Thame hospital medical cover fight goes on

A DELEGATION from Thame, including GPs, yesterday pleaded with the Board of their Primary Care Trust to listen to the strength of local feeling against reducing medical cover at Thame hospital.

Drs Duncan Keeley and Richard Harrington, together with Sarah Taylor (Chair of the League of Friends of Thame Community Hospital)cited a petition of over 2,100 signatures collected in opposition to a proposal to reduce the hours of medical cover at the hospital, to just four hours a week.

DECISION TO BE SCRUTINISED

They also asked the board to extend their temporary contract with the Rycote and Wellington House practices for medical cover, for the month of September 2009, during which time the issue is to be considered by Buckinghamshire County Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

IS IT LEGAL?

Dr Duncan Keeley explained to ThameNews.Net: “The committee has to decide whether what is taking place constitutes substantial alteration in services, because if it does, then Bucks PCT was under a legal obligation to consult publically on the change, which it has not!”

IS IT SAFE?

“Four hours a week of medical cover is inadequate and unsafe,” added Dr Keeley. “We can only assume that the private company contracted for all the community hospitals in Bucks were not aware of the previous standards of medical care and not aware of the level of care needed at Thame.”

WRONG

Dr Keeley continued: “We believe that the course the PCT is proposing to take on this is wrong…Wrong for the quality of care offered to vulnerable elderly patients..Wrong for the needs of the health economy in these difficult times and wrong in its disregard for local public concern and the need for consultation over changes in service.”

Dr Keeley expressed his thanks to John Howell MP, who has been actively supporting the cause and to Robin Gibb, who went along to Thame market on Tuesday (18/08/09) and signed the petition.

HOW TO HAVE YOUR SAY

If you have comments on the proposed changes in medical cover for Thame Community Hospital please could you consider writing to

Councillor Mike Appleyard
Chair
Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Buckinghamshire County Council
County Hall
Walton Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP20 1UA

Or e-mail him at consultation@buckscc.gov.uk

Copy to
Mr Ed Macalister-Smith
Chief Executive
Buckinghamshire Primary Care Trust
3rd Floor Rapid House
40 Oxford Road
High Wycombe
Bucks HP11 2EE

Copy to
The League of Friends of Thame Community Hospital
c/o Thame Community Hospital
East Street
Thame
Oxon

And / or attend the public meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Friday 11th September 2009 10.00 am

Meeting will be held at ?
Wycombe District Council
Queen Victoria Road
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP11 1BB
This is a public meeting where there is a time limited slot to allow questions from members of the public. There will be a representative from the PCT to present their plans and rationale and to answer questions.

PHOTO: Dr Duncan Keeley, of the Rycote Practice, Thame