The Plight Of Local Health Care...

FRUSTRATED GPs have "bought" their own surgeon after a cash-strapped hospital turned away hundreds of patients.
Bosses at County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospital NHS Trust turned down a contract to treat nearly 500 orthopaedic patients, despite warning they may have to axe up to 130 beds to save costs.
The contract is believed to have been worth millions to the trust, which this week told staff that beds and four operating theatres might have to be closed as part of an efficiency drive.

But officials declined the opportunity because they could not guarantee to treat all the patients within the Government's maximum six-month waiting time limit.

Trust bosses then rejected offers from a consortium of GPs who wanted to use NHS funds to hire beds and operating theatres at Bishop Auckland General Hospital. Instead, the frustrated medics have used the money to have the orthopaedic work carried out at the private Woodlands Hospital, in Darlington.

This pilot project, commissioned by GPs in Bishop Auckland and backed by County Durham Primary Care Trust, is believed to be one of the first of its kind in England.

The Northern Echo

I return to this topic as many of you probably have similar stories around the UK and perhaps abroad and I did bring it up earlier but without much detail to back up the story but walking around Tesco the story as featured in the big newspaper in the North East caught my eye. I quote the first few paragraphs and give credit to where the article is taken(Its worth looking at the link above and seeing the whole article.

Of course I care(having had to use hospitals so much in the last 10 years)but I always did but I have worked in hospitals in a voluntary way(mainly hospital radio)but you get to know the staff and patients and are privy to little bits of news that perhaps are kept out of the papers.
The story ties in with my mentioning that a certain presenter hinted about a hospital closing that had only been open for a few years. He could be talking of some other hospital but I know where he comes from and where his family lives so to me I feel I know that Bishop Auckland General is probably the one.

Darlington's hospital is managed by the same hospital trust. Its been there ever since I can remember but BAGH was in a sorry state but just over 4 years ago it was raized to the ground, rebuilt and though some areas are extremely cramped(because it covers less ground)and some of the land was sold off. The hospital plans resulted in it building up over. The Hospital opened by the Prime Minister cost £67Million and was constructed under the PFI idea which means the tax payer is paying for this hospital for the next 26 years.

An article in the Newton News explains that it has 286 beds and serves a local population of 120,000.

Well, I have heard reports on the local television suggesting a total closure of the hospital(denied)but it is now reported that Ward 3(27 beds)is closing...well, they are basically closing half of it but then by mid February that ward is to be closed. At least 15 nursing posts will be lost. This is according to documents that have been leaked to a group that has been started to save the Hospital.

The same article claims that a statement was issued on the record by a hospital administrator last year that bed numbers would not be cut.

I have a link to the free sheet but it may be that the story has not yet been put on line...I have to go with what I read, that's all that you can do.

It is worrying...I felt that I should put some meat on the bones of the story having brought up the subject a little earlier. It gives a little bit of an insight into life in the UK for readers abroad and anyone in the UK can probably emphasise with the experience.