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Bill Fernie
27-Nov-03, 11:49
The meeting in the Francis Street Club in Wick last night was packed and standing room only and no doubt the one on Friday night at Thurso Town Hall will be similarly well attended. The arguments rehearsed by eveyone at the last review less than three years ago were all brought out again by speakers at the meeting. The sense of outrage at having to do it all again so soon after the last review has annoyed many people. But rather than take it as inevitable a fighitng spirit hass begun to emerge even greter than last time. Peeople are calling for more action and visible action . The League of Friends of Caithness General has agreed to organise peacefuul protests when Professor Calder arrives for his Flying visit ( not for him four hours in an amulance to Bettyhil)

The League Of Firends - a body of mainly women raising money for good causes within the hospital is to take militant type action!!! Something is definitely wrong. Never in the past have I heard this group talk about making placards and appearing at a demonstration of this kind. It backs up the serious nature with unimaginable consequences for the people of the north of Scotland if services are downgraded as a result of this current review of Maternity and related services. Many of the audience were able to relate their own or a relatives history and how they felt the inevitable consequences of a long trip to Raigmore, Inverness would result in many more deaths of mothers and babies.

It is without doubt one of the few emotive issues that could bind a whole community to protect women and babaies. It touches all our lives and eveyone could relate to the near-death experiences of several people in the audience last night.

All rural areas in Scotland are threatened in some form or other by the current review and similarly are combining to take action against any proposals to downgrade services. With no committments being given from the start to protect services. Many are afraid that the review is nothing more than a cost cutting exercise and that remote and rural populations are to suffer.

David Flear the Caithness area convenor has asked people to send their views to him as he is one of the few people to have been granted an interview when Professor Calder comes to Caithness on 15 December. David Flear can be contacted easily by email and he urges everyone to let him know their views and anything they feel might be relevant aboput retaining services in Caithness. His email address is david.flear.cllr@highland.gov.uk
Or you can write to him at c/o Highland Council Offices and put an M on the left hand corner of the envelope. This will enable staff to divert all communications quickly to him.

More information and updates about any meetings or demonstrations will appear on the web site in the Eye On Maternity pages at http://www.caithness.org/eyeon/healthservicesincaithness/index.htm

Have you any stories relating to relatives that they would wish to share here on the Message Board or any comments about the proposals or the way in which this review is being carried out and so soon after the previous one.

Should we be taking into account that there are difficulties with Europan Working Time Directives, difficulties in recruitment and the falling birth rate or do you feel this is all a front for cuts. Lets hear your views on what is likely to be on the front page of our newspapers for many months to come.

Report on Wick meeting of 26 November 2003 http://www.caithness.org/fpb/november2003/maternity/index.htm

Bill Fernie
08-Feb-04, 12:01
About 70 people turned out on Saturday 7 February 2004 for a meeting to discuss future action. Carolyn Leckie MSP and local councillor Bill Fernie spoke at the start and then a few suggestions were discussed. See http://www.caithness.org/eyeon/healthservicesincaithness/7february2004.htm for report
The next public meeting is to be held on Wednesday 11 February at 7.30pm and is being organised by the League Of Friends of Caithness General in the Assembly Rooms , Wick. Ideas from the Saturday meeting will be taken to the next meeting as the League of Friends hope to form an Action Group to take matters relating to the Maternty Issue forward.

TB
12-Feb-04, 14:28
I was at the meeting last night at the Assembly rooms, and felt that the meeting was a bit vague. I think that a lot of Caithness people have spent a lot of time and effort trying to do something about the Maternity, but I think more needs to be done.

Someone mentioned last night at the meeting about the Fort William downgrade, and we would have to try and set up something like Fort William. Well personally I think we need to do more, and something different to catch the health staff attention to the problem.

I feel that a lot of Caithness people don't know the exact situation, and I have heard people speaking about how its terrible that they are taking the Maternity unit away from Wick, but from what I understand that is not the case, and that they are proposing a downgrade, and the hospital will be midwife run, and any difficult cases will be put down to Inverness ?

Anyway from last nights meeting, I think we need more people on the committee that are willing to fight for what they think is right and willing to speak up for Caithness. I think that this is going to affect the whole of the hospital and not just the maternity unit. As a young person of the community that currently has no children, it does worry me the fact that I may be one of the unfortunate people that may have complications and might need to go to Inverness. I know what its like to travel back and fore to Inverness, and also in bad conditions, and its not nice. For instance, last night they were saying that we should speak to staff at the A&E department in Wick who know what its like to travel down to Inverness in an ambulance. Well a few weeks ago I was unfortunate enough to have to take a member of my family to Raigmore Hospital, as the hospital staff said the Ambulance drive to Inverness was a nightmare, and that they would be better to travel to Inverness by car, as its more comfortable. Typical example.......... Need I say more !!!!

Bill Fernie
14-Feb-04, 14:05
The meeting may have seemed vague to anyone coming into it for the first time. It shoudl be remebered that the purpose of the meeting organised by the League of Friends was to enlist the support and help of others in the county to carry forward what they had started. the ladies relaised that it neede the whole community to get behind the effot and as this was a big job more individuals and organisations should help with the process.
The first committee meeting has beeen agreed for next Tuesday and there will be requests from that new group for the local community to back suggestions. no one is excluded. Nominations were asked for from the floor and everyone who volunteered was accepted on to the committee. The group will call for more help if particular expertise is needed and assistance if more manpower is required. A collection was taken at the door and together with oney collected by the SSP has started a fund to cover some of the expenses that will be involved. I understand over £300 has already been collected. Financing the campagin will be on the agenda. A bank account wil shortly be opened once a name for the new group has been agreed.
The League of Friends are to be congratulated for gviing a voice to the feelings of our local population. They have now handed over to the new group under the very experinced chairmanship of George Bruce who has had long experience from his days as Chairman of the Caithness and Sutherland NHS Trust. Several suggestions have to be looked at involving both local and national efforts.
The group will have to look at not just what is happening in the north of Scotland but also other parts of Scotland where areas are having to deal with threats to their own maternity services. This is a national issue as well as a local one. Building up a lobbying campaign requires a huge effort and will need the backing from local people if it is to have outcomes that are benficial to the north and for the other pars of Scotland where this issue is being dealth with by local communities who feel under threat from a downgrading or total withdrawal of a local service.
The delay that is already apparent in the delivering of Professor Calder's report means there is more time to lobby politicians and Health Boards. And this is precisiely what will be under consideration next Tuesday. The perhaps apperently vague meeting last week will move very quicjly to present a series of positive actions. What no one can predict is the eventual outcome or what compromises might be reached to at least in part go some way to dealing with the problems faced by communities up and down the country and four us parrticularly in Caithness and Sutherland. Perhaps the avalanche of public outcry at the threat to services will carry weight and although it is only specualtion might in part explain why Professor Calder is taking a little longer to consider the options to put back to the Health Board and Scottish Executive.
Finally the meeting may appear on the surface to have been vague but it achieved the main objective of the evening and that was to form an Action Group. To get 100 people out to form an action group is in reality also an amazing thing if you consider how difficult itis to fomr a committee with enough people for many other activites. Ands although only 13 people joined the Action Team most folk at the meeting were also confirming their future support for actions yet to come. In a rural community the ripple effect of that will ensure that everyone in the north of Scotland will be aware of what is happneing. The campagin is managing already to achieve the well nigh impossible on almost any other topic - to unite most political parties in opposing downgrading, bringing together with one voice people from differing backgrounds and in relatively short time gaining enormous publicity and focus on this single issue.
The problems in the health service should not be understated. They are serious and significant changes are underway whatever happens. This does not mean that we ahve to accept the solutions handed out if they are felt by most people to be completely detrimental to the general population and the mainstay of any area - mothers and babies.
A new series of pages will be set up within the Eye On Health section to carry reports from the committee and actions will be announced on the front page as they are agreed by the Action Group. Remember the group will be open to anyone to send in suggestions but wait until after next Tuesday in order that the first suggestions are consdiered and decided upon.

Mr P Cannop
14-Feb-04, 18:03
who is all on the committee and members ??

lynne duncan
14-Feb-04, 18:53
if you have access to yesterday's groat the list of committee members is in it

Bill Fernie
15-Feb-04, 20:11
Members of the group are listed on this page http://www.caithness.org/eyeon/healthservicesincaithness/actiongroup.htm

lynne duncan
17-Feb-04, 23:59
it may be worth checking out this site for ways forward for the NAG group
www.westhighlandhealth.co.uk

Fifi
20-Feb-04, 10:59
That was a very interesting web site Lynne - actually makes the place sound attractive to live and work. It would be an excellent idea to reproduce something like that for North Scotland.

As for the latest consultant resignation (Dr. Thomas) - what the hell is going on??!! Have they been pressured into this or are they just so hacked off and can see no future that they are voting with their feet? It seems very unlikely that anyone else is going to apply for a post when 3 consultants have resigned and the service is under review. What happens now to all the work they have been doing? Is there enough provision within Highland region to cover all the births, rountine gynae clinics and emergencies? Can these questions be added to those already being asked by the campaign committee please.

JAWS
21-Feb-04, 01:11
What is happening is the NHS equivalent of the old 1960's "Planning Blight".

The Councils in the larger town and cities would declare an area "Ripe for Re-developement". Long and indecisive enquiries would be held over a number of years, the public would be "consulted" (and ignored), decisions delayed and massive uncertainty created. People who could moved out and abandonned the sinking ship and who could blame them.

Over a period houses would deteriorate because it wasn't "worth spending a lot on them as they may be demolished next year". Eventually thee council would declair them "unfit for human habitaton", compulsarily purchase them and give the "inconvenient residents" who are "preventing progress" next to nothing for their property and then build a "modern developement" with exorbitant rents and rates all payable to the council.

Does any of this sound familliar about the Maternity Unit?

Those who could have moved out.
Locums taken on at, no doubt, great expense.
Compaints of "wasted money" etc.
Unit downgraded.
"Planning Blight!"

Operating Theatre not being put to sufficient use. (Due to loss of Maternity to Raigmore)
Needs closing for "economic reasons", no doubt after more enquiries etc.

Consiltants not now "gainfully employed". Those who have not "jumped ship" can be moved to Raigmore. Nursing staff can now be disposed of as "no longer required", they can either give up or move outwith the area.

Everything is now centred at our wonderful "Centre of Excellence" (whayever one of those is) at Raigmore.
End of Caithness General Hospital!

Now we don't have to move out of our nice cosy administion offices and have to make that long horrible time-consuming inefficient journey to Caithness!

Oh yes, the people of Caithness? - "THEY CAN ALWAYS GET ON THEIR BIKES!!!"

Tristan
11-Mar-04, 14:23
I just had a peek at the report, and a couple of things struck me right away:

1) 183 out of 303 Caithness/Sutherland births are considered high enough risk at the moment to be sent down to Raigmore already. If we have this many high risk births, isn't this justification enough to merit upgrading our services here?

2) If you look at the weighted scores down at the bottom of the report, they have allocated the "Quality" portion of the Enhanced Service option at least 4 points lower than the "Status Quo" option. It seems to me that if the service was enhanced, the quality scores would be expected to be higher than the status quo, not lower! And, if the quality scores were brought in line, I would bet (although I'd need the formulas to confirm) that "Enhanced Service" would score the highest of all.

This report should be burned like the rubbish it is!!!

frank ward
12-Mar-04, 19:59
Tristan is right to question the methodology used - it is totally subjective and has been thrown in to give this bogus report some kind of scientific basis.
I have circulated an 8-page anti-Calder summary to other online members of NAG and hopefully this can be used as a basis to produce a counter-report and firm-up our arguments prior to the first of several sham consultration meetings on Tuesday.

Births in the whole Highland Region have fallen by oinly 5.5% - hardly enough to justify downgrading on grounds of 'falling birth rate'. It should also be noted that despite the numbers travelling to Inverness, the number of births at Caithness has fallen by only 3.4 % below the average over the last 10 years, and has actually been rising since year 2001.

Frank

Fifi
13-Mar-04, 08:05
I noted from reading Prof Calder's report that of the 5 options listed he dismissed the first 3, pushed hard for the fourth (the midwife led unit) and for option 5 (remove the services from CGH completely) he stated that if 'we' did not go for option 4 then this was the alternative!! No pressure from him them!

Thought others may be interested in the following extract from a study of an experimental midwife led unit in Kirkcaldy. (To save you looking up nulliparous, as I had to, it means a women who has not given birth before). Note that 14% gave birth within an hour of the descision to transfer and another 14% within two hours - that's 28% of babies born in ambulances in our situation!! And these were all considered low-rsik women......

Evaluation of an experimental midwife-led unit in Scotland -T. A. Mahmood
Forth Park Hospital, Kirkcaldy, Scotland,UK

Abstract:

This paper reports on the outcome of pregnancy among 3322 low-risk women managed in an 'experimental midwife-led unit' at Forth Park Hospital, Kirkcaldy, Scotland. All women were allocated to receive midwife-led antenatal and intrapartum care. Of the 3322 women, 1786 were nulliparous and 1536 were parous. Of the 1786 nulliparous women, 532 (30%) were transferred to consultant care antepartum, 488 (27%) were transferred intrapartum and the remaining 766 (43%) were delivered in the midwife-led unit (MLU). Of the 1536 multiparous women, 343 (22%) were transferred to consultant care antepartum, 158 (10%) were transferred intrapartum and the remaining 1035 (68%) were delivered in the MLU. Among the intrapartum transfer group, 14% delivered during the first hour after the decision to transfer and another 14% gave birth during the second hour (28% between 0-2 hours). More than half of the women transferred during the second stage delivered within the first hour. Of the 2447 admitted to the MLU, 32% were seen by obstetric team on more than one occasion. Of the 1801 babies delivered in the MLU, 9% required resuscitation and 2% of all the babies were admitted to the special care baby unit. This study suggests that present antenatal criteria are unable to determine who will remain at low risk throughout pregnancy and labour, especially among nulliparous women. The clinical situation could change adversely during labour, requiring the involvement of medical staff. Commissioners of maternity services may wish to utilise these data to formulate local protocols for stand-alone midwife-led units.

Mr P Cannop
13-Mar-04, 09:55
if we lose this babies and mother's will die

frank ward
13-Mar-04, 12:01
Fifi can you give us a web source for this extract and/or the date it was published?

JAWS
15-Mar-04, 02:38
What is the position with respect to Human Rights Law and the provision of adequate Medical Care.

Surely, in this day and age, it is totally unacceptable for any sizable population to be expected to travel over 200 miles for routine Medical Treatment.

This is Europe, not some impoverised Third World Country!

Has the law regarding Corporate Manslaughter been enacted yet?

If so has anybody looked into the position of the Health Authority both as a body and as individuals?

What is the positon regarding bereaved families obtaining substantial compensation for the loss and distress caused by the deaths which will inevitably occur as a result of the proposed changes?

One thing which must not be allowed to happen, and the Authority will try, is that responsibility is transfered to some poor scapegoat.

In any medical proceedure there will always be risk and unfortunately occasional slip-ups will result in unnecessary death, such is the nature of things.

But to deliberately introduce a policy which will inevitably result in death is totally unacceptable.

However any of the reports produced are worded, and I am sure some wonderful "meaningless" words have been carefully inserted in order to impress, the bottom line is that the whole thing is nothing more than a "penny-pinching" operation.

And the odd death? Well tough, provided savings are made who cares!

The only way to make them sit-up and take notice is to make the Health Authority Members understand that they are not immune to responsibility for their decisions and that saving money is not their only consideration.

Make them sweat!

Make them understand that "penny-pinching" will only lead to huge holes in their budgets from long and costly compensation claims.

Make them understand that their decisions carry responsibilities!

Make them understand that they are not anonimous quango members.

Name names!

If they are happy to sit and make life and death decisions which affect the people of Caithness let's know who they are.

Make them stand up and be counted.

They should each, individually, be made to explain just why the mothers and babies of Caithness do not matter!

frank ward
15-Mar-04, 10:30
The possibility of legal action is not a course that should be comnsidered at this stage.

Firstly, the personnel involved in thesec decisions are well protected by statute and legislastion so that they cannot be held responsible for the consequences.
Only a case of professional negligence is possible through the courts.

Secondly, the costs of such action will firstly have to be carried by an individual and can be heavy, especially if you lose.
But the Trusts carry insurance and may even be guaranteed - and encouraged - by the Government to fight any such case to the wire.

And even if such a caes was won it would be years down the line and even then there would be no obligation on the State to restore the service.

Some people might think that legal ction should be initiated before a deasth occurs, or as soon as Calder's Review is implemented, but really this is sidestepping the real fight which is political.

Frank

Fifi
15-Mar-04, 11:12
Frank,

The extract came from a report which can be found at http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/index/ALGMEYN4AJ5RGWDL.pdf

It came from
Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Health Sciences, part of the Taylor & Francis Group
Issue: Volume 23, Number 2 / March 2003
Pages: 121 - 129

The full article is available by subscription.

Keep up the good work!

JAWS
15-Mar-04, 22:52
Just as I suspected. Provided the Board tugs it's forelock to Government policy (It matters not which party that is) then they are free to take whatever course of action they wish.

I thought we had advanced from the days when the local Laird could treat the peasants as he wished provided he kept doing the Kings wishes but obviously not!

Medical negligence? All that means is that the 'poor bloody infantry' are thrown like lambs to the slaughter to deflect from deficiencies created by administrative policy.

I know litigation is long, costly and dangerous, especially when dealing with a Government sponsored organisation with almost unlimited funds and a Government policy to defend.

I was just throwing some ideas into the ring to see what came up in case it triggered more practical suggestons from someone else.

I understand that any solution has to be political rather than legal or they will just find another way to achieve the same result and as you say once the unit goes then end of story.

Lets hope some way can be found to shake their arrogance.

Keep at it and thanks!

Anonymous
16-Mar-04, 10:30
Feel free to continue this thread here, however it may now be more appropriate to move on the new NAG forums : www.northaction.org

frank ward
18-Mar-04, 21:47
Tristan -

I'm double-checking my maths and am curious how you arrived at these figures:

"183 out of 303 Caithness/Sutherland births are considered high enough risk at the moment to be sent down to Raigmore already. If we have this many high risk births, isn't this justification enough to merit upgrading our services here? "

please let me know.

Frank Ward

gobbledegook@ukonline/co.uk

frank ward
24-Mar-04, 11:35
DID YOU VOTE GREEN FOR THIS?

RobGibson spoke at the Rally last Sunday and repeated the call for a united front. But such unity must go both ways. We expect all our MSPs to support us, but alas they do not.

When people of the Highlands & Islands responded last May to election placards saying ‘2nd Vote Green’, little did they realize what an inept and blockheaded MSP they would get in top-of-the-Greens-list Eleanor Scott.
Let’s look at A Day In The Life of Ms Scott.

On Thursday last week, there was a debate on the simple motion “That the Parliament agrees that the council tax should be abolished and replaced with an income-based alternative."
This was proposed by the SSP and supported by the SNP. None of the Green Party MSPs made a contribution to the debate. When it came to a vote, Ms Scott joined the rest of her miserable Green clique and, alongside Jamie Stone, voted with Labour, LibDems and Tories against the motion, thus retaining this loathsome Tory tax for another indefinite period.

But there is worse to come.

That same day, there was a debate on the Caithness Maternity Unit. Now Ms Scott has been conspicuous in her absence at the public protests and since over the threat to the service .( Last year when hundreds gathered to greet Professor Calder, I understand she was a few miles away, too busy looking at the Caithness peat bogs – far more important than the trivial matter of life and death. But I digress.)

During the debate, Ms Scott made one brief and unhelpful intervention. Describing the proposer Rob Gibson as ‘naïve’, she rubbished his suggestion that
Consultants could be flown to Caithness from Raigmore.

She also insisted that she “would like to be somewhat more positive about the report than other members have been” and went on to give credence to the false assertions of Professor Calder that recruitment problems “makes a unit such as the current Caithness general hospital obstetrics service unviable”

After this debate, I now see why she gave no support to the protests at Wick.

May I suggest that your readers see for themselves how they are represented? The full day’s debates can be seen on this website: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/plenary/or-04/sor0311-02.htm#Col6643

“I feel fairly positive about the Calder report” she purred.

With friends like this, who needs enemies?

Frank Ward

KitKat
03-Apr-04, 20:18
Maybe I am missing the point here but I notice Dr Johnston our local GP is on the health board. Do we know where he stands on the issue? Has he been asked or not and if he has has he given an answer? If he is against the downgrading of our services will he be prepared to argue our case with the health board? I notice most of the members live near Inverness so its going to be very difficult to get them to fully understand the problems we will have if our service is downgraded.

A_Usher
04-Apr-04, 12:13
I too would be interested in what Dr Johnston's opinion is.

My wife (Dr Natasha Usher) and I (practice manager of Dunbeath Surgery) whole-heartedly believe that the maternity unit SHOULD NOT be down graded, and that we are concerned about the demise of local services. I personally believe that the closure of the unit would mean a domino effect that could overall affect the social and economical aspects of Caithness and Sutherland in a very negative way.

Regards,

Andrew Usher
Practice Manager
Dunbeath Surgery

lynne duncan
04-Apr-04, 21:46
congratulations for speaking up it would be nice to see Dr Johnson and the other local doctors speaking up as well. Or are they only interested in their paychecks and not the local community?

Anonymous
05-Apr-04, 10:15
Well, we all know that at least doc Pearson is on the right side.

I have heard rumours that the new doctors have been instructed to keep out of it. :roll:

A_Usher
05-Apr-04, 10:31
What I find interesting is that no one (from the trust or related areas )has asked us at Dunbeath surgery, and I am assuming any of the other docs (although I could be wrong) what they feel about the closure or how that will affect their practice.

Which is strange , considering that we have a few practices in rural positions, that can be cut of due to snow etc, then logically this isn’t an ideal situation and one that concerns us.

Having said that, others problems will also arise on the out of hours scenario also, seeing as with the new contracts docs can opt out of their out of hours leaving it to the new health boards to sort out of hours cover out. However that’s slightly off topic and I wont go into that......

Regards,
Andrew Usher

frank ward
21-Apr-04, 09:45
The North Action Group has agreed to organise protest outside Raigmore Hospital on Saturday 15th May at 12 noon.
Buses are being organised from Wick and Thurso, and the Belford Action Group in Lochaber and others are being invited.

There is no charge fo the buses (depart 9am) instead a collection will be held.
After the demonstration (around noon) there will be a few hours freetime before the bus leaves at 4pm.

Places limited. If you want to reserve a seat you must contact a member of NAG soon, or Email me at gobbledegook@ukonline.co.uk

frank

Mr P Cannop
21-Apr-04, 14:06
any pipe bands involed ??

frank ward
26-Apr-04, 13:59
Let it be clear that the new NHS Highland Board is an unelected quango and is no better than the two Trusts it has replaced.

The entire membersiip of the Board is determined by the Scottish Executive to carry out its programmes. All are appointed, non are elected, non are accountable and non can be removed or changed by local democratic means.

I'm still a little unclear about the formation of the new Board, but it appears to be something like this:
The new Board has 19 voting members.
12 are non-executive directors, 7 are executive directors (the highest paid administrators). Of this 19, 12 are full-time employees of the NHS, mostly high paid officias getting over £85,000pa, and senior medical staff.

Of the remaining 7, 1 is Garry Coutts, the part-time chairman on £26,000 pa. The minor 'non-ecxeciutive directors' get a minimum of £7000 plus expenses for attending 6 meetings per year.

If there's any factual errors here, I trust I will be corrected.

Thus the Board is stuffed with people who depend on the Government's grace and favour for this cushy little number. Indeed if they want to remain on the gravy train they must behave themselves. I attended the last two Board meetings can testify to the shamelkess behaviour of these contemptible brain-dead lickspittles who examine their bank statements closer than their consciences.

But they are merely carrying out the wishes of the Scottish Executive.

Dr Johnson is elected by nobody and represents nobody except himself and his employers, NHS Highland.


Frank Ward

frank ward
10-Jun-04, 17:16
Yesterday (June 9th) members of NAG attended another 'workshop' intended to develop those options which will go to public 'consultation' regarding the future of the Maternity Unit in Wick. The NAG team makes up less than 10% of those invited.

Previously the Calder Report and the local Board raised the spectre that as Caithness has no intensive care baby unit, it is unsafe for babies.

When NAG produced statistics that showed such ICU care was required for less than one percent of all births, and that Wick has possibly the best trained and most experienced resuscitation and stabilisation staff in Scotland, the officials went quiet.

It has also emerged that the Inverness ICU is the smallest and least-used in the UK and despite the lack of experience that such units' staff are supposed to have, the Inverness unit is retained - quite rightly - for 'geographical' reasons.
Apparently the same logic does not apply to Caithness.

But every time NAG demolishes one of the board's facetious arguments, another rabbit is pulled from the hat.

Latest in the list of obstacles raised by officials is that because these is no adult intensive care unit in Caithness, it is unsafe for mothers to give birth there.

If this cynical ploy is accepted, the implications for general surgery not just in Caithness but for every acute unit in the UK is not missed.

Following yesterday's proceedings it seems that top official Paul Martin will produce a report for the Board recommending which options it should take forward.
(Martin has just taken the King's Shilling and is off to a plum job with NHS Scotland)

Instead of a sensible shortlist of options, he will ramble on about no less than 8 options, only one of which (24/7 cover) has the suppport of NAG and some of which had no support whatsoever from those present! This no doubt will give him the opportunity to give undue emphasis to obscure points while breezing through the important issues.

Also present were Board Chair Garry Coutts and member David Alston. Their presence was questioned by NAG as it was seen as intimidatory towards the staff present, but apparently they were there to "answer questions" !! Despite this there is obvious discomfort among many professionals about the situation.

Apparently this report will be ready within two weeks for presentation to the Board. NAG asked for it to be delayed to allow us time to prepare fresh arguments, this was declined. NAG will get no preview of the document.
Smelling a rat, a NAG member asked: "So this document will be discussed at the next Board meeting in August? Er, no.
More than likely there will be a Special Board Meeting convened at short notice and, like the Board meeting in Wick which railroaded the Calder Report through, the same will be done with the Martin Report.

Then a 3-month 'consultation' period will follow at the end of which the Board will vote on a single solution.
Of course there is no democratic input into this process. The entire Board is the tool of the Scottish Executive for the implementation of its centralisation policy. No member is elected nor can be removed by local democratic process.

It is emerging that the officials' prefered option is a midwife-led unit with perhaps a single consultant conducting day surgeries, and this possibly on a three-day week basis.
In other words, no change from their opinions of 6 months ago.

To date not a SINGLE risk assessment has been produced regarding the transport problems should the unit be downgraded. Conveniently there was nobody present from the Ambulance Service at the workshop. Perhaps they were afraid to explain the situation last week when Caithness had no ambulance cover for 13 hours?

At the workshop we were treated to a slide presentation about the wonderful midwife-led unit in Skye. At the end of it, a question was asked - 'How many babies were delivered in the unit last year?' The Answer?- er...., SEVEN ! (but rising!)
The number of midwives there has fallen from 33 to 10.
And when challenged that the Lochaber midwife unit was now exporting 80% of expectant mothers to Inverness and the unit was in trouble, the vague reply was "the figurers are not as high as that". (Actually NAG believes the figure to be 75% but the Board don't like answering questions about this)

You have been warned.

But of course the battle to save our maternity unit will not be won in the corridors of power. It will be won by public and political campaigning.

The next NAG protest will be on Thursday 17th June outside the Parliament building in Edinburgh. About 20 people are travelling down from Caithness.
If you have friends or relatives in the Capital, please ask them to join us in support. We will gather by the New College entrance at 10.15am.

JAWS
24-Jun-04, 12:03
Well done the Scottish executive, it really is marvellous how they have their finger on the pulse of the Nation.

"Close a lot of Maternity Units, they are unnecessary because we have a constantly falling birth rate."

Perhaps the Executive and the Highland Health Board can explain how a falling birth rate can result in a 5% increase in births in Scotland last year!

Tristan
25-Jun-04, 12:31
"Close a lot of Maternity Units, they are unnecessary because we have a constantly falling birth rate."

Perhaps the Executive and the Highland Health Board can explain how a falling birth rate can result in a 5% increase in births in Scotland last year!

Not really wanting to sound pedantic, but...if you have an increase in population, but a smallish increase in the number of babies born, the birth rate overall will go down even though the actual number of births goes up.

Anonymous
25-Jun-04, 12:56
hence the reason that people should stop using percentages and use real numbers instead.

To quote from a book, "200% of nothing is nothing"

JAWS
25-Jun-04, 14:10
I always thought a Pedant was somebody who kept walking into Lamp-posts because he couldn't stop looking at his feet!

JAWS
25-Jun-04, 16:03
Figures? Fine!

Number Rate per 1000 women aged 15-44 Rate per 1000 births
All Births Live Births Still Births All Births Live Births Still Births

50 398 50 157 238 47.3 47.0 4.7

Aberdeen City 2 099 2 086 13 43.9 43.6 6.2
Aberdeenshire 2 315 2 306 9 52.2 52.0 3.9
Angus 1 002 997 3 49.5 49.3 3.0
Argyll and Bute 700 694 6 45.3 44.9 8.6
Clackmannanshire 473 472 1 48.6 48.5 2.1

Dumfries and Galloway 1 313 1 308 5 49.4 49.2 3.8
Dundee City 1 476 1 466 10 46.3 46.0 6.8
East Ayrshire 1 156 1 150 6 47.5 47.3 5.2
East Dunbartonshire 936 930 6 44.4 44.1 6.4
East Lothian 838 835 3 47.3 47.2 3.6

East Renfrewshire 897 892 5 50.4 50.1 5.6
Edinburgh City 4 373 4 350 23 40.4 40.2 5.3
Falkirk 1 529 1 523 6 50.3 50.1 3.9
Fife 3 046 3 034 12 42.3 42.1 3.9
Glasgow City 6 340 6 307 33 45.5 45.3 5.2

Highland 1 962 1 955 7 50.4 50.2 3.6
Inverclyde 749 745 4 43.3 43.1 5.3
Midlothian 817 814 3 49.5 49.3 3.7
Moray 891 888 3 55.2 55.0 3.4
North Ayrshire 1 355 1 347 8 49.0 48.7 5.9

North Lanarkshire 3 614 3 600 14 51.1 50.9 3.9
Orkney Islands 166 165 1 48.1 47.8 6.0
Perth and Kinross 1 250 1 244 5 50.2 50.0 4.0
Renfrewshire 1 731 1 718 13 47.4 47.0 7.5
Scottish Borders 972 969 3 49.2 49.0 3.1

Shetland Islands 220 219 1 53.0 52.7 4.5
South Ayrshire 937 932 5 44.6 44.3 5.3
South Lanarkshire 3 047 3 035 12 48.1 47.9 3.9
Stirling 826 820 6 45.3 44.9 7.3
West Dunbartonshire 972 969 3 48.8 48.7 3.1

Western Isles 237 236 1 53.2 53.0 4.2
West Lothian 1 943 1 936 7 54.1 53.9 3.6


I to can play silly little games with words.
But I would have thought the situation was a little more serious than that, however, it obviously isn't!

Anonymous
25-Jun-04, 17:09
I to can play silly little games with words.
But I would have thought the situation was a little more serious than that, however, it obviously isn't!

Please explain...

JAWS
25-Jun-04, 18:25
hence the reason that people should stop using percentages and use real numbers instead.

To quote from a book, "200% of nothing is nothing"

Anonymous
25-Jun-04, 18:35
I thought it was obvoius that I was trying to back up what you were saying, by illustrating that percentages mean nothing and the true facts can only be observed from the actual numbers.

But you're obviously in "attack mode" so I'll just let you go it alone then. :roll:

JAWS
25-Jun-04, 19:38
My misunderstanding. I've put my ballistic missiles back in their silos and ordered my tanks to withdraw from your front lawn. Hope they didn't make too much of a mess of the flower beds. :eek:

I really must find out why I was turned down for that job with the Diplomatic Service. :roll:

frank ward
26-Jun-04, 08:55
Doctor Valentine, one of the Caithness consultants, has blown a huge hole in the NHS Board's arguments (see this week's Groat).
Also Doctor DaSilva, another consultant, stated at a recent workshop that the downgrading proposasls 'are unsafe'.

NAG members recently spent two sessions each of 6 long hours arguing relentlessly within the Board's selected 'workshops'. The case for retention of existing services is stronger than ever, yet still the officials introduce desparate arguments to scupper the service.
They are determined to implement the governments centraoisation programme.

The latest daft idea from Nigel Hobson is that because there is no Adult ICU ( intensive care unit) at Caithness, it is unsafe for adults to have surgery, so mothers must go to Invernes. Perhaps the General Gurgery staff would have something to say about this?

NHS officials have declined to give NAG the Email addresses of its Board members, saying NAG communications must first go through its officials.

The Board is also refusing NAG access to bogus data it is collecting to give a phoney scientific basis to downgrading options. It is also refusing to tell NAG how many questionaires it has sent out, or to whom. Yet NAG knows of several of its supporters who have not had a questionaire.

Frank Ward

frank ward
26-Jun-04, 09:06
I should have mentioned that the NAG committee last week decided not to participate in the Board's fraudulent questionaire currently being circulated.

If Nigel Hobson (Director of Nursing) produces a report with appended data purporting to back up a downgraded 'service', you can treat it with the contempt it deserves.

Frank Ward

frank ward
14-Jul-04, 11:04
Update on the 'matrix' survey:.....
After persistent criticism of the methodology employed by the Health Board's officials, the chairman of NHS Highland Garry Coutts has finally agreed to drop the survey.

The scheme was intended to give an official report some semblance of scientific or mathematical credibility. NAG criticisms exposed how fraudulent the whole scheme was.

At first the Board insisted on using the data. It refused to reveal who the survey sheets were sent to, or even how many had been sen!!

But following demands from NAG to examine the raw data, invoking the Freedom of Information Act due to be pased in 2005, the officials reconsidered their position.

He has agreed that it shall not be used or presented in any reports etc to the Board.

A small victory perhaps.

The latest antics from the duplicitous Labour Party are described by me in a separate thread.

JAWS
14-Jul-04, 15:30
I think everything was said when the Government announced that the cure for MRSA was to give you a phone so you can tell the cleaners that they had missed a speck of dirt in the corner and to ask the nurse if she had washed her hands!

I am trying to work out if that is supposed to be a simple solution to a huge problem or the total intelligence of a simple mind!

If that really is the most intelligent solution that the Health Minister can come up with, presumably on the grounds that at least it costs nothing but you can tell the 'plebs' that you are spending a billion pounds on it, then no wonder the NHS is in the state it is!

The only thing they have succeeded in doing is proving how contemptuous they are of the average persons intelligence!

No wonder the local Health Board think we will swallow their lies and deceit without question.

frank ward
25-Jul-04, 11:54
At one if the recent 'workshps' conbducted by NHS Highland, the officials presented the midwife-led unit on Skye as the example they might prefer to see in Wick.
Only seven births were seen at the unit last year.

When I reminded the medic that there had already been one woman killed in transit from Skye, he shrugged his shoulders saying: "Accidents wiill happen"

This is the mentality of the people we are up against.

This same medic is in charge of an Inverness department which stands to gain substantially from Wick's loss.

But the Board is only the agent of Government policy, which is for centralisation (and thus cost cutting) of rural medicine.

Cuts in the Central Belt were initiated long before the Wick crisis.
The Western Isles Health Board is now planning an identical downgrading for Stornoway maternity services.
See how the cuts are staggered to prevent a united fightback?

JAWS
27-Jul-04, 20:37
"NHS highland Health Board have issued a document to various groups, councillors and North Action Group ahead of their meeting on Tuesday in Inverness. This document will be availbel on the Health Board web site later tonight." Yesterday's Org.

Does anybody know where Grabbit, Snatchit, Wasteit, Scrapit & Co, posing as a Health Board have hidden the document on their site?
Wherever it is it seems to be well hidden!

Although I haven't seen it I would suspect it is worded in their usual weasel way of trying to convince us that decapitation is the only known cure for headaches.

Perhaps a short translation of the document into "Normal People Speak" might help us out on the subject.

I know they will do their Lord and Masters bidding in the end, but we can at least give them as much pain as possible before they crawl back beneath the slugs belly.

frank ward
28-Jul-04, 10:43
HOBSONS CHOICE!

Nigel Hobson, a senior board official, has produced a massive 44-page 'report'. As expected it rubbishes the existing service and advocates a midwife-led unit with part-time cover from consultants.
As it is in pdf format, you can't copy it into MSWord and must thus print it out in its current format. Don't bother, its full of crap.
The report is just as I predicted in an earlier post, ignoring the dangers of downgrading while rambling on about alternatives that are clearly irrelevant.
Needless to say by the time NAG members have read this and analysed it there will, as usual, be no time to prepare a response.

The Board next week (3rd August) will pretend to sift through this and then vote to accept those parts recommended on the day by senior officials and/or Chairman Coutts. These will then go out to an even more fraudulent 'consultation' process.

This year the old Tory style NHS Trust unelected unaccountable Quangos were scrapped and replaced by a New Labour style NHS Board unelected unaccountable Quango.

Most Board members (12 of 19) are actually highly-paid employees of the Board itself! Some of the remaining 'non-executive' board members will be familiar to observers of the local government gravy train.
All communications from NAG -or anybody else - must go through Board officials first.

As far as I am aware, not a single Board member has ever sought the opinion of NAG regarding any aspect of the shoddy papers and reports put before the board on this issue.

These lickspittles are there to implement government policy. The real fight is against their political masters - Labour and their Liberal Democrat partners.

Anonymous
28-Jul-04, 13:16
These lickspittles are there to implement government policy. The real fight is against their political masters - Labour and their Liberal Democrat partners.

I have to disagree, the fight is against all political parties, not just the ones who are in power now. For years we have heard loads of talk from the "opposition" and every now and then we believe then and elect them, just to find out they lied to us the same as the last lot.

Actions speak louder than words so we'll see what promises the likes of the SSP, the Tories and the other non-government parties decide to break if they are finally given their shot at running the country.

However, currently I agree with you about Labour and the LibDems, nailing em all to a big concrete block and dropping it in the ocean would be nice but the concrete might not last long enough to keep the seemingly undead from rising to the surface again, like scum always does.

gravedigga
28-Jul-04, 14:34
Hi guys, i've just read through these postings and i was just wondering if one of yous could gimme the latest update on what's happening and tell me when will we find out if the unit is going to be downgraded please.

Thanks