Sent by email, Thursday 22nd August:
Dear Craig,
I hope that you are well.
Stroke unit
I am contacting you regarding the ongoing situation at QEQM, and in particular the raised risk of the QEQM stroke unit closing ‘early’ due to staff shortages. The reason I am concerned is because (as I hope you are already aware) this is exactly what is happening to the stroke unit located at the hospital in Tunbridge Wells. There is the potential for the stroke unit at QEQM in Margate to close ahead of time if staff numbers dip below a safe level, and given that staff know that the unit will be closing unless the process can be stopped by judicial review or by the IRP*, it is much more likely that staff will be looking for new jobs. If the unit closes early, this will be a great danger to the people of Thanet, as the HASU at Ashford will not be ready until 2021 at the earliest.
“..there is the potential for the stroke unit at QEQM in Margate to close ahead of time if staff numbers dip below a safe level, and given that staff know that the unit will be closing … staff will be looking for new jobs. If the unit closes early, this will be a great danger to the people of Thanet, as the HASU at Ashford will not be ready until 2021 at the earliest.”
Save Our NHS in Kent have made requests to Kent and Medway STP and also to EKHUFT that retention measures be put in place – in particular retention premia should be put in place to incentivise staff to stay on. We have asked for full details of any plans to retain staff at the QEQM stroke unit via FOI, but as yet we are unable to get any answers. Could you put our questions to them? Perhaps as MP for South Thanet they will respond to you.
Our questions are:
1. What will Kent and Medway STP do to ensure that specialist stroke staff at QEQM are motivated to stay in post? Please list all the measures that will be undertaken.
2. Will pay be reviewed, and a retention premium be offered to specialist staff?
3. Will any other conditions be offered such as free parking or childcare assistance?
A&E
“..east Kent needs three full A&Es – one at Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. Kent and Medway STP say that this is not viable, but refuse to carry out proper feasibility studies or provide a detailed scoping out of that option – they point instead to a one page document that states it is not viable. This is clearly not acceptable.”
The most recent information we have states that the consultation on east Kent NHS changes (including A&E) will now take place in early 2020. The pre-consultation phase of these plans is now officially underway.
Craig, are you taking any measures to prevent the closure of A&E and consultant-led maternity at QEQM hospital?
A few months ago you signed our petition stating that east Kent needs three full A&Es – one at Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. Kent and Medway STP say that this is not viable, but refuse to carry out proper feasibility studies or provide a detailed scoping out of that option – they point instead to a one page document that states it is not viable. This is clearly not acceptable. SONIK have asked that an option for three A&Es should be included in the pre-consultation and public consultation. Will you put this to Kent and Medway STP as well?
“..neither Firth nor Green seem to have the slightest care for Thanet. They are wilful participants in this zero sum game, and seem to hope that Conservative voters in neighbouring constituencies won’t notice. Isn’t this a shameful game to be playing? It is clearly not the way to allocate NHS care fairly and according to need.”
SONIK have noted that Anna Firth (Conservative candidate for the Canterbury seat) is fully supporting Option 2 which will result in both Ashford and Thanet losing their A&E. She has gone so far as to state, in the press, that she will persuade the Prime Minister to back Option 2. Meanwhile Damian Green, Conservative MP for Ashford, has reassured his constituents that the Ashford A&E is not at risk. These are members of your own party – do you not feel concerned that there is a lack of unity and of logic on this topic in east Kent? I do not understand how both can seek to reassure their constituents, in good faith, that they will be the ‘winners’ and will have an A&E in a few years time, when we all know that this is a zero sum game.
In addition, neither Firth nor Green seem to have the slightest care for Thanet. They are wilful participants in this zero sum game, and seem to hope that Conservative voters in neighbouring constituencies won’t notice. Isn’t this a shameful game to be playing – it is clearly not the way to allocate NHS care fairly and according to need.
I would like to suggest that the MPs and candidates in east Kent join together and tackle the Kent and Medway STP regarding their unwillingness to adequately explore the potential for having three A&Es in east Kent.
Recent estimates state that Option 2 will likely cost £305 million, and the stroke plans will be in the region of £28 – 40 million. Compare this with the cost of new scanners (£1m each) and the cost of golden hellos for specialist staff (a scheme offering £20k golden hellos has recently been very successful as a recruitment drive). I have seen nothing as yet that rules out three A&Es. It is the case that buildings at Canterbury need to be restored or rebuilt, but I have seen no figures that estimate the cost of this as a standalone project. People are asking why we need these reconfigurations, why we can’t just improve the existing sites as required, begin a genuine recruitment drive, and restore services to Canterbury.
Did you know that in Maidstone, a scheme has been set up to help NHS staff moving to the area onto the property ladder, with purpose built flats in Coxheath? It seems that the Kent NHS Chiefs only make use of incentives like this when it suits their pre-agreed plans. I am not aware of any incentives like this in Thanet; are you?
I am hoping you can ask some questions on our behalf and encourage your MP colleagues to not accept the zero sum game that we have been presented with.
Yours sincerely,
Carly Jeffrey
Ramsgate resident and Save Our NHS in Kent member.
In Whose Interests? 