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I refer to the letter from Simon Parkinson, secretary of
Worcestershire LMC, in issue 02/02/02 regarding PFI Hospital Schemes.
As a local GP in a very rural area, I can say that we have had major
problems with our district general hospital at Hereford following the PFI
scheme here and the subsequent reduction in bed numbers. We realise that
such problems are widespread, but local GP's have been trying to publicise
this problem for some time and it is reaching the stage where struggling
to get patients into hospital is the rule rather than the exception.
The other worrying factor is the 'knock on ' effect that this has on other
local hospitals such as Worcester and one wonders where these unfortunate
patients will end up if overspill from either Hereford or Worcester cannot
be accommodated. There was an independant review from a team from
Birmingham recently and as far as I understand it their conclusions were
that the ability for Hereford to cope was at the very best borderline,
though I think most if not all local GP's would agree that even this
situation is only at the expense of increasing the burden in primary
care. Gp's locally are being regularly asked to stack unwell patients at
home to wait for beds.
If Worcestershire GPs wish to see what effects the forthcoming changes are
likely to have on them and their local services, they only need discuss it
with their colleagues around Hereford. We are now often left with the
scenario of Hereford Hospital being shut to all admissions.
Local GPs have tried on many occasions to bring the debate into the public
arena and into the media, with one recently writing to Tony Blair to "look
at the state of the numbers of beds in Hereford, before a tragedy occurs."
So far there has been a notable silence on behalf of local politicians,
though I understand from the local newspaper that one local MP is
"organising a petition".
Good luck Worcestershire, you are going to need it.
Dr Peter Howard
GP Talgarth.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
12 February 2002
Peter A Howard
GP Talgarth
Talgarth Medical Centre, Hay Road, Talgarth,Powys,LD3 OAW
PFI PROBLEMS
Dear Editor,
I refer to the letter from Simon Parkinson, secretary of
Worcestershire LMC, in issue 02/02/02 regarding PFI Hospital Schemes.
As a local GP in a very rural area, I can say that we have had major
problems with our district general hospital at Hereford following the PFI
scheme here and the subsequent reduction in bed numbers. We realise that
such problems are widespread, but local GP's have been trying to publicise
this problem for some time and it is reaching the stage where struggling
to get patients into hospital is the rule rather than the exception.
The other worrying factor is the 'knock on ' effect that this has on other
local hospitals such as Worcester and one wonders where these unfortunate
patients will end up if overspill from either Hereford or Worcester cannot
be accommodated. There was an independant review from a team from
Birmingham recently and as far as I understand it their conclusions were
that the ability for Hereford to cope was at the very best borderline,
though I think most if not all local GP's would agree that even this
situation is only at the expense of increasing the burden in primary
care. Gp's locally are being regularly asked to stack unwell patients at
home to wait for beds.
If Worcestershire GPs wish to see what effects the forthcoming changes are
likely to have on them and their local services, they only need discuss it
with their colleagues around Hereford. We are now often left with the
scenario of Hereford Hospital being shut to all admissions.
Local GPs have tried on many occasions to bring the debate into the public
arena and into the media, with one recently writing to Tony Blair to "look
at the state of the numbers of beds in Hereford, before a tragedy occurs."
So far there has been a notable silence on behalf of local politicians,
though I understand from the local newspaper that one local MP is
"organising a petition".
Good luck Worcestershire, you are going to need it.
Dr Peter Howard
GP Talgarth.
Competing interests: No competing interests