden presumably funded out of a disposal of part of the Epsom site, to another health related provider. Therefore the only "world class" critical care unit we might actually get is a 10 bed one tacked on the side of the Royal Marden in due course, like the one there is at the Royal Marsden building in Central London. It may well a be very positive idea, but will that be a massive benefit to large numbers of Sutton residents?
I just cannot now see a large development as was proposed in BHCH.
Press coverage in yesterday's national Guardian and today's Daily Telegraph (page 2) does not give credance to her views that such a super hospital is likely when so many Trust's are potentially losing A&Es. The adjoining Surrey area is going from 5 A&E's down to two. The former South West London Strategic Health Authority in 2003 referred to Critical Care being at St George's, Kingston and Mayday and not in the Sutton area, so where does a super hospital with "world class services" fit in to these wider plans?
It just does not add up?
The reality is the Trust has in effect implemented the 2000 "Investing in Excellence" plans (well worth a read) which the proposals prior to Better Health care Closer to Home (BHCH). The 10 Local Care Hospitals (of which 8 of the sites already in effect already carry out that function) will evolve in a more piecemeal way with the Surrey PCT and Merton & Sutton PCT developing revenue led local changes through their turnaround plans rather than the capital plans proposed in BHCH.
Perhaps the Epsom and St Helier Trust should stop raising expectations.
posted by Charlie Mansell at 5:08 pm
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