Well, what a night as they say. Got there early and wondered if I was in the right place. Thrashing it down with rain. This, together with the fact that the Bolton News, when it printed my letter yesterday, added that the meeting was tomorrow ( i.e today) was probably responsible for extremely poor attendance.
Nevertheless, I thought it was a well ordered, informative and useful meeting.
In attendance was Dr Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton South East, the Propective Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate for the area when he retires, Ms Yasmin Qureshi, and
the Propective Liberal Democrat Party Parliamentary Candidate for the area, Mr Donal O'Hanlon.
At the top table were Councillors Tony Connell, Mary Woodward and Sean Hornby.
Also present was a reporter from the Bolton News and I look forward with relish to her report. (Hopefully tomorrow)
Councillor Hornby informed the meeting of the state of dilapidation of the building structure, the dampness and mould and slug trails on the carpets, the inadequacy of the heating and ventilation systems the fact that doctors had offered even to repaint their own surgeries and that some of the staff had refused for a period of time to work in the building.
Much discussion took place about the order of priority of the building of the remaining six health centres which has recently been reviewed putting Little Lever fourth. The points system used for this seems to be about health deprivation andis ignoring the physical condition of the existing buildings of which Little Lever is without doubt the worst.
Dr Iddon then gave a general background to the purpose of the new health centres.
Certain other things became clearer from the contributions to the meeting.
Where were the doctors?
Answer -Apparently they have been instructed not to involve themselves with any meeting of this kind or comment on the problem.
Where were the staff? Ditto.
Dr Iddon said that he received many representations from GPs in the Farnworth Area about their Health Centre but had received no representation from Little Lever Doctors.
Dr Iddon was suprised to hear that the three health centres that have been built are struggling to rent out some of their rooms. To Let notices are in the windows.
Who are the Public/Private Partnership Company ( BRAHM LIFT) accountable to?
Answer - BRAHM LIFT Strategic Partnering Board. This Board comprises membership of:
The Eric Wright Group
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Bolton PCT
Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust
Bolton, Salford and Trafford Mental Health Trust
Heywood Middleton and Rochdale PCT
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Pennine Care NHS Trust
Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Northwest Ambulance Service
In other words they are accountable to themselves.
Who is the representative of the Bolton Council on this Board?
Answer - We don't know but we'll find out.
Mr O'Hanlan suggested that the Leadership of Bolton Council should take a major stand with the PCT leaving them in no doubt of the unsatisfactory state of affairs.
Dr Iddon had earlier explained that the creation of these new 'Mini Hospitals' was with a view to making the extra health services to do with Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Mental Health etc etc available locally - thus taking the pressure off the Royal Bolton Hospital. This is why the increase in size was required.
There is some doubt as to what services are currently provided at Little Lever and what are likely to be provided in the future at the new Centre.
A point was made that the new health centre at Little Lever would cost £7million to build but the problem was that the building would be leased back by Bolton PCT for £1million per year for 25 years. ------ £25,000,000 !!!!!!!!!!
A further point was that in view of the fact that it is unlikely that the health centre would be built before 2015 -if at all - then a quicker, more cost effective and more satisfactory solution would be the extend the current building to the back of the car park (thus approximately doubling it's size as required) and a complete refurbishment to a modern standard. This surely could be done for a couple of million quid.
Other points were made, one in particular being that the PCT had a duty under the Health protection rules for the safety and working conditions for the Doctors and Staff and a Risk Assessment and a mandatory survey of working conditions ought to be in existence - but it isn't
I hope this is a fair summary of what went on.
Although mention was made of patients from outside the area being treated at the centre, one thing that wasn't discussed was the abysmal situation with appointments.
Dr Iddon did say that the worst health situation in the Borough was in Farnworth ( which is where most of the outside patients are coming from)
Anyway - nil desperandum
Latest news - Dr Iddon, who admitted he hadn't been in the health centre for quite some time is hopefully making a Papal Visit there tomorrow morning.
Bless all our deliberations - Paul
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