A&E future now in doubt (From Bucks Free Press)

A&E future now in doubt

1:16pm Wednesday 4th October 2006 in News

HOSPITAL bosses are warning that the political climate could force more changes for health services in the town.

Women's and children's services are already set to move to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, following the transfer of Wycombe's acute surgery and trauma units in August last year.

But the future of the A&E department is also under threat as the Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust looks to keep up with national changes.

Speaking at the trust AGM on Friday, chairman Bernard Williams, pictured right, said they had to be prepared to make more changes.

He said: "I'm fairly clear that the reforms and the pace of those reforms will continue, but in any case as a trust we have to prepare ourselves for those reforms. The last thing we want to do in any way is to reduce and slow down our pace of change and reform."

The delayed move of paediatrics and obstetrics was discussed at an earlier board meeting by members. It had already been reported that staff at Wycombe Hospital were under stress and morale was low as they had been waiting more than two years for the move.

But now both staff and patients may have a new battle on their hands if the A&E department is axed.

Mr Williams continued: "As everybody knows we are already working towards proposals and implementations on maternity services and paediatrics, and we have made some changes in A&E that are well known.

"But it's clear that we have to be prepared because we may of course be impacted by some of the changes that are beginning to impact nationally.

"This trust has to recognise this political frame work and to ensure that we focus on our job of getting on and delivering safe patient services for the people of Bucks. As a board we have to be mindful of the political climate and of the pressures that will continue to come up on us."

In a report to the trust on women and children's services, it was pointed out that the Secretary of State for Health and new NHS Chief Executive Officer have publicly stated there is likely to be further reconfigurations to centralise expertise including A&E and maternity units.

Mr Williams went on to say that he wanted the board and its decisions be free and open and include the public more, but could not confirm or deny any transferral of A&E services.

Speaking to the BFP after his address he added: "What I can say is that there are no plans to change what we have at the moment.

"My comments were looking at the big national pace and trying to be open about the sort of changes that could emerge, which might cause us to review those plans and in any case we as a board need constantly to review whether what we are doing is right for patient safety.

"The last thing I would want to do is to give assurances to the people of Bucks, south Bucks in particular, that there will not be any further change.

"We need a comprehensive range of services to back up A&E units and quite frankly, we cannot duplicate full services on both sites, so we have to look at how we will manage in future."

Paul Goodman, Wycombe MP, said: "Why is our local health service apparently in danger of death by a thousand cuts? What has happened to the millions of pounds that Bucks taxpayers have poured into the NHS?

"The NHS in the area is relatively underfunded compared to the rest of the country. In Bucks, each resident gets about a fifth less in NHS spending per head than the average resident in England and Wales. In short, we're unfairly funded.

"Our local NHS has been the victim of reckless and feverish change for change's sake."