“Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.” Edwin Hubbel Chapin
Save Chase Farm Campaign
Click picture on the left to read the Kings Fund Report on the future of CFH or on any other picture on this page to visit the SCF web site
FIRST CAN WE DO ANYTHING NOW?
Yes write now to Caroline Berkely at the address below & object to the consultation & lack of choice & support the 5th option of retaining our hospital (see bottom of page for options) - You can add your own questions too - Each letter written now will be registered & must be replied to - Please ensure letters sent are signed & have your address (they won't be counted otherwise - Write now to:
Ms Carolyn Berkeley
Chair of the Reconfiguration Board
Enfield Primary Care Trust
Holbrook House
Cockfosters Road
Barnet
Herts
EN4 ODR
Chair of the Reconfiguration Board
Enfield Primary Care Trust
Holbrook House
Cockfosters Road
Barnet
Herts
EN4 ODR
SO - WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
Cuts to front line services at Chase Farm will affect sick children, women in labour, the elderly (75% of patients are elderly) & anyone needing acute & urgent care - The most vulnerable members of our communities
CFH & THE PCT PROPOSE CLOSING ALL:
In-patient children's facilities (including Kingfisher Children's Ward) + Consultant led maternity care (Hertford Ward) + In-patient women's services (Essex Ward & others) + A&E being reduced to a 'Walk in Centre' (able to cope with minor injuries only)
WHAT ABOUT NORTH MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL?
The PFI doesn't take into account thousands of extra patients that would have to be sent to there if Chase Farm were down graded - Prof. Sir George Alberti (brought in to add his opinion on the 'clinical case for change') said 'if CF were to be downgraded another secondary annexe would have to be added on to the rebuilt version of the North Middlesex Hospital.'
North-Mid already sees 157,000 cases at A&E annually & is already one of London's busiest hospitals! Last year 51 acute beds were taken away from North Mid Hospital & they are currently looking at removing a further 34 acute beds!
WHAT ABOUT BARNET?
Barnet has a very small A&E & is tied into a previous PFI agreement making it very unlikely that it could be enlarged & it already sees twice the number of patients than it was built for
The maternity department closes on average once a week because it is full & they send the overspill of patients Chase Farm & Barnet & Chase Farm are regularly on 'RED ALERT' having no beds
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Since 2003 there have been several failed attempts to push through cuts but no credible case for change outlined + no risk impact assessments + no equality impact assessments + the figures used are unsubstantiated & once again the most recent attempt to take us into the 'Formal Consultation Stage' has ended in failure.
The long delayed 'Formal Consultation' should have started on 5th March but the PCTs involved with the Hospital Trusts were unable to produce a document robust enough to convince the Strategic Health Authority (recently renamed NHS London) that their proposals to cut services are justified & safe for us!
As a result of the SCF campaign Prof. Sir George Alberti was commissioned by NHS London to look into the reconfiguration process & decide if there is a 'case for change' in our area; his report is now published (You can read it by Clicking the picture at the top of this page)
Formal consultation is expected to begin around the middle of July but we can write to Caroline Berkley (see address towards top of this page) now before the consultation starts
WHAT MUST BE CONSIDERED & BY WHOM?
'The Reconfiguration Board' has been set up to oversee & carry out this process; the Chair of this board is Mrs Caroline Berkeley & the Overall Project Director is Mrs Jackie Langford their address is at the top of the page & you can write to them now.
THE FOLLOWING MUST BE CONSIDERED & ADDRESSED IN ANY PROPOSED CHANGES
Clinical viability & safety - Affordability & best use of resources - Sustainability & Deliverability & Accessibility
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 10 OPTIONS?
The CF trust promised to consult on 10 options but have reduced it to 4 all options would leave over 1 million people facing a shortage of accessible acute beds & services & will put lives at risk. They are:
1. To transfer womens', children & maternity services to Barnet or North Middx & reduce A&E at Chase Farm.
2. To split A&E & other acute services with Barnet and North Middx.
3. Chase Farm becomes a community hospital which would not carry out any major surgery.
4. Cut all acute services from Chase Farm and move them over to the other 2 hospitals.
The SCF campaign has forced a 5th option back on the table. This is the option that the people of Enfield have written for, marched for & want; it is the only option that offers us a fully functioning hospital & an A&E at Chase Farm: It is:
5: Maintaining & enhancing safe services at Chase Farm with No clinical change.
So that's about it then, the campaign goes on & up a gear with our support. The people of Enfield have spoken, but the trust & PCT have not listened & wont listen unless we continue to shout. So please write a letter, copy it everywhere, & do it now!
We need our hospital & demand it is retained to provide for us & our children - Let's ensure Caroline Berkeley knows it.
USEFUL ADDRESSES FOR COPY LETTERS
Save Chase Farm:
SCF - 15 Hillside Crescent - Enfield - EN2 0HP
e-mail: info@savechasefarm.co.uk
web: www.savechasefarm.co.uk
Enfield MPs
House of Commons - Westminster - London - SW1 1AA
Joan Ryan MP (Enfield North) - ryanj@parliament.uk
Andy Love MP (Edmonton) - lovea@parliament.uk
David Burrows (Southgate) - burrowsd@parliament.uk
Enfield Primary Care Trust (PCT)
Sally Johnson - Chief Executive - Enfield Primary Care Trust - Holbrook House - Cockfosters Road - Barnet - EN4 0DR
e-mail: sally.johnson@enfield.nhs.uk
Every letter & every objection is helping to save our services - Please join in
Save Chase Farm protest outside Parliament on January 17th this year
*ELAG Will bring you details of the 'Formal Consultation' when it begins - Watch this site for more news.
*See also 'News Story' & 'March Images' & 'Who's Asking' for more on the Save Chase Farm campaign
