THERE was widespread condemnation following East Sussex PCTs’ decision last Thursday to transfer consultant-led Maternity services from Eastbourne District General Hospital to a single site at Hastings.
A joint committee of East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT and Hastings and Rother PCT voted by 16 votes to three for the recommendation of chief executive Nick Yeo to replace consultant-led maternity services at Eastbourne DGH with a midwife-led service.
The joint committee started their health cuts meeting at Uckfield in the manner they intended to finish it, by ordering security staff to remove two huge banners NHS campaigners had proudly hung on the stage behind committee members.
The banners read: ‘Save the DGH – Join The Campaign To Save Your Local Health Services’ and ‘Hands Off The Conquest’.
Throughout the proceedings, campaigners heckled committee members who tried to justify the health cuts.
Campaigner Liz Walke stood up and shouted: ‘Thousands of people are not being represented here!’
As soon as a board member suggested they had listened ‘to all the evidence’, another campaigner shouted: ‘In 20 months we have been given just 10 minutes to make our case.
‘The non-executives have not had all the information; it is a fraud!’
When someone asked a committee member to speak up because ‘we can’t hear’, another member of the audience shouted out: ‘It doesn’t matter because they aren’t going to listen anyway!’
Shouts of ‘not true’, ‘no merger of frontline services!’ and ‘Judas!’ amongst other interjections, finally led chairman Charles Everett (non executive director of Hastings and Rother PCT) to make the first of two threats to close the meeting to the public.
At one point, angry Eastbourne resident Rob Seaber rose from his chair and walked towards the committee’s table insisting that he was told by a committee member’s PA that he would be allowed to ask questions at Thursday’s crucial meeting.
The committee’s response to Seaber, whose wife is due to give birth to their first child in January, was to allow a security guard to force him back to his seat.
Immediately following the decision to end maternity at Eastbourne, campaigners roared their disapproval and denounced the decision.
Eastbourne MP Nigel Waterson approached the committee and remonstrated: ‘This entire process has been an utter disgrace. I call on this committee to resign.’
Following this, the Bishop of Lewes pleaded with the committee to reverse its decision and was stopped by a security guard from approaching committee members.
After the meeting, several angry campaigners spoke to News Line. Margaret Williams from the Hands Off the Conquest (HOC) campaign said: ‘I’m devastated. This decision was made right from the beginning.
‘The public, GPs, clinicians and more importantly the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) have all said the same thing: single-siting in East Sussex will not make for a better service, and more importantly, a safer service.
‘Despite this decision, our campaigns in Hastings and Eastbourne will remain united,’ said Williams defiantly.
Richard Hallet, chair of the Maternity Services Liaison Committee for East Sussex, said: ‘The whole thing today has been a complete whitewash. It is an absolute disgrace.’
Like many others, when Hallet – with his valuable experience in maternity services – requested to address the committee, he was completely ignored.
Dr Hugh Nicholson, Hastings GP and vice chair of the BMA Southern Regional Council, told News Line:
‘My impression of this meeting was that I was in the presence of a third world junta rather than a democracy.
‘The committee has shown utter contempt for the public, GPs and other professionals’ opinions.
‘They have completely misrepresented the views of the Royal College (RCOG). They have used deceit and bullying, and it is a disgrace!
‘They have demonstrated to me an obvious conflict of interest which is called private practice. The whole thing has been engineered by medical management.’
Mike Parris, HOC campaigner, said: ‘I am extremely disappointed. You think we live in a democracy; today proves that this is not the case.
‘They kept talking about choice, but what choice will there be for expectant women in Eastbourne?
‘Their own statistics show that 98.3 per cent of people were for keeping maternity at both sites. They have taken no notice whatsoever.
‘They haven’t been open; they haven’t been transparent. It has been a farce from beginning to end.
‘Proof that they had already made their mind up is the fact that midwives were told before today’s meeting to re-apply for their jobs and be transferred to Hastings. It’s a sham!
‘They are nothing more than lackeys to the government: puppets on a string.
‘I would be prepared to go through any process to stop this closure going ahead.’
The joint committee voted by 16 votes to three on two recommendations.
One: ‘That the PCTs support a single-site option for consultant-led maternity services…’
Two: ‘That the single site be Hastings with a midwife-led birthing centre at Eastbourne, alongside the existing birthing centre at Crowborough.’
There is going to be massive resistance to the decision in both Eastbourne and Hastings.
Many workers will be in favour of the trade unions and the local community occupying Eastbourne hospital to prevent the consultant led Maternity unit from being closed.
l Unison South East Regional Officer Anna Berry, has welcomed a retreat over a hospitals bus service between Crawley and West Surrey hospitals but warns this ‘helps Crawley residents, but not those in Horsham, or the Staff!’
She said: ‘Following a legal challenge to their decision to axe the free Shuttle Bus, Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has made a partial U-turn.
‘The challenge was made by a Crawley resident, Maria Rossiter, through her solicitors Leigh Day & Co.
‘This move came as part of a concerted campaign by patients, relatives, carers, visitors, unions and staff, many of whom have been left disadvantaged by the withdrawal of the Shuttle Bus.
‘Unison’s understanding is that the Trust agrees to rescind it’s decision, “only insofar as it relates to transport services for patients, relatives and friends”.
‘According to the Trust’s solicitors, in response to the legal challenge, the Trust apparently will “make a fresh decision” (about transport services) “following further work with stakeholders, which will include representatives of patients and the public”.
‘In the interim, the Trust has agreed to “reimburse patients, friends and family who use the Metrobus service from Crawley Hospital, via Crawley station, to ESH”.
‘It is unclear as to why Horsham residents have been excluded from this offer, or whether Crawley residents will have to travel to Crawley station before they can have their travel costs reimbursed.’
Berry added: ‘Although Unison obviously welcomes this concession for some local residents, we are very disappointed that the Trust continually fails to acknowledge the impact on staff of losing the Shuttle Bus.
‘Staff who now have to use the Metrobus are reporting that the increased journey time is making their day so long, it is impacting on their own health and wellbeing.
‘Staff who now drive in are reporting that the problems they encounter trying to find a parking space is making them late for work, and increasing their stress levels.
‘This is unacceptable, given the levels of stress already suffered by many of our members.
‘Unison therefore calls on the Trust to provide alternative means of transport for the staff in the interim, whilst awaiting the outcome of the “fresh decision”.
We will be writing to the Trust to ask them to meet with us to discuss this as a matter of urgency.’
