Health Minister Steve Brine outlined the steps that the Department of Health is taking to address the problems being experienced by Worcestershire’s Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which has been in special measures since December 2015, in a Parliamentary debate called by Redditch MP Rachel Maclean in which Nigel Huddleston MP participated.
Among the improvement steps was the acceptance of the Trust’s bid for £920,000 of capital funding for primary care streaming in A&E, which is expected to ease the anticipated winter pressures later in the year. NHS Improvement has also taken active measures in bringing in Birmingham Children’s Hospital, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust to help address areas of weakness and provide strategic, mentoring and practical support.
The Minister also laid out what the local Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) would look like if implemented in its current form. He said that the revised model would see 95% of patients experiencing no change in the way that they access services in Worcestershire, with all three of the county’s acute hospitals remaining open. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust would also retain its two A&E departments in Worcester and Redditch and its minor injuries unit in Kidderminster. Worcestershire Royal Hospital would become a specialist centre to support emergency and complex care, and the Alexandra in Redditch would provide more planned care.
The Trust’s bid for £29 million to invest in improved facilities is also progressing well. The money, if secured, would be used: to improve the operating theatres at the Alexandra so that the hospital can be developed into a centre of excellence for planned surgery; to increase the number of beds at Worcestershire Royal; to provide a new children’s outpatient department and women’s centre as well as improve endoscopy facilities at the Alexandra; and to increase car parking capacity at Worcestershire Royal.
Nigel Huddleston, MP for Mid Worcestershire, attended the debate. After leaving Westminster Hall, he said, “this debate was brilliantly led by my new colleague and neighbour Rachel Maclean. It was sad to see Karen Lumley step down, but Rachel has made a fantastic start to the difficult task of filling her shoes.
The Minister’s response on this critically important issue was an encouraging combination of promises and assurances. The problems experienced over Christmas in Worcestershire were unacceptable and I am particularly glad that nearly a million pounds has been given to the Trust to help ensure that such problems are not experienced again this winter. If the £29 million is secured on top of this, the capital will be in place to move health services in the county forward.
I am increasingly confident that the situation in Worcestershire will improve over the coming months as the new senior team settle in. Investment is coming into the trust, it is being run more effectively, and the Government has clearly recognised the need to prioritise our county in its national improvement strategies. The Sustainability and Transformation Plan will allow specialist services to be concentrated in particular hospitals which puts patient safety and experience first.
I look forward to working with Rachel and the other MPs in the county as we continue to push this issue on the Parliamentary agenda.”