|
In December last year, I wrote that I had been working on
a new, exciting development for Westlakes and that an announcement would be
forthcoming in early 2007.
 In
case you missed it, I held a press conference at Westlakes on January 29th
alongside Manchester University's Dalton Institute and the NDA to announce
the Dalton Cumbria Facility - one of only three specialist nuclear research
facilities anywhere in the world. This not only represents an investment of
over £20 million in Copeland, but it will help us to achieve our ambition of
becoming one of the world's leading centres for the nuclear industry.
Alongside the new academy school, the nuclear skills academy at the
Westlakes College (Lillyhall) the National Nuclear Laboratory at Sellafield,
the soon to be established University of Cumbria, the development of the
University of Central Lancashire at Westlakes Science Park and other
emerging plans surrounding secondary schools in Copeland we can now boast an
unprecedented educational architecture in Copeland and West Cumbria and this
will provide us with the foundation for or future success.
Cottage Hospitals Saved
This week fetched the hard won announcement from the
Cumbria Primary Care Trust that Cumbria's Community Hospitals are to remain
open. This follows months of campaigning by myself, councillors, local
people and medical professionals throughout Cumbria and the unprecedented
investment of over £18 million to the local health economy from the NDA
following lengthy representations made by Tony Cunningham and me.
By working as a united community we have been able to defeat proposals from
the previous primary care trust to remove beds from many of our community
hospitals and close others and our cottage hospitals can now be free of the
fear which has dogged them. The new Cumbria PCT has listened to local voices
and has responded in a responsible manner -it deserves credit for this.
Clearly, this couldn't have happened without the extra funding secured from
the NDA and the NDA must be commended for agreeing to make a high risk
investment in our health services - the risk has paid off.
But we now need this announcement in writing. I understand why people will
want this guarantee on paper and I will be contacting the Chief Executive of
the Primary Care Trust to ensure that this guarantee is forthcoming without
delay.
The new Cumbria PCT must now adopt the same approach with regard to the
ongoing whole systems review of health services in Cumbria; starting with
the provision of consultant led maternity services at the West Cumberland
Hospital.
Talking of which...
National Expert Supports the Case for
Consultant led Maternity Service at WCH
"...what will be right for Whitechapel will not
necessarily work in Whitehaven.. There is no optimum number of births to
make a unit sustainable." Dr Sheila Shribman
This week also fetched welcome support from Dr Sheila Shribman, National
Clinical Director for Children, Young People and Maternity Services
concerning the need to retain consultant led maternity services at the West
Cumberland Hospital.
In her newly published report 'Making It Better: For Mother and Baby',
Dr Shribman writes, "The provision of NHS maternity services has never
been more important. Historically, maternity services have been planned
around local geography, existing configurations and available NHS buildings
and subsequent changes have been undertaken in a piecemeal fashion. Women
and babies deserve better.
Using these and other ways of improving care as a guide, services can
improve but what will be right for Whitechapel will not necessarily work in
Whitehaven. There is no optimum number of births to make a unit
sustainable."
It would appear that the country's leading maternity services specialist
is now listening to us.
Dr Shribman's report clearly recognises that one size of health service does
not fit all, and more importantly, that birth numbers should not determine
the sustainability of a comprehensive maternity service. This report also
tells us that when it comes to designing acute health services, geography
does matter.
None of this means that the battle to retain consultant obstetric and
gynaecological services at the West Cumberland Hospital is over. On the
contrary this report is another piece of supporting evidence from an eminent
source which supports the view that the women of West Cumbria need
consultant-led obstetric and gynaecological services at the West Cumberland
Hospital.
This follows the exhaustive review of maternity services under taken by
Professor Maggie Blott who was unable to recommend the removal of such
services from the hospital following her recent work. Clearly, this must
contribute towards the whole systems review being
undertaken by the Primary Care Trust as it provides a compelling way forward
for the servic es which we need
at our hospital in West Cumbria.
West Cumbria is faced with urban problems in a rural environment - we are a
unique case and we require unique solutions. The trust must listen,
understand and produce a service model which provides an acute hospital
which meets our needs.
The work goes on.
|
