CARES: The background to losing our children’s A&E service

Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson is backing a campaign by Labour's Liz Savage to bring an NHS walk-in centre to Southport.

https://www.otsnews.co.uk/mp-backs-petition-new-nhs-walk-centre-southport/

Are Labour trying to recreate a new reality here?

The background to losing our services

In April 1999 there was a merger of the Southport & Formby NHS Trust and Ormskirk NHS Trust, which at that time offered all services at both hospitals.

Due to increasing problems such as retention of staff and other concerns thought to possibly impact significantly on the smooth running of services, it was suggested to the Health Authority by the new Trust that there should be a merger of some services. They called one a 'hot site and the other a 'cold site', depending on what services would be put where. Southport ended up being the 'cold site'.

The Minister of State for Health (then Labour) asked the NHS Executive to commission a report on services then currently being offered by the two hospitals.

The person who undertook the writing of the report was Professor Robert Shields, this was published in 1999.

Professor Shields concluded that most services should stay where they were, but made 38 recommendations which the Secretary of Health agreed to.

However one crucial recommendation (number 25), "recommended the provision of 4 paediatric surgery beds at Southport & Formby DGH for pre- and post-operativecare of children by paediatric-trained nurses". 

The Labour Secretary of Health rejected this.

Professor Shields also concluded that use be made of telemedicine and information technology in order to improve service delivery. In addition, he acknowledged the deficiencies in the road network and in public transport provision between the two hospitals, and recommended the provision of a shuttle bus service to link both hospitals to convey patients, records and equipment.

Unfortunately at the time of implementation of the relocation of services, there had been no improvements made to the road network or to public transport services to accommodate any changes in movements between the two hospitals, or to improve access from Southport and Formby to Ormskirk & District General Hospital.

So basically one asks, was the Shield's Report used for implementing the changes wanted by the Trust and government, but not for putting in place some recommendations required for the changes?

In December 2002 I was asked by the Formby Times newspaper for my thoughts regarding the transport links to Ormskirk Hospital.

Together with my husband Pat, chaired by local Councillor, Brenda Porter, I organised a meeting in the local community Centre, Ainsdale.

Formby Times article above 

CARES was created by bringing together parents and politicians from different parties with the sole aim of reinstating our lost children's services. The thought and reasoning behind the idea was a good, honest one initiated by the Southport Party. I was proud to be a part in that group.

We received 14,365 names on petitions, which were presented to bosses from the NHS following a massive protest march (Sunday 17th August 2003) at Southport Hospital. By 13 November 2003 CARES had received 18,532 petitions.

An estimated four thousand protesters took part in this historical march to show the Trust just how strong public disgust was against these highly unpopular and autocratic changes.

These petitions were presented to number 10 Downing Street by CARES on Thursday 19th February 2004.

We held and attended 'many' meetings and talks, but no leading government then or since listened to the plight of residents. Both Labour and Conservative parties have let down our town's residents since 2003.

This is just a small part of the background. Today we see Labour's MP Bill Esterson and Liz Savage starting a new campaign to bring a NHS walk in centre to Southport.

As long as Labour understands the background to all this, and are not just reinventing reality for purely political motives (election close by) , then any services being introduced to Southport is a positive move. However a walk in centre will not treat urgent care or replace our lost children's A&E services.

Angela Weatherby who was also a leading member of CARES in 2003 stated this regarding the recent campaign,

"It will take the strain off A&E. Also a lot of people’s doctors are pre booked appointments only, so you then have to go to walk in centre to see someone. For me that’s Ormskirk and I have waited 4 hours to be seen there, no it won’t get children's emergency care, but what it will do is get them seen in Southport and if there’s a major concern, then people can then go to Ormskirk."

An old video clip of Cath Regan and local taxi drivers fighting for Southport Children's A&E Hospital Services back in 2009.

Southport residents voted with their feet in 2003 and told the government and NHS that we wanted our lost services reinstated. Maybe it is time that the residents banded together again to show we STILL feel the same way.

NB. All CARES data is archived for prosperity regarding the vital campaign for our health services. However, the following link is a contact point for the group. http://southportcares.webstarts.com/contact.html