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Written by Joan Davis
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Saturday, 27 February 2010 11:05 |
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NHS Hillingdon, our Primary Care Trust, is now confident that it will break-even financially over the current year, which ends on 31st March. This will enable the PCT to qualify for wipe-out of its£19m historic debt and release us from paying back nearly £8m annually, which has crippled our local health care for years.
In contrast The Hillingdon Hospital Trust is still battling to end the year without a deficit. However there is some good news as the Trust is now providing some services for Ealing as well as Hillingdon, which is a positive step forward. It is still hoping to achieve Foundation Trust status later this year and aims to be a major acute hospital for London.
On performance, the Hospital is well within target for infections and is meeting targets to deal with A&E patients within four hours, and the two week wait for breast cancer symptoms (it continues to phone patients before appointments to reduce the “do not attend” rates); also 90% of women receive 1:1 care in labour. However, the managerial cleaning audit has reported a disappointing reduction in standards, which is being investigated, and January’s bad weather led to cancelled operations - so the Trust is unlikely to meet that target for the current year; some of the extra beds opened to meet the January pressures are still open.
At Mount Vernon, restructuring of clinical divisions has led to the site no longer having a General Manager. The role of Nursing Services Manager at Mount Vernon has been extended to take in site management issues. (We have asked that information on how to contact her be made widely available).
Looking ahead is uncertain, but hospital activity and head counts are expected to reduce with more services delivered in the community. Financial challenges are expected, but there are still aspirations for a new ward block for Hillingdon Hospital, and hopes for a move towards 100% single rooms for patients.
The PCT aims to have three polysystems by 2013. In 2010/11 it will work towards a polysystem for Hayes based on the Hesa Centre. At Hillingdon Hospital A&E it will set up a GP-led Health Centre, as the polyclinic hub for Uxbridge and West Drayton. Plans for the north of the Borough are less developed.
Joan Davis |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 27 February 2010 16:59 |
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