leahortez86: Village clinic may lose vital services after review of services

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Village clinic may lose vital services after review of services

A VILLAGE health centre is to be monitored to assess if it is busy enough to keep vital services.

In the coming weeks, a long-running children's clinic will be moved out of the Werrington complex and chiropody sessions face the axe.

District nurses who perform minor procedures on patients were transferred to Leek for more than two months this winter. Although they have recently returned, health managers say they will continue to monitor patients' use of the centre to see if it remains viable.

Now, with the local police post also under threat from funding cuts, village leaders are drawing up a campaign to fight to protect the area's public services.

And they want a public meeting, to grill NHS managers on the future of the centre, in Salters Close.

Werrington parish councillor May Day said: "They are closing this and that and we wonder what services we will lose next. It is all being done without proper consultation, making us fear it is part of a wider programme to save money."

Her husband, Bill, who is a parish, district and county councillor, added: "All my experience tells me public bodies must consult with people and take communities with them. We need a full public meeting where this can all be talked over with the decision-makers."

In a response to a parish council letter voicing the fears, North Staffordshire Primary Care Trust which runs the centre, confirmed the district nursing clinics had re-opened and gave a reassurance that Werrington villagers would continue to enjoy good services.

But Derek Pamment, managing director of community services at the PCT, said: "While we are committed to providing this service, we also need to ensure it is in the most appropriate place for patients.

"Werrington clinic is an important location providing an ideal venue for health visitors, district nurses, child protection and safeguarding team and the children's community nursing team.

"But we will monitor the number of people using services there and if numbers fall below those required to make the clinic viable, services will be reassessed."

Mr Pamment added that the nurse clinics – where patients have wounds dressed and stitches removed – had only closed from November to last month because of long-term staff sickness. Patients were transferred to Leek or seen at home instead.

Meanwhile the PCT has pressed ahead with switching child health clinics from the centre to Werrington Library, which protesters have branded totally unsuitable. Managers say clinics will take place under the same roof as the area's breast-feeding group, removing the risk of youngsters running about in the non-child-friendly reception. Clinics may also use a mobile centre to offer more privacy.

Protesters had raised a petition of nearly 400 signatures against the plan. Campaign leader Rebecca Taylor, aged 41, said: "This decision has been made so quickly we haven't even had the chance to hand in our petition."