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Thursday, December 22, 2005

Letter to Councillors

Appeal to Councillors

I am determined to press this point to it's furthest adavntage, here is a copy of my message to South Tyneside Councillors who are either members of the Board of South Tyneside Healthcare Trust or members of our Council's Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee;

I write to you either as a member of the Board of South Tyneside Healthcare Trust or as a member of South Tyneside MBC Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee.
May I refer you to my two most recent posts in my weblog regarding the outbreak of a "mysterious virus" at South Tyneside District Hospital, and ask that you conduct further investigations on behalf of South Tyneside's patients. My own questioning of staff has failed to uncover the type of virus or microbe responsible for the outbreak, although there has been plenty talk of it revealing itself in blood tests. It seems that staff are understandably reticent in releasing this information.
Consideration also has to be given to the current cleaning regimes at the hospital, which seems to have a reliance on outsourcing in cases such as this, which contrasts starkly with the situation I recently experienced at Sunderland Eye Infirmary. Perhaps I may be old fashioned, but I find it alarming that the amount of money expended on our health services fails to produce some of the most basic requirements, a clean, safe, sanitary, environment for the care of the acutely ill.

I would also wish you to press the Healthcare Trust most strongly about it's financial position, which I understand is pretty dire, following the Awotona case. It is already apparent that patient care is being affected despite their assertions that this would not happen. I think we require a good dose of transparency and severe scrutiny of current spending plans with an
emphasis on reducing waste, inefficiency, administrative, and management costs, so that the bulk of the revenue is expended on direct patient care with stable medical and nursing staffing levels. A degree of overtime is almost inevitable in our hospitals, however the current arrangements are quite unacceptable and will only serve to undermine staff morale.

# posted by Curly : 5:37 pm

Comments:

Curly,

Cleaning services at the Sunderland Eye Infirmary are also contracted out - to 'Initial Cleaning Services'.

Just shows that a private company can provide good cleaning services - but this will only happen, in the same way as 'internal' cleaning contracts, with the right management style and attitude towards staff.

Lewis

# posted by

Anonymous : 5:13 pm