Hayward House Daycare is on the site of Nottingham City Hospital and provides essential drop-in care for cancer sufferers but was going to be closed via the Primary Care Trust at extremely short notice. The campaign Save Hayward House Daycare just been told (at the end of last week) that DAYCARE IS NOW NOT CLOSING and that patients have been given letters of apology from the NHS.
The details are still unclear, and we don’t know if/when referrals will recommence or whether there will be any substantial changes. It is possible that patients with other life-limiting illnesses will in future be referred to Hayward House too, to be treated by experts in palliative care for cancer patients, thus reducing the number of cancer patients receiving the treatment. If so, we don’t know whether there will be any increase in staffing.
Campaigners are mighty relieved, but still wary. And angry. We want to find out who was responsible for the very serious distress that was caused to current patients. The campaign is therefore continuing and will still meet on Monday (May 16th) evening at Carlton Fire Station (7pm start), and we hope to be able to issue a proper press release after that.
We’d all like to say an enormous thanks to everyone who has supported this campaign, and urge you not to go to sleep yet, as we are still unsure of future plans. But thanks to all. If you have any filled petition sheets, we’d like to have them back as they will strengthen our voice when talking to the NHS – please send them to the address on the bottom of the sheet.
This campaign has been self-organised by patients, carers and volunteers. Save Hayward House Daycare
VERY IMPORTANT: JOINT HEALTH SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
The proposed closure of Hayward House daycare has to be examined by the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, which combines both City and County Councillors. The meeting at which HH will be on the agenda is on June 14th (starting at 10.15am in room LB41, Loxley House). The role of the Committee is to consider:
Whether, as a statutory body, the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee has been properly consulted within the consultation process.
Whether, in developing the proposals for service changes, the health body concerned has taken into account the public interest through appropriate patient and public involvement and consultation.
Whether a proposal for changes is in the interests of the local health service.
The Committee can then make recommendations on the basis of what it hears. The Committee has the power to refer the matter to the Secretary of State for Health either where it believes that consultation with patients, and the public has not been satisfactory or where they consider that a proposal of an NHS body is not in the interests of the health service in the area. Where a referral has been made, the Secretary of State may send the referral back to the NHS (in effect, the SHA) for local resolution or may ask the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) to advise him on the matter. The IRP has been set up to provide expert advice on proposed NHS reconfigurations or significant service change. The IRP believes that local determination is the best solution and, before accepting a referral, will wish to be satisfied that all options for local resolution have been fully explored.
The Committee’s response will depend on the evidence that it hears at the meeting on June 14th.
Written submissions are essential. All submissions will need to be received by May 23rd, so that the committee section have time to turn these into a report for the Chairs Briefing on May 25th.
All Submissions need to go to Kim Pocock ( Scrutiny Co-ordinator ), Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG.
So if you feel that the PCT’s decision to close HH daycare does not pass any of the above tests, 1, 2 and 3, then please send in a submission.