1,000 signatures reached
To: Janet Guy, Chair, NCCG & David Evans, Chief Executive, Northumbria NHS Trust
Save Rothbury Hospital from closure.
Significant success!
I am absolutely delighted to be writing today to tell you that we have had a considerable victory in our campaign to have the beds reinstated at Rothbury Community Hospital. There have had to be compromises, but what we have achieved is a pragmatic agreement.
As you will remember, we argued for Coquetdale Cares: The Community Vision, back in 2017. Earlier this year, myself and Maurice Cole, met with Sir Jim Mackey and Claire Riley of the NHS Trust. They really listened to our concerns and began to get things moving.
During the last few months, the CCG and the NHS Trust have been listening and working together, and with community representatives, to make what they are calling The Art of the Possible, a reality. The Art of the Possible is their response to our Vision. And we like it!
It involves a plan to:
Increase outpatient clinics, from falls clinics through to orthopaedics and others, some of which will use new technological links that enable virtual consultations.
Provide additional clinical and daycare services utilising the hospital site as a hub for health and care delivery. Services include:
Dementia care
Learning disability forums
Health and well-being clinics
Chemotherapy care
Enhanced emergency healthcare planning
Mental Health and IAPT services
Physiotherapy
Dentistry
Introduce a new metric to measure the number of miles travelled for services and, where possible, the NHS will look to reduce this.
Introduce a flexible bed model – with inpatient beds available within the hospital for short-term rehab and end of life care. The number of beds will be dependent on clinical need.
Importantly, they have really taken on board our idea to have rooms available for carers/partners/loved ones to stay when appropriate. This will be particularly during end-of-life care, and potentially if someone is admitted with dementia, their carers could stay too. They are definitely looking into making this available.
I hope you will agree that this is all excellent news. The team are delighted.
However - at the CCG Meeting yesterday, I made a sincere promise to the community - to keep a watchful eye on how this all develops. We have every intention of closely monitoring the unfolding of this. We cannot afford at this stage to let our guard down.
The opening date is planned for 1st April 2020. Let's hope there is nothing 'foolish' about it!
With great thanks to you for your continued belief in the Campaign and support of it.
Love and happiness
Katie
Katie Scott
Co-ordinator, Save Rothbury Community Hospital Campaign
