Bristol could end up with just one A&E
BRISTOL could end up with just one accident and emergency department as part of plans to rearrange health services across the city.
The Post understands that there have been discussions about the possibility of one of Bristol's A&E departments closing as part of wider discussions over the possible merger of Bristol's two large hospital trusts.
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University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the city centre hospitals, and North Bristol NHS Trust, which is in charge of Southmead and Frenchay, announced last month that they were going to look in more detail at the possibility of a merger with the aim of reducing waste and saving money where their services are currently duplicated.
A spokeswoman for the two trusts said detailed work on the integration has not begun yet.
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She said: "The NHS, like all public sector organisations, is having to manage its costs really carefully while maintaining quality, and this is a real challenge for us all.
"We have to find completely new ways of working, and that might mean as one organisation, together, or separately with a totally different configuration of services – or one or two organisations pretty similar to what we have now. We simply do not know.
"The two trust boards are very sure that whatever the future plan is for healthcare across the city (and beyond) it has to deliver for patients, first and foremost, and it must be secure for services and for finances."
The Post understands that work on the future of A&E would come after more detailed work on the possibility of an overall merger.
The new £430m hospital being built at Southmead would be the most likely site for a single A&E.
A regional trauma centre, which deals with serious head injuries, multiple bone breakages, knife and gun shot wounds is currently based at Frenchay and due to transfer to the new hospital in 2014.
The A&E at Frenchay currently deals with about 65,000 patients a year while Bristol Royal Infirmary's emergency department sees more than 60,000. The city centre hospital trust also deals with heart attack patients who attend the Bristol Heart Institute for emergency treatment.
A final decision about whether the two trusts should merge is due to be made in January or February and could see the new organisation being created by the end of next year.
The trusts say a merger could simplify the way patients are treated when their care involves more than one hospital in the city and make it easier for service changes to be made across the city.
The health trusts said they could not rule anything out at this stage but that no lists of duplicated services have yet been drawn up for consideration as part of a potential merger.
A project team is being put together to look in more detail at how an integrated organisation would work, following a review led by the vice chancellor of the University of the West of England, Steve West.
The trusts have declined to release the full report, citing commercial confidentiality.
But they said the report concluded that "a combined trust would be better placed to identify savings and operate more effectively with greater operational capacity", as they seek to make an extra £17 million in savings over five years.
A summary of the report prepared for UHBristol's governors said that the two trusts currently suffer from competing organisational interests.
It said benefits to patients from changes in the way services are delivered would be more quickly and fully achieved by a single organisation rather than two. And the risks of a possible merger, including the larger size of an integrated organisation, were expected to be outweighed by the benefits.
Plans to create single urology, breast and head and neck cancer services for the city have already been drawn up but more could be considered as part of a merger of the two organisations.
The hospital trusts told the Post that the clinical case for change would be considered as part of more detailed work over the coming months, "specifically service consolidation, increased flexibility of services, the potential for removing barriers to care and both organisations' strategic vision and ambition".
It is understood that discussions with the trusts and the NHS foundation trust regulator are due to take pace this week.
Comments
by J12345678
Friday, August 17 2012, 1:20AM
“It will be even slower to get to A+E wherever the facility is located with 20mph speed limit on Bristol's roads”
by markmaggs
Thursday, August 16 2012, 7:23PM
“So they are spending millions in taxpayers money building 2 brand new A+E Departments just to close 1 of them. Okay they are closing Frenchay but surely a Hospital around Yate area would much better serve the population of Southern Gloucestershire.”
by jn007
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 11:19PM
“I have been in touch with NORTH BRISTOL HEALTH TRUST BELOW I ASK THEM A QUESTION GUESS WHAT? NO ANSWER TO MY EMAIL, THEY WILL NOT TELL US OF ANY AGREED CHANGES IT WILL ALL BE DONE BE HIND CLOSED DOORS, IT IS OUR NHS NOT THE HIGH AND MIGHTY AT THE TOP OF THE TRUST.
JOHN NASH
HENBURY
Dear sir:
Your say in your email deliver the agreed changes, can you tell what these changes are.
Your sincerely
Mr John Nash
From: Richard Cottle Richard.Cottle@nbt.nhs.uk
To: "'john
Sent: Wednesday, 23 May 2012, 13:29
Subject: FW: MERGING CITY HOSPITAL
Dear Mr Nash,
Thank you for your email.
At this stage, the two NHS Trusts are reviewing how the city's hospitals will deliver the already agreed healthcare changes and asking the question whether this is best achieved by two separate organisations working together or whether there is a case to bring the organisations together. If there is a case to bring the organisations together then there would be a public consultation on the proposals.
In the meantime, I'm not sure if you've seen the full statement issued to media on Monday. I have attached a link to our website which will take you to it.
http://tinyurl.com/bre57ho
I hope this is helpful.
Best wishes,
Richard Cottle
Media Relations Manager
North Bristol NHS Trust
From: john3toroamnash@yahoo.co.uk [mailto:john3toroamnash@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: 22 May 2012 23:25
To: Complaints
Subject: MERGING CITY HOSPITAL
Dear sir/madam:
I see you are in the process of a
viability of merging city hospitals' management can you tell me at what point the public will get a say in it, I do hope it is not going to be like other decsions made in the past, i.e., when the A & E were moved to Frenchay Hospital, we attended a meeting only to be told the decsion was made, dont for get the NHS is belong to every one not just the few at managment level, under the freedom of information I would like to be kept informed.
Yours sincerely
Mr John Nash”
by groovygems
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 6:51PM
“the problem with this idea is...........fewer beds? anyone like to put money on that it will mean more beds?? dont think so”
by toddygasman
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 6:39PM
“Agree robynj88, ridiculous article - if the Post know this from a 'Trusted Source', & then sensationalise it - they then should Campaign for effective use of NHS resource for the whole area it serves. I was brought up in Hartcliffe & there was talk of a hospital for South Bristol in the 60's, only now has one been put in place - not sure of all the facilities but a minor injury unit could take the pressure off from BRI & Frenchay - don't hold your breath though - I now live in Yate & they have had the 'Community Hospital' for a year or so - within months they basically changed the minor injury & X-ray unit to 'office hours' due to costs.
The 'Super Hospital' should never had been built at Southmead but should have been built on land off of the A4174 between Emmersons Green & Hicks Gate. The number of beds being provided is less than current at Southmead & Frenchay combined & already there are fears with population expansion this shortfall will cause real problems in the near future.
Yes we should blame Government & managers with too big a budget & incapable of making the right decisions. But we also need to take the blame for letting this happen & not campaigning hard enough to stop the cut & bring to account those who mis manage £££££'s - Also as another poster pointed out, education on when you need /should use A & E and when you need to contact GP. Unfortunately I have had to use A&E recently for a member of my family, the experience was dreadful - waiting 4 hours after being referred by the GP letter to attend, another 3 hours on trolly waiting to be admitted, then following day moved from Frenchay to Southmead at 9pm at night, as the ailment is now dealt with there - overal shocking experience.”
by robynj88
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 12:43PM
“This is a ridiculous article. The Post have basically tried to stir up some controversy around a potential merger that may not even go ahead yet, by looking at what we currently have two of and could lose. Merging into just one A&E department would be ridiculous when you think about how many patients come through the doors at the BRI and Frenchay and Southmead's Minor Accident Unit. The BRI is also having work done to the hospital so assuming that Southmead and Frenchay will be better is also rubbish. The Post needs to stop stirring it up with regards to this merger that may not go ahead, and if it does probably won't for a good couple of years minimum, instead making people fear for their jobs and services and causing needless panic. Despicable.”
by Samantha1883
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 11:30AM
“Mendip. I only used the example of South Gloucestershire, hence why I said for instance, of course it is going to affect pretty much everyone unless they live near Southmead.
SAFE IN TORY HANDS!!!! You are kidding me, they actually said that!!!! I've heard it all now.
I agree it is slow privitisation throught the back door, I recently read about operations being deliberately delayed and then offered privately. Disgusting.”
by BristolDJ
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 11:09AM
“One massive way to decrease the waiting times is to sort out who should actually attend A&E and who shouldn't. It's supposed to be for urgent critical attention, not for treating minor injuries or colds & coughs. Minor injury clinics have had a great success in reducing the strain on more urgent care centers. Maybe we should see more of these?”
by FromMendip
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 11:00AM
“"Absolutely ridiculous. For some people who live in for instance South Gloucestershire, travelling through the horrendous traffic in rush hour to Southmead can sometimes take hours, it could literally mean the difference between life and death in some cases"
Some people who live in South Bristol have always had that problem and still do. Both Frenchay and Southmead might as well be on the Moon in terms of access from parts of South Bristol and the BRI is difficult in the rush hour.
If Southmead becomes the sole A and E hospital for Bristol the residents of South Gloucestershire will be in a better position than many in South Bristol. The RUH at Bath could be reached quicker than Southmead (or Frenchay for that matter).”
by nickthompson
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 10:56AM
“by Samantha1883
Wednesday, August 15 2012, 9:58AM
.
"Absolutely ridiculous. For some people who live in for instance South Gloucestershire, travelling through the horrendous traffic in rush hour to Southmead can sometimes take hours, it could literally mean the difference between life and death in some cases"----------Agree Samantha, getting to Southmead is a nightmare,but even worse they are talking the BRI here, we MUST NOT let this happen,OUR NHS belongs to US,not the Tory party who never wanted it in the first place.SAFE IN THEIR HANDS. HUMBUG.”