Stephen Robinson's S.O.S. for the NHS

Stephen Robinson has been discussing the findings of his NHS survey

In autumn 2007, Chelmsford Liberal Democrats conducted a survey of people's experiences of the NHS in the area. It is believed to be the biggest consultation on health ever undertaken in Chelmsford.

Stephen Robinson wrote a letter with a survey to houses across Chelmsford and has spent weeks reading and analysing the many hundreds of replies. He said, "I am delighted that so many people took the trouble to complete what was a lengthy survey. Chelmsford people are generally happy with the care provided by our hard-working NHS staff but unhappy about red tape and central government interference."

Over 70% were happy with waiting times to see GPs and nearly 90% satisfied with the consultation. However, half of respondents were unhappy with out of hours care, and the majority were opposed to the closure of St. John's hospital.

Less than 30% of people thought the NHS had improved under the Labour government, and over half thought it wastes money.

Mr. Robinson also said "It was also good to learn that people overwhelmingly back Lib Dem proposals for more local decision-making in the NHS, and screening for serious illnesses so they can be caught early."

Over 80% of people opposed Conservative plans to allow queue jumping by people who could afford to pay towards NHS treatment. Also, a large majority supported Lib Dem plans for health decisions to be taken locally - not all in Whitehall as now. This would provide a more effective and accountable health service.

"The Liberal Democrats want to see good quality local health services here in Chelmsford and across the country," said Stephen Robinson. "After record increases in the amount of money going into the NHS, we are entitled to ask why things are not rather better. We see huge deficits; staff posts not being filled; hospital closures, and poor cleanliness."

Stephen, along with Peter Wilcock (Lib Dem candidate in Saffron Walden) and Norman Lamb (Lib Dem spokesman on health) recently visited the Cheif Executive of Mid Essex Health Trust, Ruth May, to discuss the findings, and particularly to discuss the Trust's moves towards Foundation Status and the development of the PFI project at Broomfield. They were pleased to find that great progress has been made on tackling superbugs at Broomfield, and also on hitting the target for all patients being treated within 18 weeks of GP referral.

However, Norman Lamb raised concerns that his experience of PFI hospitals in Norfolk had been that cost-cutting had led to bed shortages. There also appeared to still be problems with bed-blocking, as a result of failures within the County Council run social services to provide the appropriate care.

The Lib Dems have launched a petition calling for:

• An end to the cuts - hospitals are under threat, staff being made redundant and services slashed.

• Cut the waste - While services are being cut the Government is spending millions on computer systems that have yet to deliver and botched reforms which don't help patients.

• Give people more say - Under both Labour and Conservative Governments it has been Ministers that have ALL the say while local people have NO say. The Lib Dems want to see more control of the NHS in the hands of local people.

Follow this link to sign the petition.

You can still take the survey at this link.

SOS for the NHS - Lib Dem campaign.

Related NHS news items in Chelmsford

Mon 4th Aug 2008:

Lib Dem campaigners secure commitment to review parking charges at Broomfield Hospital.

Local Liberal Democrat campaigners have secured a commitment that the unfair parking charges at Broomfield hospital will be reviewed after Mid Essex Hospital Trust has paid off its outstanding debts in April 2009. This was one of the complaints raised most frequently by the 1,400 respondents to Stephen Robinson's recent inquiry into the state of the NHS in Chelmsford.

Mon 9th Jun 2008:

Survey reveals support for Lib Dem health plans.

In a major survey of our local health services, Chelmsford residents have said they are mostly happy with standards of medical care and NHS staff, but have attacked waste of money, bad management and interference from central Government. The findings come in a survey conducted by the local Liberal Democrats and Parliamentary Candidate Stephen Robinson.

Fri 7th Sep 2007:

SOS for the NHS - survey launched.

Local Liberal Democrats are campaigning against cuts to the local health services. They have launched a petition and are distributing a Health Survey right across Chelmsford. "We want to give local people a chance to have their say on local health services and health policy in general," said Parliamentary Candidate Stephen Robinson.

Thu 30th Nov 2006:

Hospital problems down to central controls.

A "Whitehall knows best" mentality has been blamed for the problems with the expansion plans at Broomfield hospital. Chelmsford Liberal Democrat Stephen Robinson has written to the local papers on these lines, following their coverage of the issue. The papers reported that building plans had been put on hold while the project was reviewed.

Earlier Stories

Complete archive on the official site.

Chelmsford Liberal Democrats News Stories, provided by Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/.

(c) 2008 Chelmsford Liberal Democrats

Other NHS news items

Wed 20th Aug 2008:

Diabetes strategy worthless without obesity focus - Lamb.

Commenting on today’s Department of Health study into progress made since the publication of its diabetes plan for England five years ago, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "This report shows the NHS has taken a step in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go before people with diabetes are getting the help they need to manage their condition. "But what is most striking about the report is what it doesn’t say. Almost no mention is made of the big risk that, unless we effectively tackle obesity, the number of people suffering with diabetes will almost certainly increase. "A diabetes strategy will not be worth the paper it’s written on if a greater focus is not put on obesity. "The Government is spending an enormous amount on treating conditions caused by obesity and not nearly enough on prevention. It’s treating the symptom rather than the underlying causes. "We need to ensure that the message about the vital importance of a healthy lifestyle gets through to the public, especially to children and families."

Two thirds of hospitals missed MRSA targets - Lamb.

Almost two thirds of hospital trusts failed to meet the target to halve the number of MRSA cases, despite Government claims to have tackled the problem, analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. Although the Government claimed to have virtually halved the rate of MRSA in hospitals by April 2008, figures show that its targets to fight the superbug were not met in 64% of hospital trusts. In addition, MRSA rates have actually increased in one in seven hospitals. Analysis of Government figures shows that out of 170 NHS trusts: · 64% (109 trusts) did not meet the target of halving the number of MRSA cases compared to 2003-04 · 11% (18 trusts) saw the number of cases rise in the past four years · 14% (23 trusts) saw their rate of MRSA cases rise Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "Now the deadline for its own MRSA target has passed, the Government might think the pressure is off. But it’s not off for the NHS. "These figures show that ministers’ claims of success in the fight against superbugs were premature. "In recent years the NHS has become so used to having commands shouted down to it from Ministers that there is a risk that the sudden lack of interest leads to a let up in the fight against MRSA. This must not happen. "The vast majority of NHS trusts have achieved real improvements in infection rates over the last few years and they deserve praise for that. However, this only highlights the fact that ministers have failed to implement best practice, and makes it all the more unacceptable when poor management or poor practices result in high infection rates."

Thu 7th Aug 2008:

Patients have a right to pest-free hospitals - Gidley.

Commenting on figures released today that reveal there have been 20,000 incidents of pest infestation in NHS hospitals in the past two years, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Sandra Gidley said: "People will be revolted by this news and need to know that vermin control is stopping the spread of disease. "Patients have a right to expect our hospitals are made pest free. "The public needs reassurance that these incidents are not large scale, not reaching clinical areas and are not endangering lives."

Wed 6th Aug 2008:

Patients have a right to pest-free hospitals - Gidley.

Commenting on figures released today that reveal there have been 20,000 incidents of pest infestation in NHS hospitals in the past two years, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Sandra Gidley said: "People will be revolted by this news and need to know that vermin control is stopping the spread of disease. "Patients have a right to expect our hospitals are made pest free. "The public needs reassurance that these incidents are not large scale, not reaching clinical areas and are not endangering lives."

Thu 31st Jul 2008:

Government has broken promise on GP access - Lamb.

One quarter of patients are unable to see a GP within 48 hours, and in the worst trust over half of patients have to wait more than two working days to see their GP, a national survey by the Healthcare Commission has revealed. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "Patients are still having to wait for an unacceptable amount of time to see their GPs. "Four years ago, ministers guaranteed that everybody would be able to see a doctor within 48 hours, but they have broken their promise. "The massive discrepancy in waiting times shows that the postcode lottery is still very much a feature of healthcare in this country. "The Government’s obsession with prioritising central targets at all costs risks alienating staff and compromising patient care."

Tue 29th Jul 2008:

Treatment of disabled NHS patients despicable - Gidley.

Commenting on the publication today of Sir Jonathan Michael’s inquiry into NHS care for people with learning disabilities which reveals that laws to protect them are often ignored, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Sandra Gidley said: "It is despicable that some of the most vulnerable members of society are being let down in this way. "What’s worse is that laws are in place to protect these people, but they are being ignored. "The relatives of patients with learning disabilities are often best placed to understand their needs, and should not be ignored when it comes to determining the best course of treatment for their loved ones. "The Government must ensure that the recommendations made in this report are implemented immediately."

Mon 28th Jul 2008:

GPs in need of better sex education - Gidley.

Commenting on today’s report from the Medical Foundation for Aids and Sexual Health which describes sexual health care offered by GPs as ‘patchy’, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Sandra Gidley said: "This report highlights the need for better sex education, and it appears that some GPs are unwilling or unable to cope with these sensitive issues. "Patients should be able to receive top quality service for any medical condition, including sexual health problems. "Doctors are paid for good performance when it comes to diabetes, perhaps a similar approach is required for sexual health."

Fri 25th Jul 2008:

Mental health discrimination unacceptable - Lamb.

Commenting on this week’s Healthcare Commission report, which showed that failures in mental health wards affect black people the most, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "The state of our mental health services in many parts of the country is wholly unacceptable. "The depressing truth is that there are disproportionate numbers of black and ethnic minority people in mental health wards. "The Government needs to urgently assess why there appears to be discrimination within mental health services against black and ethnic minorities."

NHS financial crises happening here and now - Lamb.

Commenting on reports that hospital staff in Cumbria are being offered cash to quit their jobs following budget cuts due to centrally-imposed efficiency targets, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "We’ve been led to believe that cutting NHS staff because of financial crises was a thing of the past, but it is happening here and now. "The danger is that the quality of patient care will suffer if large scale severance packages are made."

Wed 23rd Jul 2008:

Doctor assessments must not be bureaucratic - Lamb.

Doctor assessments must not be bureaucratic - Lamb Commenting on Government plans to introduce a system of five-yearly assessments for all UK doctors, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "Plans to ensure that patients receive a higher standard of care are naturally welcomed. "However, ministers must ensure that this system is not bureaucratic or overly burdensome. It would be counterproductive to take doctors away from critical patient care."

Thu 17th Jul 2008:

Number of children taking drugs shockingly high - Lamb .

Commenting on today’s NHS statistics which show that 25% of children aged 11-15 have tried drugs at least once, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "While the fall in children experimenting with drugs is welcome, the percentage of children trying drugs is still shockingly high. "The Government must ensure that public health messages on the dangers of drugs and alcohol continue to get through."

Superbug rise show Government success claims premature - Lamb.

Commenting on Government figures released today which reveal cases of the superbug C. difficile have increased six percent in the last quarter, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "These figures show that ministers’ claims of success were premature. The increase in C diff is particularly disturbing given that it was looking as though progress was being made in the fight against superbugs. "This casts doubt on the Government’s strategy, which focused on a clinically unjustified deep clean, and has ignored the problem of superbugs in care homes and nursing homes. "Ministers have failed to implement best practice across the country, with some hospitals winning the fight against superbugs, and others failing massively."

Wed 16th Jul 2008:

260,000 unable to see a doctor - Lamb.

Commenting on today’s results of the annual GP Patient Access Survey which reveals that 260,000 patients questioned were unable to make an appointment to see their GP within 48 hours, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "Patients are still having to wait for an unacceptable amount of time to see their GPs. "The Government guaranteed in 2004 that people would be able to see a doctor within 48 hours, and they have failed to keep this promise. "Ministers’ obsession with prioritising central targets at all costs risks alienating staff and compromising patient care."

Obesity and alcohol undermining healthcare - Lamb.

Commenting on today’s [Wednesday] report from the Healthcare Commission on public health services which warns of the profound effect alcohol and obesity have on mortality rates, and the rate of long-term conditions, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "While there have been improvements in healthcare, these threaten to be undermined by the alarming rises in obesity and alcohol-related illnesses in this country. "We need a health system that focuses on prevention as well as cure. Problems often start at a young age. "Ministers have sat idly by and allowed the programmes which could cut the number of obesity and alcohol related health problems in the long-term to wither due to lack of funds. This short-sightedness is costing the NHS dearly. "The health crisis in this country won’t be solved through the haphazard use of targets. We need to ensure that the message about the vital importance of a healthy lifestyle gets through to the public - especially to children and families."

Tue 15th Jul 2008:

Shock rise in STIs reveals Government complacency - Lamb.

Commenting on today’s figures that show a 6% rise in the number of number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) being diagnosed across the UK, with young people aged 16-24 accounting for half of all newly diagnosed STIs, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "This shocking increase is a stark reminder of the complacency shown by the Government in tackling this issue. "The Government is guilty of criminal neglect in slashing public health spending over recent years and massively underspending health promotion budgets. This short sightedness is putting a whole generation at risk of a sexual health crisis. "It is particularly disturbing to see such a large number of young people contracting STIs. "The Government must now ensure that all children receive quality sex and relationship education."

Earlier Stories

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