Councillor Derek Kennedy, Hexham West, honoured his promise of calling the NHS to account for their management of Hexham Hospital. At the end of 2016, Northumbria Healthcare announced it would introduce a “temporary measure” and reduce the 24 hour urgent care to 16 hours during the winter months.
Derek said at the time he would pursue the NHS as the winter ended. True to his word he called the NHS to come to the County Council’s West Area Committee on 14 March.
Derek grilled Clinical Director Dr Doig asking “Would the urgent care be returned to 24 hours now the winter is over and end this “temporary measure?“.
The Clinical Director made it clear that it is unlikely this would happen and they plan to extend the “temporary measure”.
Derek continued “Once again Hexham Hospital reduces its services to its local people. So if you are ill in the night you have to go to Cramlington but ill during the day its Hexham, what sort of service is this? We have an ambulance service which has to bypass Hexham’s hospital as it ferries people 25 miles to Cramlington. Ambulances are being turned into a taxi service. As I said last year it always starts with the false promise of its “only a temporary measure” which then turns into a permanent move. Hexham’s people deserves better than this.”
You can read more at Hexham Courant’s web page http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/Overnight-closure-of-hospital-urgent-care-service-likely-to-stay-in-force-9b1cc0c6-b34d-4016-9f40-52b6773dc58f-ds
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Local Council elections are on 4 May 2017, would you like a postal vote?
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