We call on the Trust and the CCG to ensure the following:
No further downgrading of services at Hexham Hospital.
Tynedale residents had been assured by the Trust that Hexham General
Hospital would not be downgraded once the Cramlington Emergency Hospital
opens in June 2015.We note proposals made to downgrade A&E to a walk-in
clinic staffed mainly by Nurse practitioners.We demand the retention of a
safe local emergency care service including access to Dr cover 24/7 and an
end to removal of further services.
Full Public Consultation prior to any further downgrading or changes to
service delivery.
Acknowledgement of the difficulties facing rural communities in travelling
to access emergency care facilities located 30-50 miles away from our
current hospital and an adequate relative and patient transport service 7
days a week.
Urgent action to tackle the growing funding crisis within the North East
Ambulance Service which is resulting in dangerous delays in local
ambulance response times.
We will defend our NHS.
Why is this important?
.We want our hospital and Urgent Care Service to
stay.It is of vital importance that a rural community such as ours retains
access to a well resourced,responsive emergency service. We have
witnessed the downgrading of services at Hexham General Hospital since it
opened in 2003 and we do not want to see further depletion of this valued
resource which puts patients at risk.The development of a specialist
emergency hospital 30-50 miles away should not mean reductions in the
current local service,which denies this community equal access to
healthcare.This is of particular concern regarding our access to the
Emergency Ambulance Service which is experiencing significant financial
and service pressures.
We are concerned that once services are removed they are never replaced
.We believe that in the current climate of huge financial pressures on the
NHS our services must be defended against further downgrading,
fragmentation and privatisation so that the NHS remains a service free at
the point of delivery which meets the needs of its citizens who own it.
How it will be delivered
