The healthcare trust that runs Trafford General Hospital has reached the conclusion that as a relatively small trust in a densely populated area it is unviable on its own and has sought takeover by another trust. Clearly such a move has triggered a variety of reactions and questions, all of which are legitimate to ask..
The last few years have been difficult financially for Trafford Heathcare NHS Trust. Changes to the amount the primary care trust pays for the treatments it commissions have been difficult. The trust's annual report shows it ended the 2010/11 with loans outstanding of £2.606m due for repayment over the next four years, and a cumulative deficit of £8.018m. The Government is insisting that trusts break even by 2015.
Trafford Healthcare NHS trust has chosen Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as its preferred acquirer. Central Manchester is the trust that runs:
As a foundation trust, they have greater financial freedom but can't simply bail Trafford out. The merger of the two trusts could provide savings organisationally, but not enough to mean that healthcare in Trafford can continue exactly as it is. We're therefore in a consultation about the future services.
The current consultation is vitally important. Whilst it can be frustrating that we’re not having a full set of options put to us, it’s clear from all the meetings so far that we want high quality services to be provided conveniently for residents. We have to insist on access to local accident and emergency services and guard against further downgrading of this provision.
The threat to accident and emergency services at Trafford General predates the current merger of Central Manchester and Trafford. In March 2011, the Manchester Evening News obtained a leaked copy of the ‘The case for Change’ proposals of the North West NHS, this proposed the closure of trauma care at the A and E units at Bury and Trafford. The argument is that the current organisation of A and E is failing to provide the best response and that lives could be saved by providing better more specialist trauma care. We don’t dismiss this argument, but 38,000 residents used A and E at Trafford General in each of the last three years and whilst it is likely that many of these were not true emergencies, there will be many others who had serious and urgent need of A and E but would have delayed going if there wasn’t a local provision. The anecdotal evidence suggests that there is serious risk if A and E is removed.
To this end, Trafford’s Labour Group called an emergency council meeting in December 2011 and won unanimous approval for its motion calling on Central Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, to commit itself to providing optimal access to A&E in its current form and ensure other urgent care services are provided at Trafford General Hospital.
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The Consultation Site |
| Trafford NHS Trust have provided a dedicated site for the consultation. This is the place to visit for details of events and proposals as they develop. | |
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Save Trafford General |
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| A local group set up to defend services at Trafford General. The site has released a number of documents and the group has been at the vanguard of the stand being taken to ensure the interests of residents are taken into account. | |
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Trafford Local Involvement Network (Link) |
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| Trafford Link are a statutory independent body set up to give local people, groups and organisations a new way for people to get involved in shaping health and social care. | |
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Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust |
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| The homepage of the healthcare trust. The place to find the latest news and board papers. | |
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Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
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| The home page of the trust that runs Manchester Royal Infirmary and other hospitals that will soon include Trafford General. | |
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Drop the Health and Social Care Bill |
At the same time as Trafford is facing a massive reorganisation, further changes are planned by the Conservative Government. They are planning the biggest re-organisation of the NHS since it began in 1948. It is unnecessary, unwanted, wasteful and damaging; and threatens to end the NHS as we know it. Only last year, the Government promised people they wouldn’t do it. Many thousands of people have already called on the Government to stop. But they are ploughing on, ignoring public and professional opinion, out of touch with Britain. We need to make the Government listen before it's too late. |
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