Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
From Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition - Public pressure forces Haringey PCT to delay, rethink, revise, and re-consult over 'Super Health Centres' plan
Statement 4.12.07
The controversial proposal for super health clinics to replace many local GPs surgeries and chemists is proving very unpopular
December 3rd saw the culmination of a month of growing public concern and objections, 2 public meetings (organised by the Save St Ann's Hospital Campaign Group), and a week of protests including lobbies of the PCT Board meeting on 28th November at St Ann's Hospital and of the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on the 3rd December at the Civic Centre (both protests co-ordinated by the Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition)
As a result the Haringey Primary Care Trust has been forced to delay, rethink, revise, and re-consult over their controversial proposals for 4 Super Health Clinics (and 2 based outside the borough at the Whittington and North Mid hospitals) which would threaten the existence of many local GP surgeries and chemists.
At the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Christina Gradowski and Gerry Taylor from Haringey PCT tried to justify their proposals and their public consultation in the face of opposition and concerns raised by the Committee and by Dave Morris, the Secretary of the Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition. Cllr Gideon Bull, the Chair of the Committee, had presented a paper (dated 29.11.07) on behalf of the Committee which stated the proposals were 'a substantial variation or development to local services' [and hence the Committee has powers to object and refer them to the Secretary of State for review]. His paper stated that the PCT's 'consultation did not provide sufficient detail to allow the public to fully appraise the proposals or assess the likely impact of the planned changes..'. There were 'reservations about the financial framework' and 'sceptical that the level of new investment would be sufficient for delivering fully on the strategy'. The statement concluded that the Committee 'were not able to conclude that the proposals were in the interests of local health services'.
Dave Morris, the Secretary of the Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition, presented a detailed response, saying that 'the HPCT's public consultation on this matter was fatally flawed and therefore worthless as it failed to let people know the key information - that their controversial proposal for Super Health Clinics in the borough included the threat of closure of many local GP services. The public response, a mere 120 written forms sent back (most of them critical) out of over 8,500 distributed, would have been far greater If the PCT had told the truth as the vast majority of people would be totally opposed to the proposals.
'The threat of closure of local GP surgeries, the cornerstone for access into the NHS for the whole population, is unacceptable. I seem to remember that when we were lobbying the O&S Cttee in 2006 to oppose the PCT's proposed cuts to sexual health services the PCT persuaded the Cttee that local neighbourhood-based GP surgeries were the way forward for these and other services, eg mental health, as they were based in local communities. Such views were either intended to mislead the Cttee or otherwise the PCT clearly has no coherent and credible strategy but merely a series of cost cutting measures.
'Even more seriously, these closures are likely to cause hardship to patients forced to travel long distances, are likely to lead to less access and take up of services, and are against Council policy of promoting sustainable communities.
'It has been well documented and accepted by the Cttee and the Cabinet Member for Social Services that cuts in NHS services lead to more pressure on the Council's underfunded and struggling social services. Last year's PCT cuts programme led to an additional £1m burden on the Council's budget.
'The financial basis of such proposed 'Super Health Centres' is unclear. They may well be reliant on the highly controversial and ludicrously expensive PFI schemes (which generally have huge cost over-runs and saddle the taxpayer with massive repayments for decades), and be used as a trojan horse by greedy and ruthless private corporations who are preying like vultures around the edges of our public healthcare system.
'In the light of these points the Cttee have the power and therefore the duty to refer the proposals to the Secretary of State as a substantial variation which is unclear, inadequately costed, inadequately consulted over, and in any event totally unacceptable. We believe that this is clearly the only meaningful and credible action that the Cttee can take, based on the facts. More importantly its the only action that the Cttee can take which can halt the PCT's drive to implement such a highly damaging proposal which will adversely affect tens of thousands of local residents.'
Christina Gradowski from Haringey PCT admitted that valid concerns had been expressed and that the PCT would need to re-think and revise the proposals in the light of what had been said. She admitted a 'more networked approach' was needed for the way any proposed Super Health Clinics would work with local GP surgeries in the surrounding area, with 'more surgeries left open than originally envisaged'. They would 'develop criteria for such closures eg transport issues, local population needs, condition of facilities'. However she admitted that they could not force GP surgeries to close, and that all GPs surgeries under threat of closure would have to consult with their patients first.
Under further questioning, they guaranteed they would bring a revised proposal to the Committee in the new year and re-consult with the public in a more effective way afterwards.
After the meeting, Dave Morris said: 'Public pressure has successfully forced the PCT to think again. However, it is clear that the battle is far from over and that all those who care about their health services need to fight to protect and improve them.'
The controversial proposal for super health clinics to replace many local GPs surgeries and chemists is proving very unpopular
December 3rd saw the culmination of a month of growing public concern and objections, 2 public meetings (organised by the Save St Ann's Hospital Campaign Group), and a week of protests including lobbies of the PCT Board meeting on 28th November at St Ann's Hospital and of the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on the 3rd December at the Civic Centre (both protests co-ordinated by the Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition)
As a result the Haringey Primary Care Trust has been forced to delay, rethink, revise, and re-consult over their controversial proposals for 4 Super Health Clinics (and 2 based outside the borough at the Whittington and North Mid hospitals) which would threaten the existence of many local GP surgeries and chemists.
At the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Christina Gradowski and Gerry Taylor from Haringey PCT tried to justify their proposals and their public consultation in the face of opposition and concerns raised by the Committee and by Dave Morris, the Secretary of the Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition. Cllr Gideon Bull, the Chair of the Committee, had presented a paper (dated 29.11.07) on behalf of the Committee which stated the proposals were 'a substantial variation or development to local services' [and hence the Committee has powers to object and refer them to the Secretary of State for review]. His paper stated that the PCT's 'consultation did not provide sufficient detail to allow the public to fully appraise the proposals or assess the likely impact of the planned changes..'. There were 'reservations about the financial framework' and 'sceptical that the level of new investment would be sufficient for delivering fully on the strategy'. The statement concluded that the Committee 'were not able to conclude that the proposals were in the interests of local health services'.
Dave Morris, the Secretary of the Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition, presented a detailed response, saying that 'the HPCT's public consultation on this matter was fatally flawed and therefore worthless as it failed to let people know the key information - that their controversial proposal for Super Health Clinics in the borough included the threat of closure of many local GP services. The public response, a mere 120 written forms sent back (most of them critical) out of over 8,500 distributed, would have been far greater If the PCT had told the truth as the vast majority of people would be totally opposed to the proposals.
'The threat of closure of local GP surgeries, the cornerstone for access into the NHS for the whole population, is unacceptable. I seem to remember that when we were lobbying the O&S Cttee in 2006 to oppose the PCT's proposed cuts to sexual health services the PCT persuaded the Cttee that local neighbourhood-based GP surgeries were the way forward for these and other services, eg mental health, as they were based in local communities. Such views were either intended to mislead the Cttee or otherwise the PCT clearly has no coherent and credible strategy but merely a series of cost cutting measures.
'Even more seriously, these closures are likely to cause hardship to patients forced to travel long distances, are likely to lead to less access and take up of services, and are against Council policy of promoting sustainable communities.
'It has been well documented and accepted by the Cttee and the Cabinet Member for Social Services that cuts in NHS services lead to more pressure on the Council's underfunded and struggling social services. Last year's PCT cuts programme led to an additional £1m burden on the Council's budget.
'The financial basis of such proposed 'Super Health Centres' is unclear. They may well be reliant on the highly controversial and ludicrously expensive PFI schemes (which generally have huge cost over-runs and saddle the taxpayer with massive repayments for decades), and be used as a trojan horse by greedy and ruthless private corporations who are preying like vultures around the edges of our public healthcare system.
'In the light of these points the Cttee have the power and therefore the duty to refer the proposals to the Secretary of State as a substantial variation which is unclear, inadequately costed, inadequately consulted over, and in any event totally unacceptable. We believe that this is clearly the only meaningful and credible action that the Cttee can take, based on the facts. More importantly its the only action that the Cttee can take which can halt the PCT's drive to implement such a highly damaging proposal which will adversely affect tens of thousands of local residents.'
Christina Gradowski from Haringey PCT admitted that valid concerns had been expressed and that the PCT would need to re-think and revise the proposals in the light of what had been said. She admitted a 'more networked approach' was needed for the way any proposed Super Health Clinics would work with local GP surgeries in the surrounding area, with 'more surgeries left open than originally envisaged'. They would 'develop criteria for such closures eg transport issues, local population needs, condition of facilities'. However she admitted that they could not force GP surgeries to close, and that all GPs surgeries under threat of closure would have to consult with their patients first.
Under further questioning, they guaranteed they would bring a revised proposal to the Committee in the new year and re-consult with the public in a more effective way afterwards.
After the meeting, Dave Morris said: 'Public pressure has successfully forced the PCT to think again. However, it is clear that the battle is far from over and that all those who care about their health services need to fight to protect and improve them.'
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