26/08/10….Changes ahead for Thame hospital

WE want better communication with our health care providers, we want a minor injuries department, X ray facilities, more provision for respite care and we want our local GPs to be more involved with our care at Thame Community Hospital. Oh, and by the way, we want to keep our Day Centre!

These were some of the views expressed by local people to the organisation responsible for providing community health services in Thame, The Hospitals NHS Trust which hosted an event at Thame Barns Centre yesterday.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

The aim of this meeting and several similar events planned around Buckinghamshire and Thame, is for the Trust to give an update on its current progress since its integration with Community Health Buckinghamshire in April, to share its ?vision for the future? and to seek views on how it can provide more healthcare services in the community.

?We want to find out what is important to our patients and how we can make the best use of our community hospitals, ensuring they are an integral part of the communities they serve,? explained Lynne Swiatczak, the Trust?s Chief nurse and Director of patient care standards.

M/s Swiatczak explained that the Trust?s ideas for the future included improved care for long term conditions such as terminal illness, COPD (Asthma and other breathing conditions), heart failure and diabetes; increased use of community hospitals, developing more local access to services and making community hospitals the centre of the community.

WORKING IN TEAMS

She said that the Trust wanted to bring together nursing, therapy and social care workers into integrated teams to provide a ??.fully comprehensive and seamless service, responding to urgent health and social care needs 24/7.?

Brenda Prosser, a former Social Worker, welcomed this initiative, pointing out that working in care teams was the norm in her day and worked very well.

INPATIENT BEDS TO STAY AT THAME?

M/s Swiatczak said that the Trust intended to retain inpatient beds at Thame hospital and focus on ?more active rehabilitation eg hip operations, which is better for the patient, the carers and the family.? Finally, the Trust aimed to provide more health services from Thame hospital ??to ensure that it is an integral part of the local community.?

HOW WILL THE CHANGES BE PAID FOR?

A local man, Mr Royal, asked if the Trust has actual plans to make these changes and how it was going to pay for them. The answer was: ?We have some plans more worked out than others which need ?meat put on the bones.? There is no doubt that now the NHS is ?under the cosh? and has to save