Mark Garnier, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Wyre Forest, together with fellow Conservatives Cllr John Holden, Cllr June Salter and Cllr Gordon Yarranton, yesterday visited Kidderminster treatment centre for an update on progress and declared themselves: "impressed".
The tour comes at the end of a period of turbulence within the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust who has been subject to financial difficulties and staff cuts to meet restricted budgets. Twelve months ago, it was announced that 720 full time equivalent staff would be for the axe, although that number was later dropped to 675. After a meeting with Jeff Crawshaw, who now runs the Kidderminster Unit, the Conservative group learnt that the redundancies have been managed in such a way that only 11 members of staff across Worcestershire have had to take compulsory redundancy, and only two of those were clinical staff.
There are further plans for the Kidderminster site that will see some disused and inappropriate buildings making way for new GP and medical facilities and it is planned that further elective treatments will be brought to the treatment centre in Kidderminster.
The centre has an enviable record of no cancellations and is widely praised by those that use it and have been patients in it. One interesting development, though, is the fact that usage of the minor injuries unit has been going down. In 2005 usage had achieved 27,000 patients per year (compared with peak A+E usage at the old hospital of 36,000). However, recently the usage has dropped to just 20,000 and the hospital has launched an advertisement campaign to encourage people to use it more. However, having spoken with Dawn Robbins, in charge of the MIU, it seems that people have not been seeking alternative treatment elsewhere - it appears that they are taking more care of themselves!
Commenting on the trip, Mark Garnier said:
"Medical issues are never off the political radar screen - especially in Wyre Forest! Health provision has undergone many changes and reorganisations in the last ten years and this has not been helpful for those working in the NHS, and nor has it always been welcomed by patients. The Labour Government's very ill judged closure of the A+E department, and the subsequent downgrading of Kidderminster hospital has resulted in a huge amount of ill feeling in Wyre Forest. But what was done was done and nothing can change that now.
"The fact is, a great many people work in the NHS in Worcestershire and they provide the best service they can for local residents and I support all their efforts and hard work. They are working under very difficult conditions year in year out and sometimes this fact should be recognised and remembered. Health workers are not here to be used as a political football. I congratulate all the staff at the Kidderminster Treatment Centre who have done an excellent job providing a service for local residents through a very difficult period.
"Conservative plans are that the NHS should have greater independence and I fully support our pledge that we will introduce an independent NHS Board that frees the NHS from political interference and endless re-organisations and initiatives. Moreover, I fully support our proposals that no public money will pay for private treatment, and that NHS treatment will be funded from general taxation and not any US model of health insurance. Our plans provide that GPs will become commissioning fund holders, and should I be successful at the next election, I shall continue to join forces with my Worcestershire colleagues to improve the funding for Worcestershire that sees our county languish near the bottom of funding tables."