How to kill the NHS in seven easy steps
Category Archives: NHS (local)
NHS promises – read the small print
NHS promises reality check
East Devon Alliance DCC Councillor Shaw on disgraceful NHS Property Services
Press Release:
Summary: Since NHS Property Services was handed ownership of the small, single-story Health Centre (a building the size of a small bungalow) in Colyton in 2016, they have increased basic service charges to the Seaton and Colyton Medical Practice from £6471 to £23018 over 4 years (a 330 per cent increase).
Together with ‘true-up’ charges, the total charges demanded rose from £5556 to £34657 in just two years (a 560 per cent increase), and could top £40k this year.
At the same time the actual service provided has deteriorated. The Centre was without hot water for 3 months until earlier this month, as NHS PS failed to replace the boiler.
The practice is disputing all charges since 2016-17.
The practice has been attempting to negotiate with NHS PS but they have refused to reduce the charges to a reasonable level.
I have brought the matter to Health Scrutiny to ask them to investigate.
I have discovered that the BMA said earlier this year: ‘‘GP leaders have been warning since 2016 that huge extra costs imposed through service charge hikes could force practices to close if they were not reversed.’
I am worried that unless this issue is resolved, the 4000 people in Colyton, Colyford and surrounding rural area could lose the health centre which they rely on.
PAPER FOR DISCUSSION:
NHS Property Services and Colyton Health Centre
Colyton Health Centre is the only GP facility serving the town of Colyton and the surrounding rural area. Seaton and Colyton Medical Practice runs a busy branch surgery in the centre, with a GP and a nurse there all day Monday to Friday. The area has a growing and ageing population, with around 40 per cent over age 65. The Centre is located close to the heart of the town, within walking distance for most of its population.
The Centre maintenance charges
The Centre is a small, single storey building dating from 1960s which the Practice rents from NHS Property Services. The practice pays rent, together with 63 per cent of the costs of running the building.
For many years, these costs to the practice were around £4-5k p.a., reaching £5.5k in 2015-16, the final year with North Devon NHS Trust were landlords. However after NHS Property Services took over ownership of the property in 2016, they escalated enormously. The final figure for the current year, including ‘true-up’, could be as much as £40,000.
[Table here reproduced by photograph]
Service inadequacies
On top of this, the services the practice receives have deteriorated. NHS Property Services contract out the maintenance of the property to Mitie, and there have many examples of when jobs have been badly managed, the problem has been exacerbated rather than fixed, or the jobs have just not been carried out at all.
The Practice Manager states: ‘When preparing for a recent CQC inspection, we had to stick the floor in the nurses’ room down with duct tape as our request to replace it made 5 months previously had not been actioned.
We also discovered that basic fire checks had not been carried out. I have recently been approached by contractors wishing to carry out electrical work requested in 2016 but never actioned, the grass went uncut for most of the summer and in June the boiler was condemned so we have had no hot water or means to heat the building since then.’
The boiler was finally replaced last week but this has only uncovered more problems and the centre remains without hot water after more than 3 months.
Inappropriate charges
The practice has been attempting to negotiate with their landlords for over a year, and from information NHS Property Services have sent in the course of these negotiations they have realised that what they are being billed for is inaccurate.
They are charged over £2,500 per year for grounds maintenance including watering and maintaining of containers (they don’t have any), 4 hours of grass cutting every 2 weeks (they had a wild flower meadow in front of the surgery by July and since then contractors have been twice, each time for about 40 minutes) and fortnightly litter pick-ups (they have never seen anyone picking up litter.)
They have also been charged for the fitting of bed alarms for patients, but there are no beds in Colyton Health Centre (or anywhere else in the Axe Valley).
The unresolved issues
Charges for 2016-17 and 2017-18 remain in dispute, while the company has not yet provided a final figure for 2018-19.
After over a year of negotiations, the Practice has been unable to resolve these amounts or to persuade the company to agree a level of ongoing maintenance charges which would be appropriate to this small building.
The Practice Manager states: ‘We have spent an enormous amount of time as a practice attempting to achieve an acceptable solution which is fair and reflects the work carried out on the building, but so far to no avail. The maintenance is poor and impacts on staff and patients, while the astronomical rise in maintenance charges means we have to seriously consider the financial viability of continuing to operate from this site, something we definitely wish to do.’
Our requests to the Scrutiny Committee
I have brought this to the Committee because the Seaton and Colyton Medical Practice has been unsuccessful over an extended period of time in negotiating a reasonable level of charges and adequate delivery of the maintenance service.
They now feel it is appropriate that there should be public scrutiny of this situation, stating:
‘We appreciate your time in allowing us to bring this matter to your attention, and we would welcome the support of the committee in our attempt to resolve these issues in a satisfactory manner, which will allow us to focus on delivering healthcare to the people of Colyton and the surrounding area.’
As the County Councillor for Seaton and Colyton, representing not only the Practice but also the thousands of patients whom it serves, I hope the Committee will express its concern to NHS Property Services about this situation.
I also believe that the Committee should consider whether the way in which NHS Property Services has treated this practice raises issues about how the company manages properties across Devon.
County Councillor Martin Shaw”
“‘Astronomical rent rises’ threaten Colyton Health Centre”
Sadly, this is being replicated all over the country. It would be cheaper for the practice to rent a residential bungalow and adapt it!
So far our local MP Neil Parish – looking for re-election – has been silent. Maybe time for a challenge to him similar to that of Claire Wright in the othet half of our district …
“In a report to Devon’s Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee today (Monday, September 23) Colyton county councillor Martin Shaw says the centre has been left without a working boiler since June and without basic fire checks being carried out.
Its rent has increased from some £5,000 around five years ago to an expected £40,000 this year, he reports.
Seaton and Colyton Medical Practice has been fighting a long-running battle over rapidly rising charges for the centre, in Grove Hill, since NHS Property Services took over as its landlords.
Combined with rent rises, the maintenance of the property has deteriorated to the extent that basic fire checks have not been carried out, the boiler has not been working for three months, and they are being billed for services that are not being provided, says Cllr Shaw.
His report outlines the problems the Practice is facing and he, with support from the Practice, has called for public scrutiny over NHS Property Services’ behavior.
The centre is a small, single storey building, dating from the 1960s, which the Practice rents from NHS Property Services.
The Practice pays rent, together with 63 per cent of the costs of running the building. Rents used to be around £5,000 a year, hitting a highest figure of £5,500 in 2015-16, the last year in which the North Devon NHS Trust were landlords.
However, since NHS Property Services took over ownership of the property in 2016, the rents have escalated, to £15,422.66 in 2016-17, £34,657.39 in 2017-18, and a figure expected to be around the £40,000 mark for 2018-19.
Cllr Shaw said: “These are ludicrous figures for a building the size of a small bungalow, and the Practice is contesting them.”
The report says that NHS Property Services has also been inaccurately billing the practice – including being charged for fitting bed alarms for patients, when there are no beds in Colyton Health Centre.
Kirstine House, practice manager, added: “When preparing for a recent CQC inspection, we had to stick the floor in the nurses’ room down with duct tape as our request to replace it made five months previously had not been actioned.
“We also discovered that basic fire checks had not been carried out.”
NHS and immigrants
BREAKING NEWS: “GP provider abandons Cranbrook Medical Centre”
And this in a town which has got grants to become a “Healthy New Town”!
“Hundreds of residents could be without GPs if a new provider is not found for Cranbrook Medical Centre by March next year.
Access Health Care (AHC) has revealed it will not be extending its contract which is due to expire in March 2020.
The firm, which operates from the Younghayes Centre, has cited staff recruitment and retention and Cranbrook’s location as reasons to pull the plug on operations.
The medical centre has experienced low patient numbers, adding to AHC’s burgeoning financial pressures.
NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is responsible for planning, paying for and monitoring GP practices in Devon, said its priority is to make sure that the population of Cranbrook continues to have access to a full range of GP services and care.
Mark Procter, director of primary care at the CCG, said: “We have a number of options to explore and are committed to finding the right solution for Cranbrook.
“All services continue at Cranbrook Medical Centre and patients should attend appointments as normal.
“We are writing to patients with further information this week and will keep them up to date with developments.”
Three drop-in sessions have been arranged at the centre so the CCG can hear people’s views on the process.
The first two will be held on Tuesday, October 15, from 10am to noon, and 2pm to 4pm.
The third will be staged on Wednesday, October 16, from 6pm to 8pm.
Mr Proctor said: “In the meantime, please be reassured that there is no need for you to take any action and all appointments and services continue as normal at Cranbrook Medical Centre.”
https://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/gp-provider-abandons-cranbrook-medical-centre-1-6278291
As parent of sick child confronts him, Boris Johnson denies press are there – while being filmed by press!
“An angry relative of a sick child has confronted Boris Johnson during a hospital visit, criticising the NHS as “not acceptable”.
Mr Johnson was visiting Whipps Cross University Hospital in northeast London when he was confronted by the man on a children’s ward.
In a conversation lasting around two minutes, the man claimed there were not enough doctors or nurses and accused the prime minister of visiting the hospital for a “press opportunity”.
He told Mr Johnson: “There are not enough people on this ward, there are not enough doctors, there’s not enough nurses, it’s not well organised enough.
“The NHS has been destroyed… and now you come here for a press opportunity.”
In response, the prime minister said: “There’s no press here.”
However, the man was quick to point to cameras filming the altercation, saying: “What do you mean there’s no press here, who are these people?”
Bournemouth council lends money to local NHS
“A South West Council has agreed a £14.9m loan to its local NHS foundation trust for a new pathology centre.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council last week agreed the loan, which, at an annual interest rate of 3.5%, will reap it £4.2m over the 15 year period of the loan.
The trust will use the cash to pay for a new pathology unit, which the trust hopes will lead to efficiency savings.
A report to councillors said that “it is important to emphasise that the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch NHS Foundation Trusts will be required to make £993k annual capital repayments and the associated interest payment regardless of their financial position, operational performance or success of the One Dorset Pathology service”.
Foundation trusts are not legally allowed to secure a loan against operational assets, so the loan will be unsecured, the report said.
However, it would be issued based on creditor assurance as laid out in Department of Health guidance.
A risk assessment carried out the council concluded that central government would pick up any liabilities if the trust got into financial difficulties and was dissolved.
“This means that all creditors of an FT are protected and all liabilities of all FTs are safeguarded,” the report said.
The trust will make repayments of just under £1m each year.
An interest rate of 3.5% has been based on a suggested rate of 2.75% plus the 0.75% EU state aid margin rate for organisations for strong and normal levels of collateral.
The council said that it would earn £2.4m more on the loan than if it invested it at the prevailing 15-year interest rate.
A one-off upfront arrangement fee of £45,000 will also be payable to cover due diligence and monitoring work.
The council has extended its normal five-year period for investments in order to allow the loan to be made.
The new pathology facility will either be built on land owned by the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital at Castle Land East Bournemouth or by land purchased from the Council which is currently part of an adjoining site.
The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides healthcare to the residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch, East Dorset and part of the New Forest. It gained Foundation status in 2005.
The council follows two others which are known to have made similar loans to NHS trusts.
In 2014, Northumberland County Council finalised a loan of £100m to a local NHS trust, which used the money to buy itself out of its outstanding PFI contracts.
In May last year, Blackpool Council agreed a loan of £27.1m to Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to help restructure the trust’s debt.”
Colyton: maintenance costs for building the size of a small bungalow more than tripled after NHS Property Services took control – and maintenance reduced!
From the blog of East Devon Alliance DCC Councillor Martin Shaw:
“Seaton and Colyton Medical Practice have been fighting a long-running battle over rapidly rising charges for the Health Centre. Total maintenance charges rose from £5556 in 2015-16 (the last year before NHS Property Services took over) to £15,422.66 in 2016-17 and £34,657.39 in 2017-18, with the threat of their topping £40,000 this year. As users will realise, these are ludicrous figures for a building the size of a small bungalow, and the Practice is contesting them.
At the same time, actual service under the maintenance contract has been lamentable – the Centre was still without hot water last week after the boiler broke down in June. The Practice has brought the matter to my attention and I have put it on the agenda of the Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee next Tuesday (pp 87-90).
NHS Property Services is a company set up by the Government to manage the NHS estate, with a mandate to charge commercial rents and, where appropriate, sell ‘surplus’ property. The Health Centre was handed over to the company in 2016, along with our community hospitals, when the RD&E took over our area from the North Devon trust.”
Health “care” US-style
NHS Doctor Paul Hobday reads the end of his novel “The Deceit Syndrome”
“This entertaining novel’s message about the deceitful clandestine plot to dismantle the National Health Service should be shouted from the rooftops.
It exposes the self-serving politicians, medics and compliant media behind an evil venture with hard unpalatable truths. The author draws upon his own career’s experience as a family doctor and his bold approach to writing intertwines real world politics with a compelling story line that is intriguing and scary, but often very funny and touching.
THE DECEIT SYNDROME joins forces with plays, songs and films such as The Great NHS Heist that have all been produced to convince the public of what is happening to healthcare without their knowledge or consent. Paul’s non-profit ethos, sending all royalties to support campaigns to save the NHS, should alone encourage everyone who cares about the best thing this country ever did to buy this powerful and persuasive novel. ~ Dr Bob Gill (GP and film maker)
“Highlights the horrors of NHS privatisation in an imaginative and eye-opening way” ~ Francesca Martinez (comedienne and NHS supporter)” “I cannot wait to promote this wonderful book on our Keep Our St Helier Hospital (KOSHH) campaign stand in southwest London” ~ Sandra Ash (NHS campaigner)”
Which country has the most hospital beds per 100,000 population?
When is an NHS leaflet NOT an NHS leaflet? When Dominic Cummings says it isn’t
PM sees state of NHS in Cornwall
REMEMBER THIS IS NOT NEW MONEY – IT IS MONEY THE HOSPITAL HAD TO SAVE WHICH HAS NOW BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO BE USED:
“Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been visiting the Royal Cornwall Hospital near Truro, confirming that the site is in line to receive £99.9m for a new women’s and children’s unit.
Mr Johnson said the money would be available “as soon as the hospital wants it”.
However, despite the visit, there was still a reminder of the pressure the system is under, with six ambulances queuing outside the emergency department at about 13:00 on Monday – around the time Mr Johnson was on site (it is not suggested the two matters are connected).
The trust’s website said there was a two-hour wait for urgent care at 14:45 with 24 patients waiting to be seen.”
Another developer attempts to rip-off EDDC (and the NHS)
.”A housing developer has been accused of ‘blackmail’ over a refusal to pay any contribution to the NHS.
Councillors had previously agreed to a land swap between the Exeter Science Park and Eagle One that would make the next phase of the Science Park expansion more deliverable and allow the 150 new homes to form an extension of the Redhayes/Mosshayne development.
The plans were agreed by councillors in April, subject to a viability assessment of a £216,000 contribution towards the NHS due to the impact of the development.
At last Tuesday’s East Devon District Council development management committee meeting, Chris Rose, the council’s development manager, said that the NHS contribution would not have a sufficiently detrimental impact on scheme viability to cause the proposed land transfer to fail.
But he said that Eagle One have said that as the overall transaction would not be in their interest, they will not agree to provide any NHS contribution.
Officers had recommended that councillors approve the application, even without any NHS contribution.
Mr Rose said: “In pure viability grounds, our viability consultant considers that with the contribution to the Trust, the development is still just viable but could certainly support a reduced sum of £81,422 as officers have tried to negotiate.
“However, the applicant is not prepared to enter into a S106 agreement which includes any contribution to the Trust as they consider it doesn’t meet the tests for acceptability and that the land deal is on the basis of what was previously agreed without the contribution to the Trust.
“The options open to the council are therefore to either refuse planning permission on the basis that the development does not adequately mitigate its impact on health services, or accept that no contribution to the Trust will be forthcoming and proceed.
“The main risk with a refusal is that the proposed land deal would be lost which would negatively impact on the delivery of the Science Park.
“To issue an approval of planning permission without the contribution to the Trust would secure the land deal and have huge benefits to the progress of the Science Park. Members would need to be clear that to do this would accept no mitigation for the impact of the development on health services.
While at the current time, significant weight should be attached to the request for a contribution to the NHS Trust, it is considered that greater weight should be attached to the proposed land transfer which will facilitate significant long terms gains for the delivery of a major science park integrated with the other development happening in the area.
“While there are grounds to secure a contribution to the Trust, nevertheless the applicant will not agree to a contribution and have advised that they will not enter into the land transfer on this basis. “The only way for the Council to proceed with confidence that the land swap transaction will go ahead would be without the NHS contribution.”
He added though that late documentation had been provided by the applicant from neighbouring councils to support Eagle One’s assertion that the NHS’s request was not justified, but that officers had not had the chance to fully assess the documentation.
Cllr Kevin Blakey, portfolio holder for economy, said that the application should be approved due to the benefits it would bring to the Science Park, and that if it was refused, the land swap deal was almost certain to fail.
He added: “Although the request is legal, this deal won’t proceed if there is a requirement for Eagle One to make a contribution. It may be unpalatable but if we want to see this happen and introduce opportunities for highly paid and highly skilled jobs, this deal should proceed.”
But Cllr Mike Allen, lead member for business and employment, said that while the land swap should proceed, there should be a contribution for the NHS as it was viable. He added: “This has been rejected by Eagle One and I think they have stepped over the line from negotiation to bullying.”
Cllr Steve Gazzard said that he had real concerns about the application and that Eagle One’s behaviour was ‘tantamount to blackmail’. He said: “They will build 150 homes so that could be up to 500 people, and it will increase pressure on the NHS. It is not an undemanding request that they should provide something.”
He proposed that the application be deferred to seek further advice on the legitimacy of the health contribution following additional information being submitted by the applicant.
Cllr Paul Hayward supported him, although said: “I wouldn’t use the word blackmail. I think undue pressure may be better. I am sure there is a reason why the NHS has asked, so we have to take it into account. We have asked for something, and they are saying they won’t pay and won’t move their position at all. We need to see the evidence.”
The council’s solicitor, Henry Gordon Lennox, said that officers had considered the benefits from the land swap were sufficiently great that the application should be approved, even if there is no contribution towards the NHS.
He said: “We were content that the contribution was justified, and we have now been given information that it isn’t, and we haven’t had a chance to look at it properly. But as they aren’t paying a contribution anyway, so it is irrelevant.
“Our officers are suggesting you approve it without any contribution to the NHS. If you are not willing to do that, then deferral is the right option, as we need to understand the legitimacy of the health contribution.”
The committee agreed to defer a decision for a further month to seek further advice on the legitimacy of the health contribution.”
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/blackmail-claims-over-housing-developers-3205288
Not the first time Eagle One has hit the headlines:
Survey on local health services
Please do fill in this survey – it has a lot of open-ended questions about what you think – but remember this survey is about cuts so it needs to be emphasised that cuts are not the answer – increased funding IS.
From the blog of Claire Wright, Independent Parliamentary candidate for East Devon:
“The local NHS says there’s a funding shortfall so is asking people their views…
The local NHS – Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NEW Devon CCG) – is asking Devon residents their views on health services, after outlining in a presentation sent to councillors, information about a funding shortfall, workforce shortages, a population increase and lengthening waiting times.
They say:
One in 10 nurse jobs and 1 in 12 social worker posts in Devon remain vacant as demand for services increase.
There have been increases in NHS funding, but peoples’ needs for services are growing faster
Devon is struggling to provide timely access to services. In addition, a rise of conditions like cancer, heart disease and dementia will put the health and social care system under more pressure unless more flexible, joined up approaches are taken
The county’s population will rise by about 33,000 people equivalent to the population of Exmouth over the next five years
The number of people aged over 85 in Devon will double in the next 20 years. W e need to be able to offer all the services they need as an even greater priority
The CCG says it does not have all the funding it needs to deliver the ‘current models of service provision.’
Here’s the link to the questionnaire. It closes on 5 September.
I urge you to complete the survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BetterDevon
For a full copy of the briefing contact Ross.Jago@nhs.net”
The local NHS says there’s a funding shortfall so is asking people their views…
“Johnson’s NHS cash ‘money trusts already have’ “
“Much of the £1.8bn for NHS infrastructure announced by Boris Johnson is money providers already have, health experts have said.
On Sunday the government announced the cash injection, which consists of £1bn in capital spending for infrastructure projects and around £850m to upgrade existing outdated facilities and equipment.
The £850m will be available for 20 hospitals in England over a five-year period while the £1bn will be used to tackle a backlog of maintenance issues this year.
Although the government has repeatedly claimed this was ‘new’ money, health experts have said it was mainly giving trusts permission to spend cash they already have.
Dr Eleanor Roy, health and social care policy manager at CIPFA, said: “It should be noted that more than half of this ‘boost’ to the NHS represents cash that many NHS providers already have.”
The prime minister’s announcement “merely raises the capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) threshold for the health services overall”, she said. …”
https://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2019/08/johnsons-nhs-cash-money-trusts-already-have
No “new” hospital money for Devon
The “new” money for hospitals, announced by Boris Johnson, is actually money for projects already agreed but where funding had not been released. Suddenly the “magic money tree” has sprouted new leaves and plans for 20 projects are being given the go-ahead.
None are in Devon.
Most are in leave constituencies.
“Boris Johnson will upgrade hospitals in Leave-voting seats as he attempts to see off the electoral threat from the Brexit Party.
The Prime Minister has announced a £850million funding boost to add hundreds of new hospital beds and improve facilities in 20 hospitals across the country.
The money, which will be spent predominantly in Leave-voting constituencies, is part of a £1.8billion funding boost for the NHS, in addition to the £20bn a year Theresa May pledged for the NHS.
The new money will be funded by dipping into Philip Hammond’s £26.6billion “fiscal headroom”, a Downing Street spokesman said. …”
Swire’s pal spending like a drunken sailor on Brexit while NHS and Social Care starves
East Devon Watch 