THACKLEY TRUMPIT MAY 2014

The Thackley Trumpit

( Incorporating ‘The Idle Chatterer’ & ‘The Closing Times’ )

Tel. 07944969335   Email: billco@blueyonder.co.uk

More Health Cuts

It would appear that this tiny, yet relatively prosperous corner of Bradford is again in the firing line when it comes to chopping its services! Now it is the brilliant work carried out at the Eccleshill Health Centre. It would appear we are OK to absorb over 700 new houses (approx 3000 residents) along with their cars and other possessions, fit them into the school system and health service yet  they wish to close the one shining light on the health front i.e. Eccleshill Health Centre.
Just what is the matter with this city. We already have several “Doctors Clinics” which, to listen to many residents, are incapable of running a whelk stall, never mind a health surgery and they wish to close down the one service everybody seems happy to use.
Closure will mean 80 jobs gone with no chance of relocation and thousands of treatments which will not be handled just because of a few paltry pounds when millions are being wasted every day by the NHS. Below is a statement by our local CCG, but it doesn’t make much sense:

Message From the Authorities

Bradford East MP David Ward believes all possible action is being taken to safeguard the   future of services at a city treatment centre shrouded in uncertainty.
There have been questions about the future of the Eccleshill Treatment Centre since it was revealed Care UK, which has a contract to provide services there until July, would not continue beyond that date.

Mr Ward has now had a meeting with both Care UK and NHS Bradford Clinical Commissioning Group, which pays for patient services to be provided there.
Payment levels are dictated nationally but Mr Ward said it was not viable for Care UK to     continue under the terms available.
He said: “The only thing left was for the CCG to seek alternative providers. It is just not viable with the funding made available at national rates for Care UK to continue with the contract. I understand the position Care UK is in and I am satisfied they are committed to working with the CCG to ensure that services and staff are protected.”
A spokesman for NHS Bradford Districts and NHS Leeds West CCGs said: “We are finalising specifications to re-procure some of the services currently provided by Care UK at Eccleshill, either from a single  provider or a number of alternative providers within the area.”
“There is now capacity within the local NHS to deliver some of the diagnostic and treatment services available at  Eccleshill.”
So there is spare capacity within the area! Where is that then? NHS has been cutting services at every level (apart from the top brass) to a point where it hardly exists. It should not be too long now before we see a NHS with only managers and admin staff with nobody at the sharp end to actually do the jobs of treatment itself.
A petition is being organised which already carries over 2500 signatures. The following is a quote from the Facebook page by the local Leader Magazine “Patients are referred here by GPs and it offers many services available at hospitals but with a shorter waiting time including orthopaedics, MRI and CT scanning and X-rays. Patients are very happy here with the cleanliness, service and results. The local community do not want to see it go!”

Below is a quote from a worker at the Centre:

“I work at the centre as the outpatient manager and have worked in the building for 9 happy years. We offer a cost effective efficient service for both patients and GP referrers. My manager (the hospital director) has worked so hard as we all have over this last year to develop the service and improve things for everyone. It's a fantastic place to work, all staff see each other as friends and this is very evident to patients in this lovely little "cottage" hospital. I'm totally devastated that this fantastic hospital will shut and the services we provide for Bradford will be lost. 
The closure of this facility would be a very serious blow to our community and must not be allowed to happen. The ’Trumpit’ joins all other organisations in its support of Eccleshill Health Centre.