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Whitby group's challenge to health trust - WHAT DO YOU THINK?
A CAMPAIGN group set up to save Whitby Hospital has laid down a challenge to the health trust which runs it to prevent any future cuts to services.
The newly-established Whitby Hospital Action Group (WHAG), a spin-off of the town's Save Our Services group, has penned a letter to NHS North Yorkshire and York primary care trust, with a series of facts to prevent them making any further cuts and closures at the hospital.
Members of the group all have links with the hospital and some are former staff members.
They have unpicked the NHS Constitution, an underpinning legal document which came into force on 19 January and was set up to protect the NHS and make sure it will always do the things it was set up to do in 1948 – to provide high-quality healthcare that is free and for everyone.
Spokesperson for the group, Sarah Wyatt, said: "Under the NHS Constitution the first right and pledge to consider is the NHS commits to provide convenient, easy access to services within the waiting times set out in the NHS constitution.
"WHAG is contesting that Whitby residents no longer have a convenient and easy access to NHS services as so many have been closed at the hospital, for example the maternity ward, Mulgrave Ward and minor injuries."
The group also believes the PCT has not been "transparent" about its decisions regarding Whitby Hospital cuts and closures with staff saying they had not been consulted in any planning and decision making process – something which goes against the constitution which states the NHS commits to make decisions in a "clear and transparent" way.
The constitution also says the NHS commits to make the transition as smooth as possible between services and to include people in relevant discussions.
But WHAG also claims there is evidence in Whitby that patients do not experience a smooth transition from hospital to home as there are not enough district nurses to implement the scheme.
Mrs Wyatt said morale of NHS employees in Whitby is low and the PCT freeze on recruitment has further damaged morale.
The group is also concerned the reduction in services at Whitby Hospital heightens the risk assessment outcomes for the patients and residents in Whitby placing the community in the "serious risk" category using the criteria of the National Patient Safety Agency.
WHAG has asked the trust for a detailed response to explain why patients must compromise on services and treatment to reduce the PCT's budget deficit of 12m.
It has also gathered testimonials from patients and relatives where services provided have not met the required specifications under the NHS Constitution which the group says are available for scrutiny.
Mrs Wyatt added: "WHAG members call upon the North Yorkshire and York PCT to answer this letter in an open and honest manner.
"We do not accept a repeat of the contrived meeting as was the case on 18 June at Sneaton Castle. This was seen as an insult to the residents and patients in Whitby.
"There are issues that need to be discussed in a formal and mediated forum. Without this multi-agency approach, the underpinning mission statement of the NHS Constitution that the NHS is for everyone will become a local dictatorship run by a few who are answerable to none."
A spokesman for NHS North Yorkshire and York said: "We have received a letter from the Whitby Hospital Action Group to which we have made a full and comprehensive response."
See today's Whitby Gazette for the full letter from the WHAG to the trust.
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Weather for Whitby
Thursday 09 February 2012
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