Healthwatch under pressure

Phil Johnston of Cheshire East Healthwatch may have found his first visit to Audlem somewhat disconcerting – maybe a timely Health warning about his reception may have been appropriate.

Mr Johnston was at Audlem Parish Council's meeting on Monday night to explain what Healthwatch is and to answer questions from councillors on health issues.

He was first asked what would be done to ensure current services could cope with all the development plans by builders and speculative developers in Cheshire East.

He responded that this was being considered by Cheshire East's Health & Wellbeing Board. He conceded that plans for a series of consultations were behind other areas in the south of the borough with some other areas to the east already into a third round of consultation with residents.

The questioning then became more specific asking why some Audlem patients were having difficulty obtaining local appointments for specialist treatment after being referred by Audlem Medical Practice.

This, we were told, is a 3-year old problem and was meant to be sorted out by the old West Cheshire Primary Care Trust and its Central & Eastern equivalent. Regular readers will recall stories on AudlemOnline about Audlem being stuck in the middle of bureaucratic wrangles about budgets which was meant to be sorted years ago yet still remains a problem.

Mr Johnston was told that local residents were getting very angry about delays and nothing seeming to happen, despite promises. The Medical Practice's Patient Participation Group (PPG) has written to the South Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group only last week on this precise point.

A reply* has been received to the PPG's letter saying that the on-going negotiations remain a priority and Chief Executive Simon Whitehouse has given his personal commitment that there should be no 'bounced' referrals and reaffirmed this whilst negotiations are being concluded.

Mr Whitehouse has also promised to confirm within the next month that there will be a positive resolution so that the health services involved can be transferred to the East Cheshire NHS Trust contract within 2014/15.

The Parish Council resolved to also write to Simon Whitehouse, and to Cheshire East's Health & Wellbeing Board, Stephen O'Brien MP and any other individual or body that might have influence in pulling Audlem out of the medical black hole between NHS bodies that it seems so often to get caught in.

At which point Mr Johnston made his escape with the grateful thanks of the Parish Council for his attendance.

*This letter was referred to at the PC meeting but details of its content are additional to the discussion on Monday. The letter from Simon Whitehouse can be read by clicking on the PDF link below the photo.

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