Community Voice Health

At our November meeting there was a long and vigorous discussion about the closure of Daniel Ward, the continuing care ward at Mount Vernon Hospital, which has provided excellent long-term care for patients with very complex needs. Some patients have lived on the ward for many years.  Last December the ward was closed to new patients.  Now NHS Hillingdon wants to move the last eight patients to nursing homes, but this is a contentious issue as neither the patients, their relatives, nor the staff want this to happen.

Members expressed an impassioned  range of views about whether the ward should be closed - but there was unanimous concern for the last eight patients who are still being nursed on that ward and the Executive agreed to take the issue forward.  Subsequently a number of questions were put to NHS Hillingdon and copies of the response are available on request. 

A key concern was the precise intentions of NHS Hillingdon.  Verbal assurances given at September and October Board Meetings had not been fully reflected in the Minutes.  Therefore a written request was submitted for an amendment to be made to those Minutes at the November Meeting.  As a result an amendment was agreed for documentation in the Board's November Minutes, to verify the following: 
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“A geriatric consultant is to meet each individual affected, individual nursing requirements for continued care are to be assessed, and discussions are to be held with each patient’s relatives.  It was premature to define a timeline, this series of meetings is expected to be completed before the end of 2009, and eventual outcomes confirmed in the New Year.  The PCT undertakes to continue to fund NHS care for these patients as long as they continue to meet the criteria for continuing care patients.  We would only move patients to accommodation that provided appropriate care in locations agreed with patients’ relatives.”

This very emotive issue will continue to raise many questions and concerns, which we will attempt to address.

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