NHS Service in Caithness

**neilsermk1** · 10-Dec-14, 01:35

Not only is there to be a cessation of out of the hours emergency surgery service at Caithness General next week. I hear there is also a plan to close the Queen Elizabeth ward which is dire need of repair and transfer utilise the beds in the Henderson wing when they finish the maternity service in the every near future.
I can think of a few over the years who would not be around had it not been for the skill of the emergency surgeons and maternity service at Wick.
Its a disgrace that the overpaid bean counters in their superannuated positions can try to foist this kind of service on us. The decision makers within the trust probably don't have to rely on this sub standard service living within close proximity to Inverness.

**Fran** · 10-Dec-14, 01:57

Maternity will not be affected. Its only because a surgeon has retired and they have advertised for new surgeon and new consultant. It is temporary.

**weeker2014** · 10-Dec-14, 09:37

Originally Posted by neilsermk1

Not only is there to be a cessation of out of the hours emergency surgery service at Caithness General next week. I hear there is also a plan to close the Queen Elizabeth ward which is dire need of repair and transfer utilise the beds in the Henderson wing when they finish the maternity service in the every near future.I can think of a few over the years who would not be around had it not been for the skill of the emergency surgeons and maternity service at Wick.Its a disgrace that the overpaid bean counters in their superannuated positions can try to foist this kind of service on us. The decision makers within the trust probably don't have to rely on this sub standard service living within close proximity to Inverness.

No i'm pretty sure it was made at local level and sometimes tough decisions have to be made in the shorter term good. I would prefer a few out of hours went to ness rather than a reduction in day time services.It would seem you are a bit jealous of superannuated positions!

**cherokee** · 11-Dec-14, 21:00

Having read our local Newspaper:

I have to say I find it absolutely reprehensible and disgusting that we could even begin to comprehend a "Caithness" without surgeons being able to save a life, (albeit "during the night which we try to avoid") in any and every situation that this county should, God forbid, and even more so be it an emergency!!!!

My brother, many years ago, was brought into hospital (Wick, Bignold) where he was basically put to a bed by the ( obviously unconcerned ) nurses, although he was literally screaming in agony.

Thank God that the surgeon happened to be doing his rounds a couple of hours later . . . the surgeon's very words were, "An emergency "appendectomy" NOW !!" . . .

After his emergency operation my brother was then put on a drip, due to blood poisoning, through the fact that his appendix had ruptured !!!

God forbid that this scenario should "play-out" again through the lack of surgeons !!!!

The SURGEON'S decision, at that time, saved my brother's life.. . . . . . .

**starfish** · 11-Dec-14, 21:33

in last week paper a court officail said i quote that in today society it is inhumane to expect a person to travel from polmount to wick a round trip of 12 hours , yet the same society expects a person to travel 9hours round trip on a train or over 5 hours on a bus for a 10 minute appointment at raigmore , now they say that if you are ill overnight you are expected to travel 100 miles to be treated , i think the said society have got this grossly wrong . but then we know who has more rights.

**cesare** · 11-Dec-14, 21:55

i was going to read but then noticed the angry smiley and decided not to bother reading a rant

**grumpyhippo** · 12-Dec-14, 12:12

Originally Posted by Fran

Maternity will not be affected. Its only because a surgeon has retired and they have advertised for new surgeon and new consultant. It is temporary.

Your correct in your statement that it is only the surgical side is affected at the moment. If you read the piece in the Courier ( the panel below the report about the surgeons) note the bit that said the Bignold would move to the Henderson wing and maternity services would be on the top floor. If patients from the Bignold are going to occupy the Henderson there's not much more space left on the top floor of the hospital. The logical conclusion is that the maternity service will be contracting. I hope that what seemed to be speculation in the Courier will not turned out to be true but I suspect that what ever the source of the article it would not have been published without the editor doing some level of confirmatory investigation.

**DMFB** · 13-Dec-14, 09:10

Times are getting hard this is true and no matter what the speculation is as my mother always said theres no smoke without fire if management get away with whats being proposed ALL departments will be affected even maternity.

Bigonlds taking up maternity space then where will maternity go obviously somewhere much smaller as there is hardly space left in the hospital its either being closed or has been taken over as offices.Theyre saving money by not having an overnight on call service are they still going to be using locums but just between the hours of nine to five because the one remaining consultant cannot possibly be the only one covering the wards. this means at five oclock there is possibly a consultant available to cover just being kept warm and comfy in a local hotel its all money money money and lack of it.
What happens if after six oclock theres a major incident in the county the hospital wont have an on call surgeon to assess the poor victims as it will be just the poor junior doctor with the nurses and maybe the input from the oncall anaesthetist medical consultant and not forgetting a gynae conultant !! But should they be doing this when their remit is not surgical each to their own. What if during the evening a patient on the surgical ward now in the henderson ward becomes ill during the noght who does the n call junior doctor call for advice ??? the oncall gynae hmmm who will nake the decision whether this patient needs to be transferred or can stay until the morning ...??? Inverness on call surgeons or registrars bet theyre going to be happy about extra work because of wick. I feel sorry for the poor junior doctor up here who should have the ability to call in someone more senior to support them in their field. This is a recipe for disaster and until there is a disaster( someone dying due to this decision ) or people voice their oppinions then it will go ahead.
It makes this hosiptal a very unnatractive place to come for potential candidates with all this uncertanty around services management are making a bigger recruiting rod for their own back.

If this all goes ahead I can garuantee it wont be temporary it will be the first step on a slippery slope to the downgrading of this hospital to no more than a passing through point to inverness.

Terrible terrible decision!!

.

**Scunner** · 13-Dec-14, 10:43

I heard, repeat only heard, that staff were individually interviewed, and asked if they had reported the decision to the press. Strange!!!!!!!

I recall that a decision was made to close the Dunbar in Thurso but pressure was applied and the
Dunbar remains open. Also other parts of the hospital were to be downgraded.

Just who is making these dreadful decisions? I would love to.know.

**poppett** · 13-Dec-14, 10:56

DMFB has hit the nail square on the head.

The rocky, slippery slope indeed.

**DMFB** · 13-Dec-14, 13:38

The people making these decisions are members of managemnet in CGH who in turn answer to more senior members of management inRaigmore. They are obviously charged with delivering a service with the set amount of money made available from again Raigmore management. Now the tricky bit with only so much money which wont cover what locals would like and indeed need they decide to redesign services nice new buzz word getting fired around. Moving things forward but at the same time backwards if you get what i mean.It is a very slippy slope and a very dangerous place to be. More shame on management by the way for allowing the QE to fall into such a state of disrepair that such drastic action is rumoured to be happening and again shame on management if they have as rumoured been trying to find out who spoke to the press. Does it matter? its not something thats a secret now is it? as its going to affect the wider public. I wonder if as according to rumour its true that at least one member of the management making these decisions on the cuts isnt even going to be retiring and living the rest of her dottage years in Caithness like myself and others are going to have to. Sad times ahead for Caithness if we dont stand up and demand a decent service.
Wonder how the poor ambulance men feel about being used as glorified taxis constantly eh ??

**neilsermk1** · 13-Dec-14, 22:02

Originally Posted by cesare

i was going to read but then noticed the angry smiley and decided not to bother reading a rant

You are darned right I am angry, spitting furiously angry.

**starfish** · 13-Dec-14, 22:39

if i remember when dr shallcross left he said that the hospital would be down sized i think he must have know something and thats why he jumped ship

**Fran** · 14-Dec-14, 01:57

Why do people think the worst and jump to conclusions. The hospital advertised for a surgeon but none of the applicants were suitable so they will advertise again. It is only temporary like the dialysis patients travelling to Inverness three days a week till we got a renal unit in wick.

**starfish** · 14-Dec-14, 11:05

temporary like the dementia unit at the town and county thats not going to re open as a dementia unit again but was told it was temporary due to staffing problems 2 years ago

**DMFB** · 14-Dec-14, 17:52

Originally Posted by Fran

Why do people think the worst and jump to conclusions. The hospital advertised for a surgeon but none of the applicants were suitable so they will advertise again. It is only temporary like the dialysis patients travelling to Inverness three days a week till we got a renal unit in wick.

Oh Fran Im not so sure that people are jumping to conclusions here. You say the hospital management advertised but no one was suitable for the post was this according to the same hospital management who according to the groat are thinking of moving the bignold to the hederson ward making it a smaller unit and even more less likely to attract consultants. How lucrative are management making this post to prospective candidates to entice them north ? remember its a national problem according to the papers. Also they did in the past state the town and county was a temporary closure and it turned out to be pemenant how convenient as that has now left space for some of the queen elizabeth patients according to the paper? to be honest i am starting to trust the paper not the management.
As for the renal patients as far as i can remember there never was a service here thats why they travelled now that there is if you were to say to them start travelling again im darn sure they would be happy.
Centralisation once again and Caithness taking a loss of services whilst raigmore still has money thrown at it !

**DMFB** · 14-Dec-14, 17:57

Originally Posted by Scunner

I heard, repeat only heard, that staff were individually interviewed, and asked if they had reported the decision to the press. Strange!!!!!!!

I recall that a decision was made to close the Dunbar in Thurso but pressure was applied and the
Dunbar remains open. Also other parts of the hospital were to be downgraded.

Just who is making these dreadful decisions? I would love to.know.

WHy should management be hunting out the member of staff who spoke to the ppress this is wrong Management themselves should at every point be keeping the public informed as it is us the public who have to live with their ill thought out decisions.

Obviously the people making these decisions have the pennies in their heads more than the patients of that im convinced.

**elastic band** · 14-Dec-14, 19:33

There is absolutely no doubt that services are being downgraded -let's not forget the huge overspend ! How else do they plan to save money ? In addition, I would like to know what is going to happen at Dunbar which is our local hospital -our family have used this fantastic hospital for more years than i care to remember and have nothing but praise for the professional, high class care we have always received. Our parents, ourselves and children alike have used their services -casualty has been a regular haunt of ours from minor ailments to other more serious matters which i have to say were responded to by the fantastic knowledge and skill of the nurses concerned. We have been treated by nurses with a wealth of experience and knowledge, qualifications including degrees and being able to prescribe medicines and give very, very detailed advice and support.

Sadly my in-laws required their palliative care rooms and we were treated with love, care, respect and professionalism every visit and talked through what could happen at each stage -our family will never forget the kindness every one of the staff showed us all. Nothing was ever too much trouble and tears were dried, hands were held and they listened to us when they were rushed off their feet but never, ever were we made to feel they didn't have time for us.

Let's not forget that we are talking about people here whether it be patients, relatives and worried families or wonderful, caring professional staff who turn up day after day after day to look after our loved ones -NHS cradle to grave -it seems we are heading in a direction where we are now going to be unable to support either -or those in between.

I want my family to be cared for by true professionals within their own community hospital -those that have stood by us -stood up for us and cared for us -now it's our turn to do the same for them.

Where are all our politicians now ? save money by all means but not at the detriment of the heart of our community -is that not the true measure of a civilized society. Do we need so many managers, did they really need to call in management consultants -to do what exactly and what has happened to all the local public meetings all of a sudden. Next time you are ill -who is going to care for you and where ?

The Sutherland Family -plus in-laws and those who are no longer in a position to speak for themselves

**DMFB** · 14-Dec-14, 19:48

Downgrading thank you elastic band that was the word I was looking for but couldnt remember when I was posting earlier. I am so confusedby all this talk from management. From what I understand there is only one full time surgeon here at present the rest of the service has been given by using locums. Now heres where im going with my thougths on this. Is it just the one consultant who is going to provide all the cover during the day or is it with the help of a couple oflocum consultants? When will this poor chap ever get a day of or a holiday.If the locum consultants are here anyway why cant they cover through the night as has been happening they are here they are staying locally ? Is it because it costs a lot of money I would bet that is whats behind this decision to stop 24 hour cover but I am not a betting man ? Is it a case of it can be done but management want to save money ?