People are suffering from consultation overload, according to a member of the Pembrokeshire Community Health Council (Pembs CHC.) The member was referring to the county's draft 'Health, Social Care, and Well Being Strategy', which is out for consultation this summer. The strategy's authors, Pembrokeshire LHB, responded to the remarks by saying that its recent associated roadshows 'Health Challenge Pembrokeshire', rolled out across the county during July, had been a tremendous success. The board's chairman, Chris Martin, told members of the CHC that the road shows were so popular that 'people were queuing to get in'. The roadshows and the leaflet sent to all households in Pembrokeshire were aimed at increasing public awareness and people's participation in health issues. "The clear message is to encourage people to look after their own health," stressed Mr. Martin, addressing the July meeting of Pembrokeshire CHC. "But what will the strategy achieve?" queried a member. "All it (the strategy) does is identify the problems. Our concern is finding solutions to the problems." According to the LHB, the priorities will be agreed in September, following the summer-long consultation process. Other members congratulated the board on the draft strategy, but stressed that young people needed to be targeted in their own right.
'Excellent PRESENTATIONS'
Members of Pembrokeshire Community Health Council (Pembs CHC) with a special interest in the county's mental health services have paid tribute to the dialogue they are having with professionals from Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust. When Pembs CHC met in July, the volunteer members of the council's mental health and learning disabilities sub-committee praised the series of 'excellent presentations' they had received from Trust staff.
NEARING COMPLETION
The new building recently constructed in Carmarthen for the re-settlement of six long term patients of the former Hensol Hospital in south Wales is nearing completion, but its opening is hampered by the lack of professional nursing staff and assistants for the facility, members of Pembrokeshire Community Health Council heard recently. Two council members will continue to monitor the re-settlement programme on behalf of patients and the public. COUNSELLING SERVICE
The work of the Pembrokeshire Counselling Service and Shalom House Trust Hospice were cited as good examples of volunteering in the community, when Pembrokeshire Community Health Council met recently. Members of the council's primary care and community services sub-committee were impressed with presentations made on behalf of both organisations, when the sub committee met in June. It is understood that the hospice will be commissioned next spring. An invitation to visit the new facility at St. Davids was welcomed by the council.
VERY COSTLY
Concern that the new 'out of hours' service for patients, due to be taken over by Pembrokeshire LHB in September, will be very costly, was expressed when members of the county's health watchdog met recently. Fears were also voiced that patients will use the casualty unit at Withybush Hospital as a safety net when they feel they need out of hours treatment, increasing the pressure on the accident and emergency department. Under the new GPs' contract, family doctors are no longer required to provide an out of hours service. The LHB will now provide this out of hours service. The handover should not affect patients, except that GP surgeries will not in future be open on Saturday mornings, and the new service will have to provide cover for this additional period. A council member queried the input from the local authority's social services standby arrangements. The Pembrokeshire LHB's representative assured council members that the board was in dialogue with Pembrokeshire County Council.
No simple solutions
There are no simple solutions to dealing with the problems faced by the county's hard-pressed accident and emergency unit at Withybush General Hospital, run by Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust, say the Trust. Pembrokeshire Community Health Council had earlier raised concerns that A and E had been so busy that patients had to wait in ambulances outside the department. The CHC felt this had been caused by the closure of Ward 12, but this was disputed by Trust chief Frank O'Sullivan. Mr. O'Sullivan assured members of the health watchdog when they met in July that it is a service issue being given a lot of attention by the Trust, but 'there's no quick fix, and it's not simply a question of lack of beds. There are other reasons for the increase in pressure. The problem is the throughput of patients in A and E, which has increased by 10 per cent in the last few months". In June, the casualty department had dealt with over 3,000 patients, 82 per cent had been assessed within 10 minutes, and 96 per cent had been treated and left the department within four hours - a fantastic achievement according to the health chief. The helipad at the hospital increased the pressure on the accident and emergency unit, with accident victims being flown in from as far a field as Devon. "We have a trauma team on call all the time," he told CHC members. Mr. O'Sullivan acknowledged that the casualty department was completely inadequate, and the Trust had been lobbying the Welsh Assembly government over the poor facilities and for funding to redevelop the A and E department.
PARKING CHARGES
Car parking charges are set to be introduced at Withybush General Hospital, members of Pembrokeshire Community Health Council heard recently. There will be no be free parking for the disabled, but there will be an additional ten disabled parking spaces. Some council members expressed their continuing concerns over the introduction of parking fees, but the scheme is set to go ahead in September.
Infection rates
Withybush General Hospital has one of the lowest rates for hospital-acquired infections in the country, members of the county's health watchdog were recently assured. Speaking at the July meeting of Pembrokeshire Community Health Council, hospital boss Frank O'Sullivan, chief executive of Pembrokeshire and Derwen Trust said that even so, the Trust was not complacent, redoubling its effort to improve the situation, by monitoring their cleanliness strategy with the involvement of their infection control team and specialist nurse. In answer to a question from a member, Mr. O'Sullivan said that last year there had been approximately 200 reported cases of MRSA (dubbed the super bug because it is resistant to anti-biotics) recorded at the hospital. He stressed that the infection was not necessarily acquired in hospital, as patients could have come in carrying the infection.
Tenby Hospital
Pembrokeshire Community Health Council will continue to monitor progress on Tenby's planned replacement cottage hospital, council members agreed when they met recently. The council has a representative on the scheme's Local Implementation Group and on some of the sub groups involved in the Tenby project. The group was described as working well and making real progress on the new hospital for the seaside resort. Good progress is also being made on the Joint Resource Base to be sited at South Pembrokeshire Hospital. EMBRYONIC PROJECT
An embryonic project at Pembroke School designed to identify and support pupils with mental health problems was warmly welcomed by members of Pembrokeshire Community Health Council (Pembs CHC) during their recent meeting. Discussion is to take place with a view to paying for the innovative inter agency scheme with Communities First money. The idea is to target children who may be developing mental health problems, and offer preventive support at an early stage. The pilot proposal had been developed following general discussions within the CHC's children's services sub-committee. HEALTH WATCHDOG
Pembrokeshire Community Health Council is our local health watchdog. Anyone who has a problem regarding health services is welcome to contact the CHC at its office in Haverfordwest. Whether it is a personal complaint about health services, or you require advice or information, or you wish to put forward constructive suggestions for improving NHS services, the chief officer will be pleased to hear from you. Contact the office at 5 Picton Place, Haverfordwest, SA61 2LE; Tel 01437 785816; email [email protected]">[email protected]