Office of the Trust Special Administrator – Clarification for Beckenham
After making enquiries about the future of the Beacon, the Office of the Trust Special Administrator (TSA) contacted our Association to issue an official clarification to their draft recommendations regarding services in Beckenham. Most importantly it advises that the Beacon will not close. The South London Healthcare Trust (SLHT) will no longer provide services at the Beacon and Bromley CCG will decide what services are to be provided there in the future. Please find a link to the clarification and other reports below.
- Clarification: Office of the Trust Special Administrator – clarification on draft recommendations
- Summary of the TSA’s recommendations:www.tsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/Summary%20of%20TSA%20recommendations.pdf
- Full draft report: www.tsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/TSA-DRAFT-REPORT-WEB.pdf
NHS Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group (Bromley CCG, also currently known as Bromley PCT) and the Beacon
We invited Dr Collins (Director of Health Care System Reform) to attend our joint public meeting with West Beckenham Residents’ Association (attended by 100 residents, Councillors, London Assembly Member, Bob Stewart, MP and Jim Dowd, MP) on 7 Nov 2012 to find out what Bromley CCG intends to do at the Beacon if and when the SLHT pull out.
Mr Collins advised that currently his organisation commissions care at the Beacon. The Bromley CCG currently contract the SLHT to provide most of the services available at the Beacon. If the SLHT pulls out of the site then Bromley CCG will need to find another provider for the services. Mr Collins stated that he did not expect that one day the SLHT would just pull out completely and services stop, but that there would be a transition period. He also advised that he did not expect services at the Beacon to be dropped, however he did note that the way some services are currently provided may change. Our MP, Bob Stewart, pressed Mr Collins on this point and Mr Collins affirmed that the Beacon would not lose services, but that there may also be an opportunity to increase services offered at the Beacon, particularly because the SLHT has been under-using 45% of the space. The idea of Intermediate Care Beds being provided was raised, and Mr Collins said it could be considered as there was a review about such services coming up.
However, with no firm proposals or commitment to what will be provided at the Beacon in the future it is difficult for residents to comment on the TSA’s consultation. Below is a link to a list (taken from the Beacon website) of all the services currently provided by SLHT at the Beacon. As well as making further suggestions to add to this list, there are many questions we should be raising, for instance, should the TSA be ensuring the future of services at the Beacon, rather than just recommending the SLHT pull out?
BEACON – services provided by SLHT
Future of the Princess Royal Hospital (PRU)
The TSA recommends that the PRU go into partnership with Kings College Hospital (a well respected hospital). However, if this is not possible the running of the PRU will go out to tender. Jim Dowd, MP (Lewisham West), spoke to the TSA about this and it appears that Kings College Hospital will get first refusal on running the PRU. If they do not wish to take it on, then someone else will need to be found. The TSA’s recommendations do not seem to safeguard health services provided out of the PRU, they merely seem to recommend two options for offloading it from the SLHT. Do we need further assurances about the future of the PRU and the services it provides?
Lewisham Hospital
The TSA advise that when Lewisham’s A&E is closed the majority of patients can still be seen at Lewisham’s Urgent Care Centre. If you need an A&E is the PRU close enough? If not you may wish to join the campaign to keep Lewisham A&E open, see below. Do not forget to mention Lewisham A&E when you respond to the TSA consultation.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/lewisham-hospital/
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/41027
What residents should do
- Share this information with your neighbours, friends and family affected. Not everyone has internet access, why not invite them in to show them the documents, and help/encourage them to respond to the consultation online or by snail mail. The SLHT going into administration is causing the biggest shake up of healthcare provision in South London for decades, it’s important we all have our say.
- Respond the the TSA consultation by 13 December 2012. Not sure what to say… Our MP Bob Stewart suggested that residents should just tell the TSA what they want. What healthcare services do you want at The Beacon, The PRU and Lewisham Hospital? What concerns do you have? Responses to the consultation do not need to be more complicated than that. Respond to the consultation: www.tsa.nhs.uk/tell-us-what-you-think. If you cannot respond online, please call freephone 0800 953 0110 or email tsaconsultation@nhs.net to request a hardcopy of the consultation response form to be posted to you.
- Attend the TSAs Public Meeting in Bromley, closest one is on Mon 26 Nov at 10am, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley Hill, Bromley, Kent BR1 4JD. Or Thurs 22 Nov at 7pm at Crofton Halls, Crofton Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 8PR. Or Mon 3 Dec at 2pm at Crofton Halls, Crofton Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 8PR.
- Write to the Bromley CCG should you have any concerns about future commissioning of services at the Beacon. Bromley CCG, Bassetts House. Broadwater Gardens, Orpington BR6 7UA.
Copers Cope Area Residents' Association (CCARA) & West Beckenham Residents' Association (WBRA) 