Ambulance cover concerns remain
Concerns remain over ambulance provision in Newark, despite a £1/4m investment by health bosses.
A report released this week says there will be an additional ambulance capacity of 878 journeys after changes to healthcare in Newark, due to be implemented by April.
NHS Nottinghamshire County, which led the review, says ambulances will be freed up by a highly-trained paramedic with a rapid response vehicle based in Newark.
It is paying £1/4m for the role, which will operate solely in the Newark area and provide around 1,460 more ambulance journeys.
But the Save Newark Hospital Campaign says ambulance provision is still a concern.
The campaign secretary, Mr Paul Baggaley, said there would still be emergency transfers away from Newark to other hospitals following the changes.
He said the rapid response paramedic would deal with people requiring emergency treatment, but if they needed hospital admission they would have to be transferred elsewhere due to the downgrading of the service at Newark.
Emergency patients will no longer be seen at Newark from April, with the A & E due to be renamed a minor injuries unit plus.
The PCT says the change will save lives.
Mr Baggaley said: “Two thirds of people in Newark and Sherwood live within eight miles of Newark — there is clearly a demand for an emergency care service at Newark. A minor injuries unit plus is not going to fit the bill.”
Campaign member Dr Ian Campbell said the data on which the PCT was basing the remodelling of the service remained speculative.
“Yes, systems are in place to take cases away from Newark to other hospitals, but that remains a seriously contentious issue,” he said.
The MP for Newark, Mr Patrick Mercer, said: “It is moving in the right direction but the fact remains that ambulance provision is a huge problem in the town. It will be interesting to see how it transpires in reality.”
The PCT estimates that 1,650 more ambulance journeys will be made to take Newark patients to specialist centres in Nottingham, Mansfield and Lincoln for heart attack and stroke care.
At the moment those patients are taking themselves to Newark A & E.
A further 884 estimated journeys will be needed to take patients who have been treated at the specialist centres back to Newark to continue their recovery.
The PCT hopes about 1,530 journeys will be saved by avoiding emergency transfers to specialist hospitals when a patient turns up with a condition that cannot be treated at Newark.
A major campaign is planned telling people where they should go to get the “right care, first time.”
The PCT has published the results of its consultation, which hospital campaigners describe as a whitewash.
The PCT’s director of communications, Mr Matt Youdale, said the consultation results showed people’s views had counted and had informed their decisions.
He said: “More than 2,000 responses have helped to shape the future of the NHS in Newark.
“We know the people of Newark care greatly about their NHS. Now, we will continue to work with clinicians to put the plans into action to improve the service continually.”
The consultation results, including the ambulance figures, are at www.nottspct.nhs.uk/my-voice/-newark-healthcare-review
