The Closing Of Liverpool Women's Hospital By Stealth, Denial And Duplicity

Save Liverpool Women's Hospital Campaigner Lobby The ICB

At the last meeting of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, denial and obfuscation was abound includig of course the denial of true public engagement and open reporting.

 

No one was allowed to ask questions, even those who had sent in written questions prior to the meeting, were not allowed to read out their questions nor provide statement as to qwhy the qestiosn were being asked.

Further, the answers as read by an individual Borad member designated to give a formal and at times ambiguous asnwer, was not at liberty to engage with members of the public attending the ICB meeting who tried to ask questions about the answers given.

 

Those raising their hands to ask a legitmate question where talked over by the chair and told there was no point in them getting into a discussion about arrangements for the Liverpool Women's Hospital's decanting of patients to the Royal Liverpool Hospital 9th Floor, or the details of the public 'engagement' exercise rather than a 'consultation' excercise; because the details had not been yet worked out - or at least they weren't prepared to tell the public at the meeting.

 

They even refused to response with an actual answer to the questions raised by an ex-midwife concernign were a patient will go if she has a bleed or a serious unplanned for situation were she needs urgent medical help. Would she attend the Royal A&E or go to the Liverpool Women's?

The answer was lined with good intentions and absolutely no detail. 'Each woman will be given a treatment plan which will include the unplanned events and what they need to do.' No details as to what that advice would be, nor where the woman should attend.

The secracy being set up around this whole exercise of the end of NHS Maternity services from the Liverpool Women's Hopsital, and eventual loss of the building from the NHS and sale of it to either a private hospital group was denied by the ICB despite it being clear to anyone who can read the ICB's own plans; that what is being planned is a total weakening of maternity services in Liverpool by the NHS by putting it into the overstretched General Hopsital at the Royal site, to eventually then say NHS maternity in Liverpool cannot be delivered by the NHs and that private contractors will be brought in to take-over maternity and gynaecology in Cheshire and Merseyside.

Objections to the filimg of the presentation of a 90,000 signatory petition by the Save Liverpool Women's Hospital camaign group were made by the Chair of the meeting on the ground of 'of a duty of care' to those attending and to avoid a situation were members of the public 'cut and paste' part of the video recorded.

 

The fact that the ICB themselves put a full recording of the public part of the meeting on-line via YouTube were it can be accessed by anyone, and edited; shows a complete lack of knowledge of how these things work. But, more importantly it shows the degree of 'public control' and hiding of the facts that is being deployed. Especially given that the majority of the public don't even know how to access the ICB website or have time to navigate to the pages concerned. Their webste is deliberately confusing and unclear to all but those who have the time and patience to plow throufh it for the information they may want.

 

It was clear that many board members were uncomfortable and did not themselves ask any questions, sat in silence when listening to the chair and even did not raise hands when agreeing to proposals from the Chair.

 

Further, the ICB meeting was cut in two with no public access to it in the morning where the financial state of the ICB was discussed, along with the detailed planning to cut services in order to minimise costs. With a shortfall of £180 million, the ICB is being stalved of funds by the Government as are the majority of ICBs across England.

 

The true state of the NHS is clearly deliberately being hidden form the General Public!

Accountable Care Organisations are also now back on the table of plans to convert the NHS into an American based Healthcare service.

These healthcare organisations will have no public access to its board meetings, will be run by business managers and private healthcare insurance companies in just the same way as in the US with denail of healthcare being the main tool to enure private profit on the back of ill-health of the public which will increase as a result of the use of mobile phone apps to make the public responsible for their own health and the use of untrained none-medical staff'

 

 

The Government's 10 year plan, available from the Unionsafety E-Library makes all of this quite clear along with other Government documents such their use of 'Life Sciences' to cut staffing levels including those of a clincial nature. In the enxt couple of weeks, the Government's Health Bill will be announced with deails of how staffing levels in the NHS can be cut by the adoption of AI instead of Doctors and Nurses, and ensuring patients are treated in their own homes rather than in hospital!

 

 

Government policy on use of 'Life Sciences' is also available from the Unionsafety E-Library.

 

Public Engagement meetings:

Monday 15 June, 2.00pm at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Conference Centre, Bridle Road, Bootle, Sefton, L30 4YD

Monday 29 June, 11.00am at The Old School House, St John's Road, Huyton, Knowsley, L36 0UX

Tuesday 30 June, 5.00pm at Blair Bell Room, Liverpool Women's Hospital, Crown Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, L8 7SS

People can find further details and register to attend an event here: Registration link page

On-Line Questionaire

The questionaire can be found here

Source: unionsafety / Save Liverpool Women's Hospital