THE LATEST NEWS THAT AFFECTS OUR LIVES
** LATEST NEWS FROM NATIONAL PRESS REGARDING HEMEL HEMPSTEAD GENERAL HOSPITAL ** - Click on the articles below for full stories from the publisher...
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21st April 2009 - The media back our campaign for a full review of the failing new Urgent care centre...
Hemel Today:
Campaigners are demanding a review of Hemel Hempstead's urgent care centre because they are receiving so many complaints.
Dacorum Hospital Action Group says its dossier of patient experiences show services to be 'incoherent and confused'.
Member Edie Glatter says senior managers need to urgently review the operation of the urgent care centre, which replaced full A&E ADVERTISEMENTin March.
"The stories show a fragmented service at Hemel which is incoherent and confused," she said.
"There seem to be no clear lines of responsibility and it would appear that we are not getting the service or standard of service we were led to expect.
"We need senior managers, people at the top, to get out of their offices and come down to Hemel and have a look at the services and knock them into shape."
DHAG has identified problems with drug dispensing, the stroke unit, and the general quality of care.
In a statement the hospital trust said: "We continually review our services to ensure that we are able to deliver the best possible care for our patients.
"The services at Hemel Hempstead Hospital are working very well and therefore we have no plans at this time to undertake a major review."
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20th April 2009 - Doctors Surgery to take over part of the Hospital site, reducing hospital space further...
St Albans Review:
A new GP service offering appointments up to 8pm and at weekends will be serving St Albans people in little over a month.
The West Hertfordshire Primary care Trust has signed a five-year deal with Herts Urgent Care, a non-profit-making enterprise run by local GPs and patient representatives which currently provides out-of-hours GP and emergency dental services to the whole county.
The new GP-led health centre is set to open its doors at Hemel Hempstead Hospital on June 1 offering bookable appointments and a walk-in service , 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.
Patients can also switch from their current surgeries to register with the centre if they like.
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14th April 2009 - So-called Urgent "Care" Centre fails Stroke victim...
Save Hemel:
Last week a lady was taken to Hemel Hempsteads new Urgent Care Centre when she discovered she had suffered a stroke, numbing one side of her body. Instead of being seen in the recently closed Stroke Unit at Hemel, she was seen by a member of staff that wasn't a qualified stroke specialist.
After explaining her condition to the member of staff, she was given painkillers and was then sent home, where she went on to suffer an avoidable full stroke. She is now in hospital over at Watford.
Friends are furious as public anger mounts over the total devistation of Hospital services, some fearing that Hemel is to become the next Staffordshire Hospital awarded for meeting guidelines but grossly failing patients and staff.
One friend of the victim said "This is absolutely unbelivable. They couldn't care less! She was full of life, then when this happened and they could have done something in Hemel before this chaos was imposed upon us, they simply failed her which directly allowed her to suffer a full stroke."
Dacorum Hospital Action Group are compiling a list of peoples experiences - and need your stories (good or bad...) to take forward in an ongoing case.
CLICK TO SHARE YOUR STORIES...
7th April 2009 - 19 hours on a trolley in new admissions unit, claims mum
Hemel Today:
A woman claims her daughter spent 19 hours on a trolley with no pillow in the new admissions unit at Watford General Hospital.
Wendy Brinkworth took her 29-year-old daughter - who has problems with her thyroid - to the urgent care centre in Hemel Hempstead after she collapsed.
She was checked and found to have suffered a cardiac arrest so she was taken by ambulance to the acute admissions unit at Watford last Monday. (March 30)
Mrs Brinkworth, of Woodview in Gadebridge, says her daughter then stayed on the trolley from 1pm to 7.30am the next day until a bed on a ward was found.
She is now on medication while doctors decide the next step.
"Physically they can't cope," Mrs Brinkworth said.
She said on one occasion it took more than an hour during the rush hour to visit her daughter.
"They should never have closed so much of the hospital in Hemel, especially when we have all these houses being built," she said.
Meanwhile pensioner Dennis Graham, of Gadebridge Road in Hemel Hempstead, has been told he must find his own way to Watford for his prostate operation on April 15 at 7am.
The 73 year old claims he asked for transport from his home but was told he was not eligible.
"I have limited mobility. I don't have a car," he said.
"How can I get from my address to Watford hospital at seven o'clock in the morning?"
Campaigners are compiling a dossier of people's experiences since the closure of A&E and acute services in Hemel Hempstead in March.
Dacorum Hospital Action Group (DHAG) will be presenting its findings to West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust and healthcare watchdogs.
Member Edie Glatter said: "There are all sorts of issues around transport and big issues around capacity."
In a statement the trust said: "Due to patient confidentiality, we cannot discuss individual cases, but if a formal complaint is made it will be thoroughly investigated by the trust.
"The new acute admissions unit (AAU) at Watford General Hospital was successfully opened on March 9 and is working extremely well.
"The urgent care centre at Hemel Hempstead Hospital is also performing well and meeting targets.
"At Watford General Hospital we have increased patient and disabled car parking spaces, and have made additional disabled car parking outside the AAU.
"If your reader would like to discuss any issues they should contact the complaints department on 01923 217866."
To tell DHAG your story contact Mrs Glatter on 01442 254447 or click on Have your say at the top of this page...
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6th April 2009 - Hemel Town chairman suffers stroke
Hemel Today:
Club chairman Dave Boggins went to Hemel Hempstead Town's home game with Yate Town last Saturday just hours after suffering a stroke.
"I had it before the football but didn't realise what was happening," said the Irishman.
"I went to the hospital, they took my blood pressure and temperature and things like that, and then I left and went to the football."
Boggins decided to go to his doctor on Monday as he still felt unwell, and they sent him to Watford General Hospital, where he remained until Friday.
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5th April 2009 - WE WANT YOUR STORIES
SAVE HEMEL HOSPITAL:
We are collecting stories of your experiences, good or BAD. Please click here and submit your experience to us now.
Is what the Hospital Trust saying true? Are you being cared for? If you live in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamstead or other areas of Dacorum, Was it easier going to Watford A&E instead of Hemel? Do YOU feel safe? Do you have confidence in the changes?
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4th April 2009 - Hospitals granted foundation status despite a plethora of failings
The Telegraph:
Ministers promised that only the best hospitals would be given the freedom to run their own affairs, including setting salary levels which have brought huge pay boosts for senior managers.
Yet investigations by this newspaper show that 22 hospital trusts in the past three years have been given the coveted status despite a range of serious failings including high rates of superbugs, delays treating cancer and heart attack victims, long waits in Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments and lack of proper care for the elderly and the mentally ill.
When Labour introduced foundation trusts, then-health secretary Alan Milburn said that winning the status would be a challenging process "even for the best performing hospitals" who would have to demonstrate high standards of care.
Those awarded the status include Mid Staffordshire Foundation trust, which runs Stafford Hospital, where hundreds of people died amid conditions which left dehydrated patients forced to drink out of flower vases while others were left lying in soiled linen.
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3rd April 2009 - So-Called NHS Troubleshooter Jan Filochowski shoots again at our dismembered Hospital
SAVE HEMEL HOSPITAL :
The trust, headed up by Jan Filochowski has dramatically closed Hospital services, chained doors and boarded up windows in a move condemned by officials and local people.
WHHT's web site proudly hosts the statement.. "From Wednesday 11 March 2009, the A&E service at Hemel Hempstead General Hospital will close and its services will transfer to the new improved emergency department at Watford General Hospital.
" - Click to view the full statement.
This leaves Hemel Hempstead with NO A&E facilities, NO maternity facilities, NO operating theatres, NO emergency childrens A&E services, NO Stroke unit... the list of destruction goes on...
A local campaigner condemned the West Herts Hospital Trust and claimed they were 'asset stripping' services that belonged to local people. He went on to say that people were voting no confidence in Jan Filochowski, Tom Hanahoe and the rest of the West Herts Hospital Trust board and people were calling for their immediate resignation.
A member of the public was told that during a recent 'publicity' event hosted by the WHHT, a 'spokesman' incorrectly advised that services in Watford were open and then went on to say that some of it was open but not all of it when they were questioned about excessive delays in treating a family member. The patient had to drive to Watford Hospital and was blocked from entry by thousands of football fans leaving the grounds after a match at Watford FC.
When he finally arrived, he was told that Watford Hospital had ran out of beds. He sat in the cramped A&E waiting room for hours whilst suffering in pain with an appendicitus. When asked why members of Watford Hospital staff had claimed that things arn't working and suggested that the patient was lucky to eventually get a bed, the rep simply went on to say how services were improving.
If this is improvement, we don't want it... we want a Hospital service that works, that is locally accessible. WHHT seem incapable of providing this when facilities had previously existed prior to their 'schemes' to 'improve'[SIC} services
2nd April 2009 - NHS Spends on FAST Stroke campaign, but closes Hemel's Stroke unit, forcing people on much longer jorneys to Watford, putting lives at risk!
SAVE HEMEL HOSPITAL:
Whilst weilding the sword of closure across our Hospital, in their own words, the trust are saying
"Every five minutes someone in the UK suffers a potentially deadly stroke. That's more than 100,000 people every year, 1,000 of which are under 30 years old.
It's an undeniably gloomy picture but it doesn't have to be this way. The quicker a stroke is spotted and treated by specialists, the better the chance of survival and recovery.
"
By their own admission, the longer it takes to treat someone, the less the chance of survival and recovery - THE PEOPLE OF DACORUM DEMANDS THE RETURN OF THE STROKE UNIT TO HEMEL HEMPSTEAD HOSPITAL NOW - OUR PEOPLE PAID FOR IT, IT IS OURS AND THE TRUST PUTTING OUR LIVES AT RISK...
26th March 2009 - A&E signs cause confusion
Hemel TODAY :
Confusion over health services in Hemel Hempstead has increased after a sign was unveiled advertising A&E.
Highways chiefs have installed the sign at J8 of the M1 for drivers entering the town as part of the motorway widening works.
It clearly depicts the logo for a hospital with an A&E department.
However, A&E closed in the town on March 11 and acute services have been shifted over to Watford General Hospital.
The town is left with an urgent care centre for minor injuries.
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18th March 2009 - SAVE HEMEL HOSPITAL fears of Staffordshire Hospital risks
The Telegraph:
SAVEHEMEL.com comment... The people are concerned over the the disaster that has progressively resulted in loss of lives at Staffordshire.
12th March 2009 - MP condemns closure of A&E
Politics :
Hemel Hempstead MP, Mike Penning has condemned the closure the A&E at Hemel hospital. The A&E Department closed at 11.59pm last night (11th March). All cases are now diverted to Watford.
Mike said:
“I am extremely disappointed that this has finally happened. The people of Hemel no longer have services they used to expect from their hospital. We are essentially left with an outpatients department and the new Urgent Care Centre.
“The people of Hemel have been very badly let down over this. All acute services - A&E, cardiac unit, stroke unit - are gone… and the promised new hospital at Watford looks further away than ever.
“I am very worried that be confusion, as people – not surprisingly – don’t know what the Urgent Care Centre can and cannot provide. The message needs to be got out that if someone has a heart attack, for example, don’t be tempted to rush them to Hemel hospital – call 999.”
The Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Theatre are due to close tomorrow (13th).
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12th March 2009 - A&E closes in Hemel
Watford Observer :
The accident and emergency department at Hemel Hempstead hospital closed last night.
Residents with a serious illness or injuries will now be diverted to the full casualty department in Watford.
The closure has been condemed by Kings Langley and Hemel Hempstead MP Mike Penning. ...
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11th March 2009 - MP Anne Main slams low food spend for sick hospital patients
St.Albans and Harpenden REVIEW :
LESS than £2 a day on food is being spent by hospitals to feed Hertfordshire's sick patients, the MP for St Albans has highlighted.
MP Anne Main said “worrying” Government figures show the hospitals are spending significantly less on meals for patients compared to other areas in the country.
The figures from the NHS Information Centre show that St Albans City Hospital is forking out among the lowest daily spend on food.
Mrs Main noted that this is even less that the Prison Service spends on its prisoners...
...Mrs Main said Watford General Hospital and Hemel Hempstead Hospital are also cutting short their daily spend on patients.
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11th March 2009 - A&E closes today
Hemel TODAY :
The A&E department in Hemel Hempstead will close today in a fundamental shift in the role of the hospital.
An urgent care centre (UCC) - staffed by GPs and highly-trained nurses - will take over emergency treatment in the town. (Wednesday, March 11)
The UCC will be open 24/7 and is expected to deal with 65 per cent of patients who would normally go to A&E.
People with serious illness or injuries will be transferred to the full casualty department in Watford.
In blue-light emergencies ambulance staff will decide whether to take patients to the UCC or A&E.
Health chiefs say it is safe to take children to the UCC, though if their condition is serious they should be taken to A&E.
The move comes despite fierce resistance to the loss of acute services from Hemel Hempstead, including a long campaign with countless petitions and pleas to government.
After A&E transfers to Watford the process of mothballing five key buildings on the Hemel Hempstead site is due to begin.
The services remaining in the town will be concentrated in the Verulam and Jubilee wings and the Queen Elizabeth block.
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10th March 2009 - A&E closes today
Hertfordshire Mercury :
A £100m plan to redevelop the Lister hospital site with a new multi-storey car park, expanded maternity services and consolidated emergency services has been submitted to Stevenage Council.
If the plans are given the green light, the work on the hospital will be finished by 2015.
The detailed plan will shortly be made available to the public to inspect.
Nick Carver, chief executive of East and North Herts NHS Trust that runs the hospital, said: "This is an exciting development as it sets out what's in store for everyone with an interest in the transformation of the Lister to become the major acute hospital for those living, working and visiting east and north Hertfordshire, as well as parts of Bedfordshire.
"The plan, which covers the expansion of our maternity services, the creation of a multi-storey car park, consolidated emergency services, including A&E, and the building of a new main south block, will see more than £100m being invested in upgraded and completely new facilities at the hospital.
"We expect work on some of these projects, including maternity services and the car park, to begin later this year. Subject to imminent agreement being reached with our private sector provider Clinicenta, building of our new surgicentre - which is covered by a separate planning approval received separately - could start within weeks. Between them, these three projects alone will begin transforming the Lister site.
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10th March 2009 - £100m Redevelopment of the Lister Hospital site...
Hertfordshire Mercury :
A £100m plan to redevelop the Lister hospital site with a new multi-storey car park, expanded maternity services and consolidated emergency services has been submitted to Stevenage Council.
If the plans are given the green light, the work on the hospital will be finished by 2015.
The detailed plan will shortly be made available to the public to inspect.
Nick Carver, chief executive of East and North Herts NHS Trust that runs the hospital, said: "This is an exciting development as it sets out what's in store for everyone with an interest in the transformation of the Lister to become the major acute hospital for those living, working and visiting east and north Hertfordshire, as well as parts of Bedfordshire.
"The plan, which covers the expansion of our maternity services, the creation of a multi-storey car park, consolidated emergency services, including A&E, and the building of a new main south block, will see more than £100m being invested in upgraded and completely new facilities at the hospital.
"We expect work on some of these projects, including maternity services and the car park, to begin later this year. Subject to imminent agreement being reached with our private sector provider Clinicenta, building of our new surgicentre - which is covered by a separate planning approval received separately - could start within weeks. Between them, these three projects alone will begin transforming the Lister site.
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9th March 2009 - A&E for St Albans moves from Hemel to Watford General Hospital
Herts Advertiser 24 :
ACCIDENT and emergency services at Hemel Hempstead Hospital will close on Wednesday and its services will transfer to Watford General.
The A&E department at Hemel Hempstead has served a large part of the St Albans district since the closure of casualty at City Hospital.
But it is now closing in its turn and the emergency department at Watford General Hospital with a new 120-bed Acute Admission Unit and an expanded Children's Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit will operate as the A&E department for West Herts.
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5th March 2009 - Staff protest at Watford General Hospital
Watford Observer :
Angry hospital workers held an impromptu protest today, to vent their fury at plans to force 250 people to park in Watford town centre.
More than 100 clerical and secretarial staff from Watford General Hospital waved placards and cheered when cars and vans blasted their horns, as they displayed their disgust at being told they have lost their parking permits on site.
The Watford Observer last month reported on plans to allow 250 workers to leave their cars at Charter Place car park, to create room for clinical staff moving to Watford from Hemel Hempstead Hospital under plans to centralise acute services.
Staff received an email last week asking for 250 volunteers to sacrifice their parking permits and take up the new spaces.
But when only seven offers were received, a second email was sent from the hospital's facilities department on Wednesday evening telling workers that the decision had been made for them, based on post code and bus routes.
Unhappy staff then organised today's protest outside the main entrance in Vicarage Road, where they received noisy support from passing motorists as they waved posters stating: “Give us back our parking permits.”
They raised concerns about safety walking home late at night, issues arising from taking children to and from school, and the cost of using local bus services. Workers also claimed they hadn't been consulted about the changes.
One staff member, who asked not to be named, said: “Everyone is extremely upset. Late at night and in winter, no-one will want to walk to Charter Place.”
Another said: “It's just awful. The morale is so bad here now. We all enjoy our work but we're being pushed and pushed to the extremes. We're being ground down and we're all here for the patients. The more we put up with the worse it gets.
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2nd March 2009 - Campaigners call on Gordon Brown to save hospital
Watford Observer :
More than 1,000 letters calling on the Prime Minister to step in and save Hemel Hempstead hospital were delivered to Downing Street on Wednesday.
Kings Langley’s MP Mike Penning led hospital campaigners to deliver the letters collected from special post boxes around the borough for the Big No campaign.
Mr Penning said the response to the campaign had been ‘fantastic’.
He said: “I call on the Prime Minister to read some of these letters to fully appreciate what the closure of our hospital will mean to local people. This is so much more than a petition - each person has had to take time to sit down and think through their concerns and worries.”
Campaign organiser Jan Maddern added: “It was a great honour to be taking all these letters to Downing Street. I’d also like to thank everyone who took the time to write a letter. This is a very clear demonstration of local feeling towards the closure of our hospital and the way that our views on the matter have been consistently ignored.”
The A&E, stroke unit, cardiac unit and intensive care are all either closed already or due to close next month.
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26th February 2009 - MPs question hospital delay
Watford Observer :
Two local MPs have questioned when, if ever, Watford's new hospital will be ready to treat its first patient.
A letter from the region's Strategic Health Authority (SHA), seen by the Watford Observer, has revealed the project is now not due for completion until 2016 - three years later than originally planned.
...
Mr Gauke said: “At the last election, the Government promised a £300 million hospital in Watford by 2013. “We already knew that the expenditure had been cut back but it is now clear that, in the last three years, this project has been put back by three years. “With many Government projects unravelling because of funding difficulties, this further delay raises serious concerns as to whether Watford will ever get the new hospital we have been promised.”
...
Mr Penning, who is a Conservative minister for health, said: “This news confirms my view that there is a major doubt about the Watford project.
“This is the first time we have seen a breakdown of the slippage.” ...
The news comes after local health campaigners claimed the proposed hospital is too ambitious and NHS bosses will not be able to raise the finances to pay for it.
The hospital is due to be funded by private finance initiative (PFI). However, the current lending crisis has cast doubt over the prospect of the money being secured.
Last month, Jan Filochowski, chief executive of West Herts Hospitals Trust, told this paper the project remains on track and he was confident of getting the cash.
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24th February 2009 - Your hospital letters delivered to Number 10
Hemel Today :
More than 1,000 heartfelt letters pleading for a rethink on the shake up of hospital services will be delivered to Downing Street tomorrow (Wednesday).
The giant bundle, collected during last November's Big No rally in Hemel Hempstead, will be handed over by the town's MP Mike Penning.
Hundreds of people penned letters to Prime Minister Gordon Brown during the campaign, begging him to step in over changes to the town's NHS services.
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24th February 2009 - Urgent care centres to send thousands of cases back to GPs
Pulse :
Government plans to replace A&E departments with new urgent care centres run by GPs and nurses could swamp practices with unresolved cases, new figures suggest.
One of the first urgent care centres in the country to open is sending as many as 40% of its patients back to their GP, it emerged this week.
The new centres are being developed as a gateway to emergency and urgent care – in a bid to free up A&E departments. But GP leaders attacked the plans as lacking an evidence base and repeating the errors made with walk-in centres.
It follows a recent warning from the College of Emergency Medicine that it had ‘serious concerns’ about the centres, which it said were being imposed for reasons of cost and without evidence of ‘clinical or financial benefits’.
The urgent care centre in Hemel Hempstead - which saw 6,309 patients in its first three months of opening – predicts it will eventually treat 65% of patients currently visiting A&E.
But discharge figures show that 38% of patients were told to contact their own GP; with just 27% discharged. A further 16% of patients were referred to hospital, with 7% referred to A&E.
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16th February 2009 - March 11 date for A&E closure
Hemel Today :
Accident and emergency at Hemel Hempstead Hospital will be closing on March 11.
From that Wednesday anyone seeking treatment for serious illness or injury will need to go to casualty departments in Watford or Luton.
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28th January 2009 - Doubts grow over new Watford hospital
Hemel Today :
The cash needed to make a new Watford hospital a reality has been thrown into doubt once again by an email in which health chiefs admit 'a real problem in taking new hospitals to conclusion'.
The email puts a question mark over the way new hospitals are funded because they depend on cash from the private sector and 'none of the banks have any money'.
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28th January 2009 - St Albans MP warns hospital plans may collapse
St.Albans and Harpenden REVIEW :
A LEAKED email has revealed that the planned expansion of Watford General Hopital is likely to fall victim to the economic slump, according to St Albans MP Anne Main.
Summarising a meeting between health chiefs and Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson, the email states: "Hospitals were due to be built as part of the private finance initiative, but the credit crunch has led to problems raising cash from the private sector.
“The bad news is around capital schemes that would have been PFIs (private finance initiatives).
"PFIs have always been the NHS's ‘Plan A’ for building new hospitals, especially as they used to be off-balance sheet. There was never a 'Plan B'. Now none of the banks have any money or a likely to have any for a few years, the absence of a ‘Plan B’ is going to cause a real problem in taking new hospitals to conclusion.”
Mrs Main said: "This is deeply worrying for St Albans. Following the decision to move the accident and emergency unit from Hemel Hempstead to Watford, Watford is now a key hospital for St Albans. "This project was agreed on the firm assurance that funding was in place to develop the new £300 million hospital at Watford. However, it now seems that this might be in danger.
"Services are already being run down at Hemel in order to prepare for the move, but concerns have been expressed since before Christmas that the funding may be at risk. "Now we have this worrying Government leak which says, in clear terms, that there is ‘no plan B’ for PFI projects.
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23rd January 2009 - Hospital theatres need £1.5m upgrade
St.Albans and Harpenden REVIEW :
Hospital chiefs are planning to spend £1.5million on repairs to operating theatres in Watford.
The cash will be used to replace ventilation units at the hospital which are 25 years old.
A report to the board of West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust says the work will cut cancellations, reduce the number of bugs and improve patient safety.
"The plant is not compliant with current standards for theatre supplies and the condition gives additional risks of infection and the inadequate control of anaesthetic gas concentrations," the report says.
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23rd January 2009 - Hospital theatres need £1.5m upgrade
St.Albans and Harpenden REVIEW :
Hospital chiefs are planning to spend £1.5million on repairs to operating theatres in Watford.
The cash will be used to replace ventilation units at the hospital which are 25 years old.
"The plant is not compliant with current standards for theatre supplies and the condition gives additional risks of infection and the inadequate control of anaesthetic gas concentrations," the report says.
Campaigner Zena Bullmore said: "Heaven only knows what else has to be upgraded in Watford.
"How long have they known about this?
"They are closing everything in Hemel regardless and leaving nothing to fall back on."
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20th January 2009 - Birth centre review 'disheartening'
Hemel Today :
A childbirth charity has hit out at health chiefs about how its research is being used to justify not reopening the Hemel Birth Centre.
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) carried out a survey of women for West Herts Primary Care Trust (PCT) as part of a review of maternity services, which concluded the birth unit was 'not viable'.
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23rd December 2008 - Watford General fails inspection
Watford Observer :
Hygiene standards inside west Hertfordshire's hospitals have failed in two out of three basic categories, inspectors found during a surprise visit.
Inspectors from the Government health watchdog, the Healthcare Commission, found West Herts Hospital Trust had breached two basic rules of its hygiene code.
The trust, which runs Watford General as well as St Albans and Hemel Hempstead hospitals, failed to meet “duty two”, to have in place an appropriate management systems for infection prevention.
It also failed to meet “duty four”, to maintain a clean and appropriate environment for healthcare.
Inspectors, however, found the trust was meeting the third inspected area, “duty 8”, to provide adequate isolation facilities.
During the visit they found dust and debris on the floors of wards they visited and highlighted issues regarding the decontamination of surgical instruments and equipment used for endoscopies.
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18th December 2008 - Hemel Birth Centre will not reopen
Hemel Today :
Hopes the award-winning Hemel Birth Centre would one day return have been dashed.
Experts called in to review maternity services in west Herts conclude the centre is 'not viable' despite the groundswell of support the unit enjoyed.
Campaigners have reacted with anger to the announcement.
Zena Bullmore, chairman of Dacorum Hospital Action Group, said: "We're appalled.
"We think the case they make for not reopening it is very weak.
"Women need to have a genuine choice and at the moment they haven't."
The unit for low-risk births opened in 2003 to soften the blow of the loss of full maternity services but it was closed in 2005, despite receiving a gong from the National Childbirth Trust (NCT).
Thousands of people backed a campaign to save the unit, including the NCT, and hospital chiefs later said they would investigate reopening it.
Herts Primary Care Trust launched a review of maternity services in May, which was carried out by Professor Allan Templeton, a past president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and Angela Canning, head of midwifery services at the Princess Royal Hospital in Bromley.
In their report they say the unit 'quickly attracted an excellent reputation based on feedback from women and clinical staff'.
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18th December 2008 - Last chance to send hospital letters
Hemel Today :
The last post for letters pleading to save services at Hemel Hempstead Hospital is fast approaching.
Dozens of post boxes have been set up throughout Dacorum for people to drop off letters inspired by the Save Hemel Hospital campaign's rally last month (November).
At The Big No, held in Hemel Hempstead town centre, hundreds of people penned heartfelt letters to Prime Minister Gordon Brown begging him to step in over changes to the town's NHS services.
The boxes will be emptied on Tuesday, December 9, and then delivered in a giant bundle to Number 10 by Hemel MP Mike Penning.
More than 760 letters pleading for a rethink on decisions made about the hospital, including replacing A&E with an urgent care centre, have already been added to the collection.
Campaigner Jan Maddern said: "If everybody who wants to show their support for this campaign wrote a letter and dropped into one of the boxes, we will have thousands to take to Number 10."
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19th November 2008 - Find your nearest hospital letter post box
Hemel Today :
Letters penned by concerned residents about the changes taking place at Hemel Hempstead Hospital can be delivered to special post boxes all over town.
At a rally by Save Hemel Hospital campaigners on Sunday, people were encouraged to write letters to Prime Minister Gordon Brown asking him to step in on issues affecting local NHS services.
More than 760 letters pleading for a rethink on decisionsADVERTISEMENTmade about the hospital, including replacing A&E with an urgent care centre, were collected in a giant post box built especially for the event.
But campaigners believe there are thousands more people who may wish to write their concerns about the local NHS in a letter.
They have now planted special post boxes in shops across the town to collect as many as possible.
Campaigner Jan Maddern said: "We had a good number of letters handed in on Sunday, but it is a tiny percentage of the population in this town.
If everybody who wants to show their support for this campaign wrote a letter and dropped into one of the boxes, we will have thousands to take to Number 10."
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17th November 2008 - The hospital food lottery
The Mirror :
It has never enjoyed the best reputation, but now hospital food has got healthcare critics spluttering in their soup.
Figures obtained by the Mirror reveal that some NHS trusts spend eight times more than others on feeding the sick - making the quality of hospital meals a postcode lottery.
In certain parts of the country, patients are tucking into tasty chicken chasseur and beef madras to aid their road to recovery. But elsewhere they have to make do with tasteless mash and soggy veg.
The figures, from the NHS Information Centre, show that eight NHS trusts are spending less than £3 a day on food and drinks for each of their patients. The meanest of all - West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust - spent just £1.96 per head last year. So if you need treatment there, better pack a few sandwiches and a flask.
For some decent grub, you need to hope that if you do fall ill at least you are admitted to a hospital within the Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Foundation. This topped the list of most generous trusts - last year spending £16.25 per head on food.
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16th November 2008 - Hundreds say 'No'
Hemel Today :
UPDATED 3pm: Hundreds turned out despite the rain to form a giant human 'NO' outside the Civic Centre in Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead.
Protestors against cuts to the town's hospital services came together to form the word at 2.45pm.
It sent a clear message to hospital bosses and the govenment that the town wants a fully functioning hospital.
Campaigners then marched, led by majorettes from the Blue Angels, through the town to the River Gade for a fundraising duck race.
Campaigners hope residents will help form the letters of the word NO to send a giant 'human' message.
The event is part of a last push from the Save Hemel Hospital campaign to try and reverse decisions made about the town's health services.
The rally will feature guest speakers and live music at the Marlowes band stand from 11am.
A giant postbox has been set up for people to post letters to prime minister Gordon Brown.
Protestors are writing letters expressing their concerns about the hospital situation and Mr Penning will then take the batch of letters to Downing Street.
The day will finish with a duck race on the river at the Riverside Shopping Centre to help raise cash to fund the rally.
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14th November 2008 - No means no!
Hemel Today :
Get down to Hemel Hempstead town centre today (Sunday) for a mass demonstration against cuts at the hospital.
Campaigners hope residents will help form the letters of the word NO to send a giant 'human' message.
The stunt is part of a last push from the Save Hemel Hospital campaign to try and reverse decisions made about the town's health services.
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12th November 2008 - Hospital site marked for 209 NEW HOMES that are intended to replace Hospital services in the growing town..!
Hemel Today :
Hemel Hempstead Hospital has been listed with room for 209 homes...
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11th November 2008 - Pen your letter to number 10
Hemel Today :
Make sure your voice is heard at this weekend's hospital rally with a personal letter to the prime minister.
Central to this weekend's protest against changes to local health services is a post box stuffed full of letters that will be delivered to Gordon Brown.
The event, featuring guest speakers, live music and a protest march, takes place from 11am onADVERTISEMENTSunday in Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead.
Organisers have urged everyone with something to say about the closure of hospital services to put pen to paper and bring it with them on Sunday to add to a giant post box.
Letters signed by hundreds of people are only registered as a single objection, so campaigners are keen for everyone to write their own and be counted individually.
Campaigner Jan Maddern said: "Even if all you want to write is that you don't want your hospital to close, that is enough. Please write your name, address and whatever is important to you and get it to our post box at the bandstand on Marlowes on Sunday."
There will be a tent with tables, chairs, paper and envelopes on the day for people to pen their messages to number 10.
If you would like to write yours ahead of the event, Jan and fellow campaigner Alex Bhinder have suggested you consider the following questions when composing it:
Are you concerned about response times or the distance to travel between your home and Watford Hospital?
Would you like to see equipment paid for by Dacorum residents kept at Hemel Hempstead Hospital?
How do you feel about government plans to build 17,000 homes in the area by 2031, without an acute general hospital in the town?
Have adequate reasons for the changes to the town's NHS services been given to residents?
Are you confused about which services will be available to you at which hospital?
Have you or your family already been affected by the changes made? What happened?
Will there be logistical and financial issues for Dacorum people getting to and from Watford for appointments or to visit patients?
Do you have confidence in Watford Hospital?
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6th November 2008 - "St Albans children will be treated..."
St.Albans and Harpenden Review :
INJURED children can still be taken to treated to Hemel Hempstead Hospital for treatment, health chiefs are insisting.
A new unit known as an urgent care centre opened at the hospital a month ago, and is gradually taking over from the traditional accident and emergency unit, which will close in March or April.
A leaflet, claiming children will no longer be treated there, which the West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) insists is seriously misleading, has been distributed in the Hemel Hempstead area, prompting a letter to local schools from PCT chairman Stuart Bloom.
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28th October 2008 - West Herts Hospital Trust [SIC] achieves the lowest possible rating...
Borehamwood Times :
It is no exaggeration to say last October was one of the darkest months in Watford General Hospital’s history.
A damning health report had just rated quality of services and financial management at West Hertfordshire NHS Hospitals Trust as “weak” - the lowest possible rating.
It was the second consecutive year the trust had received a “double weak” score, leaving it among the worst in the country.
Burdened by a huge deficit, with hospital infections rampant and the trust in disarray, chief executive, David Law, resigned.
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20th October 2008 - Hospital rally planned
Hemel Today :
A RALLY is being planned as a last ditch attempt to force a change of heart over the loss of health services from Hemel Hempstead.
Campaigners are hoping thousands will turn out in Gadebridge Park on November 16 with personal letters they have written to Prime Minister Gordon Brown begging for a rethink.
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20th October 2008 - Hospital chiefs speaks of struggle
Hemel Today :
Boss Jan Filochowski has told how the challenge of turning around West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust took so much out of him his wife feared for his health.
He has described how the first two months in the post of chief executive, as he tackled the trust's massive failings, left him 'emotionally and mentally' exhausted.
The task was so great he originally told his superiors – and his wife - he would stay for just six months...
"The problems of west Herts had become of such significance that they were national problems," he said.
A controversial GP-led health centre, offering the services of a GP surgery is planned.
"The move of services from Hemel to Watford had not been thought through and was at risk of not going through properly," he said.
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16th October 2008 - Have your say on health
Hemel Today :
Campaigners are urging the public to have their say on health services at a meeting in Hemel Hempstead.
The Dacorum Hospital Action Group (DHAG), MP Mike Penning and local GPs are set to meet at the Civic Centre tomorrow (Friday).
And members of the public are urged to come along for talks on the future of local health services including Hemel Hempstead Hospital.
The meeting, open to all, is being held at the Civic Centre in Marlowes at 7pm.
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6th October 2008 - Emergency patients set for hospital move
Watford Observer :
The next stage of plans to develop acute hospital services at Watford General Hospital will begin next month.
From November 3, 999 "blue light" ambulances will take emergency patients straight to Watford General after 10pm and before 8am. Staff numbers will be increased to ensure patients have the "best possible emergency care", although the changes will affect, on average, less than ten patients each night.
The A&E unit at Hemel Hempstead will remain open until March next year, when it will transfer to Watford General, in Vicarage Road.
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29th September 2008 - Health trust in bid for foundation status
Borehamwood Times :
The health trust that runs Watford General Hospital has unveiled plans to apply to become a foundation trust.
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust will carry out a 12-week consultation process, giving residents the chance to help shape its future services and discuss the possibility of foundation trust status.
A foundation trust has greater financial freedom to make decisions, but is still part of the NHS. It is also accountable to the community who, as members, have a greater voice on issues concerning hospitals.
The trust would be regulated by foundation trust watchdog, Monitor, instead of the Healthcare Commission.
The consultation started on Monday and will end on Tuesday, December 16.
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26th September 2008 - Emergency patients still waiting too long to see doctor, review says
The Times :
Patients who need emergency medical care are facing unnecessary delays in seeing a doctor, despite government targets to speed up urgent treatment, a review says today.
In the most comprehensive review yet of NHS emergency and urgent care, the Healthcare Commission found significant variations in how patients are treated across England, particularly on evenings and at weekends.
In some hospitals only 40 per cent of patients were seen by a doctor or nurse within an hour of arrival at the accident and emergency department, while others achieved 100 per cent.
The proportion of children with a broken arm or leg who attended A&E and were given pain relief within one hour varied from 20 per cent in some hospitals to 100 per cent elsewhere.
Anna Walker, chief executive of the Healthcare Commission, said there had been improvements in performance on government targets, with 97.9 per cent of A&E patients being treated within the four-hour target in 2007-08, up from 91.2 per cent in 2003-04.
Mike Penning, Conservative MP for Hemel Hempstead, said the Government was “hitting self-imposed targets, but missing the point in providing care. Patient outcomes are being neglected.”
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23rd September 2008 - Hospital trust bids for foundation status
Hemel Today :
A public consultation has started this week on a bid by West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust to gain foundation status.
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22rd September 2008 - West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust bids to become a Foundation Trust
SAVE HEMEL HOSPTIAL :
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust is calling for local people to get more involved in the shaping of hospital services after unveiling plans to apply for Foundation Trust status. This forms part of a consultation exercise, which ran from 22 September 2008 and ended on 20 February 2009.
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21st September 2008 - Date set for health services public meeting
Hemel Today :
Campaigners have set a date for a public meeting to highlight health care issues in Hemel Hempstead.
Dacorum Hospital Action Group (DHAG) wants to give people the opportunity to comment and learn more about the future of services.
The meeting, chaired by MP Mike Penning, will take place in the council chamber at Hemel Hempstead Civic Centre on Friday, October 17, at 7pm.
Speakers will include Mr Penning, South West Herts MP David Gauke, DHAG chairman Zena Bullmore, and Tring GP Tony Hall-Jones.
Mrs Bullmore said: "It's a public meeting to explain what's going on and to discuss the programme for the future."
Major changes have taken place at Hemel Hempstead Hospital with planned surgery moved to St Albans and A&E closing next March.
The meeting follows the launch of a campaign by family doctors against a new health centre destined for Hemel Hempstead.
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19th September 2008 - Grandmother’s fury over Watford hospital ‘birthing blunder’
Borehamwood Times :
A Borehamwood grandmother has criticised Watford General Hospital for allegedly “misdiagnosing” an infection that her daughter suffered following an emergency caesarean section.
Diane Stanton, 55, called the hospital “irresponsible” after her daughter Shiobhan Stanton, contracted the infection after giving birth to a son on Friday, August 22.
Shiobhan, 35, was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, August 24, and returned to her home in Hemel Hempstead to find the stitches in her stomach from the operation had opened.
Mrs Stanton said: “Shiobhan was firstly discharged very quickly, then when her scar stitches became loose, the area was oozing with pus and I could see it was infected.”
Shiobhan went immediately to see her GP in Hemel Hempstead and was put on a course of antibiotics.
“A swab was sent for tests by the GP and on September 5 she received confirmation that she had a bug called pseudomonus. After this, Shiobhan’s partner called Watford Hospital which invited them in for an interview on the Saturday,” said Mrs Stanton.
At the meeting, a doctor and a midwife told her daughter the area was not infected, claimed Mrs Stanton. Shiobhan then went to Hemel Hempstead General Hospital to get a second opinion.
Mrs Stanton added: “The doctor there told her the area was definitely infected.
“Watford Hospital misdiagnosed her and was irresponsible with her treatment. It was dreadful, especially because she had just had her baby and should be enjoying her time as a mother.
“Shiobhan is still suffering at the moment and needs to have the area around her stomach cleaned out every three days. I want the hospital to take notice of this situation and to not let it happen to anyone else in the future.”
Watford General Hospital and Hemel Hempstead General Hospital both come under the West Hertford-shire Hospitals NHS Trust.
A spokeswoman said: “Although we cannot comment on individual cases, the trust is always concerned to hear that a patient is unhappy with the care they have received.
“If Miss Stanton would like to contact our complaints department on 01923 217866, we would be happy to discuss her concerns with her in detail.”
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17th September 2008 - GPs revolt against Hemel health centre
Hemel Today :
Family doctors are calling on the public to join them in a fight against a new health centre destined for Hemel Hempstead.
The GPs want people to sign a petition against the centre, which they claim will be 'potentially catastrophic' for health care in the town.
Sixteen out of the 19 GP practices in Dacorum have declared they are against the centre in a show of resistance to NHS bosses not seen before in this part of the country.
The doctors claim the centre will spell closure for existing surgeries and provide worse care for patients.
The campaign involves posters, 750,000 leaflets and the petition, which will be delivered to Parliament.
The GP-led health centre will be open to anyone 12 hours a day and 365 days a year in a town centre location as part of a nationwide government initiative to make it easier for people to see a doctor.
But the Hemel Hempstead and District Locality Forum, which represents family doctors, says the centre is not needed because local surgeries are now opening at earlier and later hours.
The forum claims the new centre will be able to register 6,000 patients, which will draw patients and resources from existing surgeries like Fernville and Lincoln House.
Dr Mark Brownfield, chair of the forum, said: "If you're going down the route of a walk-in centre, patients are going to be going in there in isolation of their medical records to see GPs who don't know them.
"We have grave concerns about the safety of this.
"It's potentially catastrophic."
Dr Paul Heatley, of Bennetts End Surgery, said: "We have a system that has evolved over 60 years.
"It's highly regarded by patients. Do you really want to throw that out and take a leap in the dark?"
A tendering process is currently under way to decide who will run the centre, which opens in March next year, and it is understood a number of multinational companies and local GPs have submitted bids.
The health centre is expected to sit alongside the urgent care centre that will replace A&E in Hemel Hempstead next year.
Doctors fear smaller local bidders will be unable to compete with the economies of scale big companies can draw on.
Dr Brownfield said: "We don't believe these large health care organisations can deliver.
"They will be pursuing a business-based agenda, feeding their shareholders and their motives will be different from existing GP practices."
He added: "If enough people oppose them there is still a possibility they could be stopped."
A letter outlining the doctors' opposition has been sent to the Herts Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and the Department of Health.
The campaign is backed by Dacorum Hospital Action Group, Dacorum Patients Group and MP Mike Penning.
Mr Penning said: "It will be another white elephant that's going to be dropped in Hemel because they know they were wrong to take our hospital away.
"Instead of having it imposed on us it should be the GPs and local clinicians who decide what we need in the town."
Anne Walker, chief executive of the PCTs, said: "I do not believe that a new health centre is a potential threat to quality.
"Patients have raised time and time again, the difficulty they have in getting an appointment with a GP.
"The health centre is designed to complement the GP services that already exist and to offer patients improved access to services."
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YOU CAN SIGN THE PETITION IN YOUR SURGERY OR BY CLICKING HERE.
9th September 2008 - Hospital's 'judgement error' on 100 year old patient
Hemel Today :
The daughter of a Kings Langley centenarian has hit out at the hospital care her mother received in the weeks before her death.
Mrs Ellen Stanbridge, aged 100, died just one day after being discharged from a ward at Hemel Hempstead Hospital in August.
Her family claims Mrs Stanbridge was only admitted with a bruised ankle, but 'completely deteriorated' during her four week stay.
Her daughter Jennifer Perry, 70, said: "When my mother entered the hospital she was relatively fit and healthy for a woman of 100 years, but she left a dying woman.
...
Mrs Stanbridge, a great-grandmother, had fallen at her Vicarage Lane home in July and taken to hospital with a suspected broken ankle.
Hospital staff kept Mrs Stanbridge in for four weeks because they wanted to 'encourage her to mobilise' and because she required nightcare.
Mrs Perry said: "I think it was a serious judgement error to keep her on a ward unnecessarily and she was very miserable.
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8th September 2008 - Official handover for West Herts Acute Admissions Unit
Hospital Development :
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has taken official possession of the new 120-bed Acute Admissions Unit, following completion of the construction phase of the project.
The unit is expected to open to patients in March 2009. Over the next few months the trust will install and test major equipment and services, including a new CT scanner, x-ray equipment, cardiac catheterisation labs and new pharmacy facilities with robotic dispensary.
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3rd September 2008 - Construction finishes on Watford emergency unit
Hemel Today :
The keys to the new acute admissions unit at Watford General Hospital were handed over on Monday.
Construction work on the unit is complete and now it will be stocked with equipment in preparation for its opening in March next year.
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2nd September 2008 - Doctors given keys to 'flatpack' hospital
Watford Observer :
The keys to Watford’s brand new 120-bed hospital, where the town’s most poorly patients will in future be treated, were yesterday officially handed over to the doctors who will run it.
When the new three storey Acute Admissions Unit (AAU) opens in March it will treat every patient requiring emergency care in west Hertfordshire.
Thomas Hanahoe, chair of West Herts Hospitals Trust, said the handover was “a significant step” for the trust.
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29th August 2008 - 'No more closures' says regional NHS
Hemel Today :
NHS bosses in the region covering Hertfordshire have declared there will be no more closures of A&E or maternity departments.
The NHS East of England says it will 'support no further closures' in its vision statement document 'Towards the best, together'.
However, the policy comes too late for Hemel Hempstead's A&E department, which will be replaced by a urgent care centADVERTISEMENTre next year, or full maternity services, which closed in 2002.
In a statement the NHS East of England said decisions around Hemel Hempstead Hospital would not be revisited.
"Our vision 'Towards the best, together', published in May this year, clearly states that the NHS in our region will support no further closures of A&E or maternity units," the statement says.
"The units referred to in west Hertfordshire were decisions made last year, locally in Hertfordshire, and supported by (Herts County Council's] overview and scrutiny committee.
"The vision is based on a sustainable future for all 17 acute trusts in our region delivering both A&E and maternity services.
"It does not, and will not, reopen recent consultations and decisions.
"Local people have already spoken on those matters and this vision respects those decisions. - SAVE HEMEL STATES THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN, AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE CLEAR VOICE - TO KEEP SERVICES OPEN. THE HOSPITAL TRUST HAVE LIED IN THEIR FAILED ATTEMPT TO MANUFACTURE CONSENT FOR CLOSURES.
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19th August 2008 - Hospital staff praised - Hemel Hempstead General Hospital "Amazing..."
Hemel Today :
A man who thought his wife was dying has described the Hemel Hempstead Hospital staff who saved her as 'amazing'.
Joyce Mitchell, 79, was rushed to hospital in June with back pain and diagnosed with a kidney and bladder infection.
Her condition was so bad that husband John, 77, told members of their family to come to the hospital and say their goodbyes.
He said: "She was weak and her arms were black and blue there were so many drips in them, I've never seen anything like it.
"I thought she was so bad that she wouldn't live."
Retired nurse Joyce was treated on the Stuart ward before being moved to Lancaster ward.
John said: "I couldn't believe it, I came in to visit her and she had a smile on her face.
"The staff were all absolutely marvellous and I really think they saved her life.
"All the bad news you hear about Hemel Hempstead Hospital, I wanted people to know how wonderful these wards were."
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1st August 2008 - Mixed report for GPs
Watford Observer :
Doctors’ surgeries have received a mixed report in an NHS-commissioned patient survey.
Between January and April, 1,200 patients living within the boundaries of the West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust were sent a nationwide survey by the Healthcare Commission asking for their thoughts on local services.
The document probed a number of key patient concerns, including the ease of making appointments, waiting times, relationships with GPs, and the quality of care.
Of the 483 patients who responded, the findings were mixed.
The trust, responsible for the care of thousands of Watford residents, was ranked as average in most of the 51 subject areas covered. In others, however it was told to improve.
Of particular concern was the current inflexible and unreliable appointments system, with many patients complaining of long waits and late or cancelled slots.
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31st July 2008 - Elderly stuck at home without volunteer drivers
Hemel Today :
A car and minibus service that takes the elderly and disabled to hospital appointments is turning people away because of a lack of volunteer drivers in Hemel Hempstead.
With 1000 people on the books, 30 regular clients and just four drivers, Community Cars is working overtime to keep up with its work.
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14th July 2008 - Man, 96, left in bed for 15 hours
Hemel Today :
A pensioner from Hemel Hempstead died days after being admitted to hospital with dehydration after carers left him in bed at home for 15 hours.
Home care provider Community Careline Services (CCS) came under fire last month (June) when more than 30 of its Dacorum clients were not attended to during one weekend.
The family of Mr John Eustace were heartbroken to find him alone and unresponsive hours after he should have been helped from bed, fed and given a drink by CCS carers.
The 96 year old was admitted to Hemel Hempstead Hospital and died 10 days later after contracting pneumonia.
His daughter, Sylvia Reade, 66, said: "Dad was very elderly and we knew his time would come sooner rather than later, but how could it have helped being left in bed for all that time with no attendance and nothing to drink?
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4th July 2008 - Flatpack hospital delayed
Watford Observer :
The opening of Watford General’s new “flatpack” hospital has been delayed for five months following a series of technical issues.
The hospital’s new, state-of-the-art Acute Admissions Unit (AAU) was put together in just three weeks after the 145 steel “modules” were delivered, piece by piece, on articulated lorries.
The 120-bed new unit, which will provide acute care for patients across west Hertfordshire, including Hemel Hempstead and St Albans, had been expected to open in October.
However, West Hertfordshire Hospitals’ NHS Trust, the organisation that runs Watford General, announced on Wednesday that the date has now been pushed back until 2009.
The Watford Observer heard about the delays last week but health chiefs refused to comment until staff at the hospital had been briefed.
However, the centralisation of acute services at Watford has been heavily criticised, particularly by residents in Hemel and St Albans.
Mr Filochowski admitted centralisation was a large task.
He said: “The centralisation is being carried out in a series of phased moves that will ensure patient safety and avoid as much disruption to services as possible.”
Mike Penning, MP for Hemel, said the delay was bitter-sweet news for his residents.
He said: “While I, of course, welcome the delay in closing Hemel’s much needed acute services, I am deeply disappointed that it is purely because of so-called ‘technical reasons’.
“I had hoped that it would have been because the NHS Trust had seen some sense and realised that a town the size of Hemel needs a fully functioning general hospital.”
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30th June 2008 - Hospital staff turnover worst 'since records began'
Hemel Today :
Staff turnover at the trust running Hemel Hempstead Hospital is the highest 'since records began'.
The proportion of staff leaving West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust stands at 15.5 per cent and uncertainty about the future is being blamed for the situation.
Sarah Childerstone, director of workforce, told a board meeting: "The turnover rate has been increasing.
"It has gone up over the last year and is now at the highest level since records began.
"Undoubtedly that will be because staff are concerned about the future."
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18th June 2008 - War hero killed by superbug, transfusions are being stopped at Hemel Hospital
St.Albans Review :
THE family of a man who died after contracting a deadly hospital superbug has revealed his fascinating history.
William "Bill" Clark died on September 2 last year after catching Clostridum difficle, also known as C.diff, following a serious fall at his home in Cottonmill Lane, St Albans.
...
The Review reported last week that an inquest into the pensioner's death found he had been given medication to treat various infections, which weakened his immune system making him susceptible to killer bugs.
Bill's age and long battle with Parkinson's disease also made him vulnerable to the risk of infection We also revealed Hemel Hempstead Hospital no longer performed transfusions overnight after Bill had been given the wrong blood type.
The coroner said that the manner in which a blood transfusion was organised had not contributed to Bill's death, but as a result of the mix up, transfusions would stop at 7pm unless a patient was critically ill.
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10th June 2008 - Hospital blunder prompts policy change
St.Albans Review :
A HOSPITAL has stopped performing transfusions overnight after a St Albans man was given the wrong blood type, an inquest has heard.
William Clark, 91, who was known as Bill by family and friends, was knocked unconcious and taken to Hemel Hempstead Hospital when he accidentally fell on a patio at his home in Cottonmill Lane in August, last year.
As doctors treated his cuts and bruises, they found he had cystitus, a bladder infection, and prescribed him anti-biotics.
But the medication weakened his immune system making him susceptible to deadly superbugs.
The coroner said the manner in which a blood transfusion was organised had not contributed to Bill's death.
He said the mistake was human error, but welcomed news that transfusions would stop at 7pm unless a patient was critically ill.
"Errors happen," he said.
"We are all human, we all make mistakes.
"The response to this mistake was telling the family, getting doctors involved and dealing with it. That's what happened in this case."
"Mistakes are often made at night when perhaps there's less staff who are more under pressure if something unexpected happens."
Speaking after the verdict, Bill's son Mark, said: "This isn't a witch hunt, we appreciate the care he did receive in Hemel Hempstead Hospital from doctors and nurses.
"We wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else and we are glad that policies have changed."
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8th June 2008 - Fuel leak found at hospital
Hemel Today :
A fuel leak has been discovered in the emergency generator at Hemel Hempstead Hospital.
The 'pinprick' leak was discovered in a pipe during a survey but resulted in only 'minor seepage' of diesel into a protective bund, according to West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust.
The generator cuts in if there is a power cut and provides electricity to the hospital.
In a statement the trust said: "The tank was immediately shut off to prevent further leakage and repairs were undertaken.
"The trust was advised that the amount of leaked liquid was well under the level that is required to be reported to the Environmental Agency.
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6th June 2008 - Controversial day centre sale looms
Hemel Today :
Plans to close a Berkhamsted day centre dozens of elderly and disabled people depend on have come under fire from Berkhamsted Citizens Association (BCA).
At the end of last year Herts County Council announced that Manor Street Day centre, which caters for 60 residents, was to close and the land be sold off.
Although the site has been in use for almost 20 years, it is classed as a temporary buildingADVERTISEMENTand the council plans to send anyone who wants continue using the service to centres in Tring and Hemel Hempstead.
Chairman of the BCA, Tony Statham, said: "We deplore the loss of any public amenity space or facilities. While 'selling the family silver' may address a short-term financial need, it will create potential problems for the longer-term."
"The prospect of yet more residential housing without any corresponding expansion of infrastructure facilities exacerbates a growing problem in the town. It means more people and more housing but no expansion in medical or schooling facilities and no increase in parking availability."
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27th May 2008 - Hospital bug death numbers released
Hemel Today :
The number of deaths from hospital bugs in west Herts has been released for the first time.
The figures show 91 patients at Hemel Hempstead Hospital died from clostridium difficile between 2001 and 2006 and 24 from MRSA.
At Watford General Hospital over the same period there were 83 deaths from clostridium difficile and 25 from MRSA.
The government statistics show a doubling in deaths from clostridium difficile in 2006, but West Herts Hospitals Trust says this was because of a change in the way the figures were compiled.
Trust chief executive Jan Filochowski said the latest figures showed a dramatic fall in deaths from infections.
"Our figures are not the worst in the country," he said.
He said in the last quarter of 2007 there were 14 deaths from clostridium difficile and just three in the first quarter of this year.
Cases of the bug had dropped from 50 a month a year ago - when it was described as 'endemic' in the trust - to seven in April.
However, the trust missed its annual target for MRSA with 37 cases against a goal of 18
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23rd May 2008 - DHAG pays £26k for failed hospital legal challenge
Hemel Today :
Campaigners will have to pay £26,500 for the failed legal challenge to the downgrading of Hemel Hempstead Hospital.
Dacorum Hospital Action Group (DHAG) has handed the cash to West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust to help cover its legal costs for the High Court action last year.
The judicial review was based on the way the decision was taken to shift full A&E to WatfADVERTISEMENTord and planned surgery to St Albans.
The judge ordered DHAG to pay 40 per cent of the trust's legal bill after ruling the decision to move services out of the town had been made fairly.
The community raised thousands of pounds in a Gazette-backed campaign in support of DHAG to allow the review to take place.
This means the action group still has £23,000 left in its fighting fund.
DHAG chairman Zena Bullmore said: "Thanks to the generous donations from Dacorum citizens, and beyond, and to the publicity given by The Gazette, we have £23,000 left to continue our campaign after paying the legal costs."
She said the closures in Hemel Hempstead had resulted in a worse service to patients.
"We therefore in justice request that Hemel Hempstead Hospital's orthopaedic operating theatres and wards, and the other lost services, are returned at a very early date," she said.
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20th May 2008 - Hospital trust slammed in patient survey
Hemel Today :
The trust running Hemel Hempstead Hospital has been rated among the lowest 20 per cent in the country for its overall level of care in a patient survey.
West Herts Hospitals Trust was slammed by patients on aspects including cleanliness, confidence in doctors, and the amount of information provided by staff.
Just 27 per cent of patients rated overall care at the trust excellent, the lowest of all ADVERTISEMENTsimilar-sized trusts outside London, compared with an average of 42 per cent.
And one in ten patients wanted to complain about the care they received at the trust.
Out of a total of 62 questions, the trust was ranked in the bottom fifth in the country for 49.
The damning results have emerged in a survey carried out by the Healthcare Commission, an NHS watchdog.
The trust is currently in a state of upheaval, with full A&E in Hemel Hempstead due to close in October.
This follows the centralisation of planned surgery in St Albans, a move described as 'botched', and campaigners have called for wards in Hemel Hempstead to be reopened.
Trust chief executive Jan Filochowski, an NHS troubleshooter, was brought in last year following the resignation of his predecessor David Law over poor performance.
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13th May 2008 - Hospitals need 'a prescription for a change'
St.Albans Review :
PATIENTS have slammed the quality of care at hospitals in west Hertfordshire which have finished near the bottom of a national survey.
The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs wards at St Albans City, Hemel Hempstead and Watford, scored in the worst 20 per cent for almost all the questions posed.
Patients who received treatment in 2007 criticised lack of privacy, night-time noise, dirtiness, delays, lack of information and poor communication from staff.
In only eight out of 60 key questions, which all focused on patients' experience of hospitals rather than quality and effectiveness of treatment, did the trust manage to get out of the bottom 20 per cent.
St Albans MP Anne Main said: "I can't say I am surprised, because often people have said to me that the medical outcome is fine but the hospitals look neglected, patients have been left hanging around and staff do not have time for them.
"Staff have been put under a lot of pressure to deliver results, and people feel they are not given enough attention. The personal side of nursing seems to have suffered."
Labour district councillor Roma Mills added: "The trust has got to get its act together. Staff morale has deteriorated with all the changes and consultations over the last ten years, and that has not helped. It may be that clinical outcomes are very good, but people also need to feel cared for. People want clean wards and curtains and privacy.
"If my child or my mother was going to hospital, I would want to feel confident they would be treated with care and consideration. There have always been issues about quality at care at St Albans City Hospital, Hemel Hempstead and Watford. Clearly these issues are still there."
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7th May 2008 - Nurse shortlisted for award
Hemel Today :
A NURSE at the trust running Hemel Hempstead Hospital has been shortlisted in the Nursing Standard awards.
Anne Carroll made it to the final two from 200 applicants in the continence care category, where she is a nurse specialist.
"I was absolutely delighted and honoured to be shortlisted to the last two people," she said.
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29th April 2008 - Disabled boy awarded £3m payout
BBC NEWS :
A 10-year-old boy left disabled after an alleged hospital blunder when he was a baby has won a compensation deal worth more than £3m.
Lawyers for Matthew Goode argued he was left cortically blind by oxygen starvation suffered during his birth at Watford Hospital in May 1997.
Through his mother Katriona, Matthew, of Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, sued the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
The Trust agreed to settle his case on the basis of 85% liability.
In a statement to the court, Mr and Mrs Goode said: "We have worked tirelessly for over nine years to try to resolve this case.
Matthew's lawyers argued his birth was negligently delayed at the hospital, with oxygen starvation the result.
After he was discharged five days after his birth, his condition worsened and he was taken back to the hospital where he suffered a seizure, leading to brain damage and cortical blindness, lawyers said.
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28th April 2008 - New A&E at Watford delayed
Watford Observer :
THE opening date of the new A&E at Watford General Hospital has been thrown into doubt by construction delays.
An original date of October 1 looks likely to slip by at least 10 days because high winds meant a crane was unable to operate.
The glitch has sent jitters through West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust, which is still reeling from the fiasco of centralisiADVERTISEMENTng planned surgery in St Albans.
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25th April 2008 - Doctors under fire for hygiene failings
Hemel Today :
DOCTORS are now being targeted at Hemel Hempstead Hospital after it emerged they are the worst culprits when it comes to handwashing.
Two doctors have been carpeted in recent weeks and a further three junior doctors have been sent warnings for failing to wash their hands.
In addition letters have been sent out to every doctor reminding them of the hygiene policy at West Herts HoADVERTISEMENTspitals NHS Trust.
Action has been taken in light of audits that show while at least 96 per cent of nurses wash their hands, for doctors the figure is 85 per cent.
The number of cases of killer bugs at the trust continues to run above target levels, with 37 cases of MRSA and 28 cases of Clostridium difficile.
Medical director Graham Ramsay told a trust board meeting: "In the last week I have had two doctors for face to face meetings.
"I have sent out three warnings to junior doctors."
During an audit it was noted that of eight consultants on a ward round, just two gelled their hands on entering and none did between patients.
At Hemel Hempstead Hospital the wards with the worst record on handwashing are Boleyn, St Peter's, the stroke unit and endoscopy.
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10th April 2008 - Staff job satisfaction 'below average'
Hemel Today :
Job satisfaction among staff working for the Trust that runs Watford General Hospital has risen over the past year.
However, the results of a nationwide survey carried out by a health watchdog show morale at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust is still "below average" compared to other acute trusts in England.
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8th April 2008 - Maternity services to be reviewed
Watford Observer :
Maternity services across Hertfordshire are set to be reviewed, to ensure new mums get the best service away from major hospitals.
While Watford General Hospital, in Vicarage Road, has both a midwife-led birth unit and a consultant-led service, the county's Primary Care Trusts will investigate whether they can offer women a choice about where they have their babies.
One proposal to be considered is the reopening of a birth unit at Hemel Hempstead Hospital, which could offer a midwife-led unit for low risk births. High risk births would still be performed at Watford General. Provision of home births, and post and ante-natal care will also be discussed.
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5th April 2008 - Hemel Birth Centre to return?
Hemel Today :
A LIFELINE has been thrown to the long-closed Hemel Birth Centre with the announcement of a review of maternity services in Hertfordshire.
The work will include investigating the possibility of reopening the unit for low-risk births in Hemel Hempstead, which was axed two years ago.
The award-winning unit was praised by the women who gave birth there but West Herts Hospitals NHS TrustADVERTISEMENTshut it down as a money-saving measure in the face of massive debts.
Full maternity services, including the special care baby unit, were closed at Hemel Hempstead Hospital in 2003 despite a huge public backlash.
The review will be carried out by Allan Templeton, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Aberdeen, and past president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
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4th April 2008 - Campaigner Zena's hospital diary
Hemel Today :
VETERAN campaigner Zena Bullmore has given a first-hand account of hospital life following service closures in Hemel Hempstead.
Zena had her hip replaced in March at St Albans City Hospital, three months after her consultant referred her and marked the operation 'urgent'.
Her account paints a picture of committed staff battling dirty windows, a lack of hot water and heating, broken lifts and showers, and general neglect.
Since surgery was shifted to St Albans cancellation rates have rocketed and Zena, now 87, says perfectly good wards and operating theatres at Hemel Hempstead Hospital are lying idle.
New boss at West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust Jan Filochowski has admitted the switching of surgery to St Albans was a 'mess up' but he says things are now improving.
However, Zena's story shows there is still some way to go.
Tuesday 4th March
Had to be at St Albans for 7.30am so had to leave by 6.45am. Had to starve from Monday night ready for the operation on Tuesday.
Had expected to be in Becket Ward but it was closed because of lack of staff. There is no bed for me. I have to sit and wait for my operation. It was delayed due to a problem with equipment for the operation before mine as they had to wait for replacement equipment. I went down for my operation around 1.00pm.
I was in recovery for some time as my blood pressure was very low. Eventually I was taken up to De la Mere ward. My blood pressure was still low.
Wednesday 5th March
I was on painkillers, oxygen and a saline drip. Daughter in Devon and son in Australia unable to speak to me as there is no phone on the ward except at the nurses station.
Friday 7th March
The nurses are having to do 13-hour shifts and as many are from Hemel Hempstead it means they have the half hour plus drive each way on top.
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A senior nurse washing me one day warned me she might be called away to help in the operating theatre. The nurses are wonderful and the care good. They deserve better. They are run off their feet.
Saturday 8th March
The window in a side room fell out and they had to get workmen in to repair it. Apparently it happened in the main ward a few weeks ago and there is a sign on the bottom windows saying that they should not be opened.
Sunday 9th March
My visitors today had to come through a silent and dark hospital with all doors locked, including toilets. All visitors are having to pay £3 to park every time they come to see patients and for those who are in for some time it is a burden on their families.
The heating and hot water broke down in the evening. It is a very cold night. The nurses have put four blankets on my bed.
Monday 10th March
The heating was off in the whole block and not fixed until late afternoon. Both lifts broken down too so 18 operations had to be cancelled. They are now replacing the lift that has been out of order for some time.
I have heard that however many patients the ward has, from one to 28, only three nurses are allowed to work overnight.
I had been suffering pains in my lower right side and thought they were due to bruising but asked for an x-ray. At 11.30am I was given the news that I have a tiny chest infection and will be put on antibiotics.
I was woken at midnight to be given my first antibiotics. Everyone is so busy they are all run off their feet.
Tuesday 11th March
Cleaning inspection being done. I have no complaints about the cleaning it is very good and thorough but the windows are filthy. This is because they are now only cleaned annually.
I went to the toilet for the first time using my new replacement hip. It was hilarious. Somehow we had to get in me, my catheter, zimmer and a member of staff. I'm afraid the toilet was just not big enough. Good job the catheter is going tomorrow!
Toilet for visitors on top floor is suffering from 'rising damp' and the plaster is bubbling and disintegrating. It looks very neglected.
The cordless phone brought over by staff won't work.
Friday 14th March
I understand that people are being moved from Watford to St Albans two days after their operations as there is no room at Watford since Hemel orthopaedics were closed.
This morning there was no hot water. When I wanted a biscuit the nurse couldn't find me one. I have to share my zimmer with the bed next to me as there aren't enough. I was able to speak to my son David in Australia as I was able to get to the nurses' station using a zimmer.
Saturday 15th March
No hot water again this morning. It was barely lukewarm. I could now go to Gossoms End (intermediate care unit in Berkhamsted] but there are no beds available. There are not enough pillows and we can't have soup in cups because there aren't enough cups.
Sunday 16th March
Again the water was barely warm. Apparently it is because the water heating is turned on so late and there are so many patients. A patient went down the ward as the toilet in the bay was occupied and the seat broke. She nearly fell off but managed to save herself.
Monday 17th March
I am going to Gossoms End for rehabilitation today. Today there was only one zimmer for all six beds. I asked for a shower but was told that it was broken. Again the water was cold.
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14th February 2008 - Pensioner stranded for hours at hospital
Hemel Today :
A frail and diabetic pensioner from Hemel Hempstead was stranded at Watford Hospital for four hours without her insulin while she waited for transport home.
Mary Robins, 75, had already been picked up late by hospital transport and forced to join the back of the queue for her appointment on Monday, February 4.
She was collected from her care home on Alexandra Road just five minutes before her 3.20pm aADVERTISEMENTppointment.
Her husband, Les, 79, said: "By the time we got to the hospital we were far too late and had to wait another two hours to be seen.
"When we came out it was after 6pm and the nurse called for us to have transport home but we just sat there and sat there and eventually it came at 10.45pm.
"It's a disgusting way to treat any patient, but for a diabetic person who hadn't had her insulin it's unacceptable."
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31st January 2008 - Maternity service worst in England
Herts Advertiser 24 :
The Healthcare Commission rated West Herts Hospitals Trust (WHHT) which takes in St Albans City, Hemel Hempstead and Watford Hospitals, at the bottom!
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30th January 2008 - Call for £86,000 raised for stroke unit to stay in Hemel
Hemel Today :
A campaigner who raised £86,000 to pay for a stroke unit in Hemel Hempstead feels betrayed after learning hospital chiefs intend to move it to Watford.
Margaret Sharp, of Cotterells in Hemel Hempstead, claims West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust must have known there were question marks over the unit's future in the town when they were encouraging her fundraising.
Mrs Sharp managed to collect the huge sum of money in a matter of months in 2004 after getting the backing of local businesses and the community including The Gazette.
"I feel I have been made a fool of," she said.
"I worked for something that was going to be there for the future.
"I want to say to the town I have always been honest with people and I was not aware this was a short-term project."
She added: "I'm not walking away on this one. The trust has done an injustice to the people of Hemel.
"I want this money back and I want something for stroke people in Hemel Hempstead."
Mrs Sharp started pressing for a stroke unit in the town in 2002 after her husband Phillip suffered a stroke.
Her dreams came true in November 2004 after the community rallied round to enable the purchase of electric beds, stroke chairs, and monitors.
However, throughout this period health chiefs were drawing up plans to strip services from Hemel Hempstead Hospital.
In October full A&E services will close in the town, which will be left with a minor injuries unit, diagnostic facilities and an outpatients department.
MP Mike Penning is backing Mrs Sharp's call for the cash to stay in the town and he intends to ask the Parliamentary Ombudsman to investigate the situation.
"There is something ethically wrong here," he said.
"These people have been led up the garden path.
"People need assurances about where their money has gone and why can't we have that money back?
"People will never have the faith to put their hands in their pocket again."
In a statement the trust said: "We really appreciate all the time and hard work that Mrs Sharp has put into fundraising on behalf of the trust and the people of west Hertfordshire over many years.
"Centralisation of this service and availability of skilled doctors and nurses to deliver this timely treatment is crucial for improved outcomes from stroke.
"We would like to reassure Mrs Sharp that the people of Hemel Hempstead will continue to receive access to our stroke services."
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24th January 2008 - A&E closure signals beginning of the end
Hemel Today :
Councillors have reacted to the announcement of a closure date for Hemel Hempstead's full A&E by warning 'we're on the slippery slope to the end of a hospital'.
Hospital bosses plan to shut down full casualty services on October 8 after a new A&E department opens in Watford, leaving Hemel Hempstead with a minor injuries unit.
The move was decided in 200 |
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