Council has ‘no confidence’ in Pennine Acute Hospital Trust

Rochdale Borough Council tonight (Wednesday 15 December 2010) passed a vote of no confidence in the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust which manages the Rochdale Infirmary.

The move comes after several reason revelations. Namely the Trust’s worsening financial position.

 The Council is “disturbed” that as a result of the Trust's financial difficulties, it has been forced to announce no additional non-recurrent funding for the winter pressures season.

Councillors say this will place the vulnerable and the elderly at serious risk across the four sites, and not just locally, which is in stark contrast to the national situation, where other hospital trusts are providing extra funds to cope with the winter season.

There is also concern from the Council about the level and speed of essential services being removed from the Rochdale Infirmary – 12 months earlier than was proposed in the reconfiguration plans of the "Healthy Futures" programme.

Councillor Jean Ashworth raised the motion. She said the Trust is leaving the borough unsafe and it isn’t supporting the staff.

Councillor Ashworth called for an urgent review by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

A petition signed by over 2,000 people was also given to the Council.

Councillor Ashworth said: “We must try to stop any further closures by this Trust. The gap being left is horrendous.

“People’s lives are being put at risk and it is going to get worse.”

The Leader of the Independent Alliance Party, Councillor Greg Couzens, said: “Regardless of any disagreements we have I can guarantee we are a united front in supporting this motion.”

Councillor Dale Mulgrew added: “I am happy to support his serious motion. The distress signals are being sent to the Acute Trust but they are incapable of hearing those messages. We have exhausted all other options.

“Maybe now the Trust will sit up and listen to what is happening.”

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Councillor Irene Davidson, said: “At a meeting five weeks ago the Trust promised to sit down and listen.  They are destroying our Infirmary. They are not telling the truth and we haven’t heard anything. We need our hospital back.

“I agree with Councillor Couzens, if we can’t joint together on this then we shouldn’t be here at all.”

Council Leader, Colin Lambert said: “This must unite us as a Council. We are here to defend the services both inside and outside.

“The electorate expect us to fight for this – and this fight is not over.”

A unanimous decision was made and Rochdale Council has voted that it has no confidence in the Pennine Acute Hospital Trust.

Dr Ruth Jameson, medical director for The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Patient safety remains the Trust’s first priority and we do not compromise on that. Patients are not being put at risk at Rochdale Infirmary. We are in the process of implementing changes to services at Rochdale Infirmary as part of the Healthy Futures programme which was agreed four years ago following extensive public and clinical consultation and which received approval by the Secretary of State for Health at the time in 2007.

“The changes set out under Healthy Futures across the north east sector of Greater Manchester are needed to ensure health services remain modern, safe and sustainable by centralising the resources, skills and expertise of doctors and nursing staff. A team of national clinicians reviewed Healthy Futures as recently as two months ago. In their NCAT report they support the changes, recommending the Healthy Futures plans need to be implemented as soon as practical; this is what we are doing. We would like to reassure the public that services at Rochdale Infirmary remain safe.”