I previously reported on County Durham’s Health Statistics, and this time the information is about Derwentside. I use the same format as before, the Good News and the Bad News.

It makes grim reading with Derwentside not only worse than the nation as a whole, but also worse than County Durham in terms of physical activity in children, health of under 15s and numbers of people diagnosed with diabetes. The only area we were significantly better in  than the rest of County Durham (and still only average nationally) was in the number of over 65s suffering hip fractures. I don’t know what to make of that!

Good News

• Below average violent crime
• Below average new cases of Tuberculosis
• Below average road injuries and deaths

Bad News

• Above average deprivation
• Above average children in poverty
• Above average statutory homelessness
• Above average smoking in pregnancy
• Below average number of mothers who start breast-feeding
• Below average physically active children
• Above average numbers of teenage pregnancies
• Above average numbers of adults binge drinking
• Below average numbers of adults eating healthily
• Above average under 15s not in good health
• Above average claimants of incapacity benefits arising from mental illness
• Above average number of alcohol related hospital stays
• Above average people diagnosed with diabetes
• Below average male life expectancy
• Below average female life expectancy
• Above average deaths from smoking
• Above average early deaths from strokes, heart disease and cancer

This presents a real challenge to the unitary council when it comes into being next April. It is charged with the responsibility of working with partner agencies in the NHS, education services, leisure services and across the board to narrow the gap both within the nation and within the county. It will take vision and commitment if it is to make a difference.

For more details go to www.healthprofiles.info

The 2008 Health profile for the County makes some interesting reading. It sets the County in context nationally, so here are some highlights with the Good News and the Bad News:

Good News

• Below average violent crime
• Above average physically active children
• Below average drug misuse
• Below average new cases of Tuberculosis
• Below average road injuries and deaths

Bad News

• Above average deprivation
• Above average children in poverty
• Above average statutory homelessness
• Above average smoking in pregnancy
• Below average number of mothers who start breast-feeding
• Above average numbers of teenage pregnancies
• Above average numbers of adults binge drinking
• Below average numbers of adults eating healthily
• Above average claimants of incapacity benefits arising from mental illness
• Above average number of alcohol related hospital stays
• Above average hip fractures in over 65s
• Below average male life expectancy
• Below average female life expectancy
• Above average deaths from smoking
• Above average early deaths from strokes, heart disease and cancer

We all know that there are lies, damned lies and statistics, but would anyone doubt that as a county we’ve got a long way to go in terms of health improvement?

For more details go to www.healthprofiles.info

This story should just be one of delight. The diabetic retinopathy screening clinic has been restored to Shotley Bridge Hospital.

What’s moderating my delight, though, is how this came to my attention.

Several months ago I was approached by the family of a frail elderly constituent. They just wanted to know why she couldn’t have her retinopathy screening done at Shotley but instead had to be transported to Durham. She didn’t like going out for any length of time, and as we all know the transport to Durham isn’t great if you don’t drive. I promised to find out.

After some toing and froing it transpired that there hadn’t been enough cameras, but now the PCT had bought some more and sited one at Shotley Bridge so the clinic was restored. I wrote to the family to let them know that whilst their mother’s previous discomfiture could not be undone, at least in future she would know that the screening could be done at Shotley Bridge again. The family thanked me for my efforts, but were sad to say that their mother had recently died.

It’s a sharp reminder that it isn’t enough to promise to do better in the future. We need to do better NOW. 

On Friday I went to a rather sparsely attended “stakeholder event” meeting of the County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT to those in the know) to discuss Urgent Care. That’s the kind of care we get when we need sudden help, whether it’s blue flashing lights and Accident and Emergency, or a trip with Mum in the car to the Out of Hours service.

I was somewhat reassured to be told that the Urgent Care provision at Shotley Bridge - The Minor Injuries Unit and the Out of Hours Service - should “look very much the same” when the strategy is finalised at a meeting between the Hospital Trust and the PCT.

I should get a copy of the final strategy document and will keep you informed.

Derwentside District Council has been awarded Beacon status in the in the category “Reducing Health Inequalities”. Details of the different areas in which awards are given, and the successful councils, can be found at http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=14586 

This is a real tribute to the imagination and hard work of many Derwentside staff who have worked hand in hand with the Primary Care Trust and other partners doing everything from encouraging children to eat five fruit and veg portions a day to organising bike rides for the couch-bound, from helping people back into work after recovering from a range of illnesses to running Stop-Smoking clinics.

The big task now will be to make sure that these imaginative initiatives are carried through into the new unitary authority. Compared with Derwentside’s four beacon awards, the county has just one to its name at present. They’ve got some catching up to do. Obviously they need a change of councillors!

It’s a privilege being a councillor. You can ask a lot of questions that most people never get the chance to, and talk to many people you would never meet otherwise.

That’s why when John, a constituent, asked me to look into why he had twice been told he could not have an out patient appointment at Shotley Bridge Hospital within 3 months, but could have one in Hexham or Durham, I was keen to investigate.

Sandra Long (in charge of the outpatients booking system) and Jackie Park (Acting Director of Access & Improvement) for the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust quickly agreed that it would be a good opportunity for them to understand John’s point, and for me to get to grips with how the booking system works.

Everyone round here has heard conspiracy theories about the deliberate diversion of patients from Shotley Bridge Hospital. Would this cast any light on the situation?

John talked through the two different occasions. Both had involved the Choose and Book system, one in its early days and one more recently. In neither case had his outpatient appointment or surgical procedure occurred at Shotley Bridge.

Whilst there had clearly been problems in both cases, neither John nor I came away with any feeling that he had been the victim of a deliberate attempt to steer him away from Shotley Bridge Hospital. Indeed, both of us were convinced that the people we were talking to were 100% committed to providing the best service and the greatest possible choice to patients. They also accepted, however, that there were improvements in both training and communication which could improve the service and provide a better experience for patients.

They promised that those issues would be addressed with the people concerned.
To get the best out of the system, you need to know the following:

• When being referred for an outpatient appointment by your GP, you have the right to a discussion about where you want your appointment to be held, choosing between 4 providers.
• Not all GPs are using the computerised Choose and Book system. If your GP chooses not to use it, you may find it takes longer to get an appointment because it takes longer to send in a paper referral letter than it does to send in the information via the Choose & Book system
• Choose and Book in this area cannot manage referrals to a particular consultant, but you do have the right to that option. If you want it you should ask your GP to refer you outside the choose and book system and explain that the choice of a particular consultant is more important to you than the length of time you have to wait

There’s a huge range of outpatient appointments available at Shotley Bridge. You can find out what they are at http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/Hospital.aspx?id=RXPCW&v=2

You do, however, need to be aware that not all day surgery in these specialties can be carried out at Community Hospital.

If you have experiences you’d like to share in this area, please let me know. I’ll make sure that whatever you want passed on gets to the relevant people.

© Copyright Colin Edgar and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The Foundation Hospital trust, which runs County Durham’s Acute Hospitals and currently owns Shotley Bridge Hospital, has made a joint statement with the Primary Care Trust which is responsible for planning to meet the health needs of local people.

The good news is that in the short term they have agreed:

• To have a long term plan for Shotley by April 2008
• That in the meantime no changes are planned to Shotley’s services

The long term is still not clear, though in an interesting move  they have started discussions about whether Shotley Bridge Community Hospital should continue to be owned by the Foundation Trust or should become owned by the Primary Care Trust.

 I have received a letter from the Chief Executive of the PCT writing about Shotley Hospital in which she states, “the intention is to work with a range of stakeholders including staff, public and the district and county councils to plan the future”. You can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be working to make sure that that happens. I’m confident that you’ll be doing the same.

Effective date: November 28th 2007

Well done Healeyfield Parish Council for organising a meeting to explore the future of our very valuable local hospital, and well done Laura Robson, Edmund Lovell and John Arthurs for venturing out to Derwentside to hear what local people think of the run down they feel is going on.

 The packed meeting made its feelings very clear, and if assurances were few and far between, at least these senior personnel from the Acute Hospital Trust will be very clear on local opinion;

• Local people believe that the facilities at Shotley are deliberately being run down by the Acute Hospital Trust
• To a man and woman it is determined that people in Derwentside should continue to be served by the facility
• People want their elderly relatives and friends to get their post-operation recovery care at Shotley Bridge, not shipped out round the county. They are angry at the closure of Ward 4 which leaves insufficient beds to cater for Derwentside patients
• People want the day surgery provision to be maintained and extended. They do not believe that Derwentside is unique in the country in having a declining need for Day Surgery
• We want assurances that the Minor injury unit will be retained

Now the District Council needs to play an equally public role in insisting on making the voice of local people be heard in the stakeholder group consultation which the Primary Care Trust has promised to undertake. You can be assured that I will be pressing the District Council to make good its promise of all-party inclusion in that group.