GEH Future FAQ
Frequently asked questions
1. You told us a few months ago that becoming a standalone FT was in the best interests of local people and the Trust – why have you changed your minds?
We did state that becoming a standalone FT would be our first choice. However, we also acknowledged that there would be many challenges to overcome for this to become a reality, some of which would be within our control, and others not. We recognise that some of those challenges can’t be overcome alone. A wider conversation is taking place nationally about the most appropriate way for small district general hospitals to be managed in the future and how they can best meet the needs of local people. The most important thing is that we work with local people and partners to ensure we secure and can sustain the right services for local people, as close to home as possible.
There is a growing recognition nationally that many of these smaller Trusts need to find a way of working in partnership with other organisations – NHS or other sectors - in a way that hasn’t been seen before. We need to take account of this and consider a range of options for how the organisation could be run, whilst ensuring local services continue to develop to meet the needs of local people. We are also committed to working with partners to ensure local accountability for health services is maintained.
2. This is just a smokescreen, there is and always has been, a plan for UHCW to take over GEH
There is no grand plan for the takeover, or merger of GEH with UHCW. We are not in a position to rule out any potential model at this stage. However, the preferred solution will need to meet the key aims of the project and ensure GEH attains foundation trust status by 2014. We are absolutely committed to ensuring that local people are involved in shaping the range of options that we will need to consider for our future organisational model. We are not restricted to working only with local or neighbouring healthcare partners and it is likely that we will explore some new models to find a secure and sustainable model for local health services in the future.
3. What do you mean by new models? What sort of thing might you be looking at?
This is an exciting time for GEH. We are at the forefront of testing out new ideas and ways of working and we are keeping a very open mind about how GEH could look in the future. We could explore options to work with any number of organisations – other similar sized NHS Trusts, larger NHS Trusts, social enterprises, the voluntary sector, the independent sector, even education, such as universities. What’s important is that we find solutions to how we can ensure services remain local for local people, rather than preserving organisational boundaries.
4. Isn’t this just the thin end of the wedge? Will GEH ultimately be downgraded, losing key services such as maternity and A&E?
The GEH board is absolutely committed to keeping local services local. It is true that the way some elements of care are delivered will change over time – as they constantly evolve. However, we are also clear that there is a very real need, and desire for local services in North Warwickshire. We have worked very hard to strengthen both A&E and women’s and children’s services recently and we want to find solutions that work for local people. We are in control of the process of finding a partner to work with and we will stress the importance of maintaining local services for local people.
5. What can the public do to help GEH?
The changes we're talking about are being explored to help ensure services remain local for local people. This doesn't mean the hospital is under threat, but instead means we're taking our future in our hands. We will be looking to local people, stakeholders and employees for their views throughout the process when we've explored more of the options available to us.
6. Is there a risk of job losses with the changes? Will any partner want to bring in their own staff?
We will be looking at models which bring as many benefits as possible for both the population we serve and our staff. Finding the right model will provide new opportunities for staff as well as benefits for patients.
7. Who will make the final decision about a suitable model?
GEH Board will make recommendations on the model and NHS Midlands and East will make the final decision as to whether that proposed model is suitable, in collaboration with the Arden Cluster (Coventry and Warwickshire PCTs).
8. How will this plan improve services for patients?
This plan will improve services for patients because it helps to secure the hospital’s future; George Eliot Hospital is not sustainable in its current form, over the long term. The decision to find the right long term partner to ensure the continued delivery of services at the hospital, ensures that the people of Nuneaton and the surrounding area will benefit from year on year progress in the NHS.
9. This is just an excuse for privatisation isn’t it?
Privatisation means the transfer of staff and assets to the private sector, and this will not be the case.
10. All this dithering will just make the situation worse for GEH, with the hospital not being able to recruit due to uncertainty and staff leaving as a result
While we are exploring solutions for GEH, there is a strong future for the hospital and staff within the NHS family, and we will continue to make this point strongly, share our thinking and continue to ensure both transparency and engagement in the challenge we face.
11. You have been talking about consulting on women’s and children’s services for a long time. Are we going to lose maternity services?
NHS Warwickshire plan to hold a public consultation on women’s and children’s services for North Warwickshire in the near future. The purpose of the consultation will be to find a robust, sustainable solution to providing safe, accessible services for local women and children. There are some very real challenges in maintaining all aspects of women’s and children’s services on small hospital sites due to the small numbers of patients and relatively small range of ailments/conditions being seen. Nevertheless, we also recognise how vital it is for a community such as North Warwickshire (including Nuneaton and Bedworth) to be able to access services as close to home as possible and that is why we need to work in partnership with other healthcare providers to ensure our patients get the best care possible.
If you have a question that is not answered here, please use the 'contact us' facility on the left hand side of the oage, or telephone the PALS office on 024 76 865550.
