North Lincolnshire Council will request the Health Secretary intervenes over planned changes affecting Scunthorpe General Hospital.
The Humber Acute Services review organised by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) proposed service elements move from Scunthorpe‘s hospital primarily to the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, in Grimsby. After “extensive” public consultation, most of the proposed changes were confirmed in July. However, local resolution talks since between the council and ICB proved unsuccessful.
Changes include Scunthorpe no longer having a trauma unit, and adult patients with heart, lung or stomach problems who may need a more than 72 hours stay in hospital being seen at Grimsby. The ICB say the changes will affect around seven patients a day, which works out to more than 2,500 a year.
All councillors have now backed requesting Health Secretary Wes Streeting call in the ICB’s decision. The motion stated the council “strongly believes that the decision will have a substantial negative impact on health inequalities, transportation, social care, and the future sustainability of vital local services”.
An ICB spokesperson said “it is disappointing” the council has requested the call-in. They asserted the changes “were never about saving money” but using resources most effectively for patient outcomes.
Scunthorpe General Hospital – Humber Acute Services ICB agreed changes, July 2024
Revised proposals to pooling of service elements from Scunthorpe General Hospital to Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, have been agreed by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB. The changes approved are:
- Trauma unit to be at Grimsby only
- Emergency surgeries are no longer planned to be consolidated at Grimsby only – ophthalmology will be at Hull Royal Infirmary, urology at Scunthorpe General, as is already the case, gynaecology at both Scunthorpe and Grimsby, while trauma and orthopaedics, acute general surgery, and ear, nose throat (ENT) emergency surgeries would be consolidated at Grimsby
- Adult patients with heart, lung or stomach problems who may need a more than 72 hours stay in hospital will be seen to at Grimsby only
- Children needing an overnight stay will remain at both Scunthorpe and Grimsby hospitals. However, there will be “work towards a reduction through implementation of community-based paediatrics model”.
To read the proposals in full and public consultation feedback, follow Humber Acute Services review links here.
‘No consideration for the inequalities’
Council leader Cllr Rob Waltham said residents were “genuinely concerned about any proposals to make changes to our local hospital”. He said being in the resolution negotiations was “probably one of the most challenging moments of my political career”. The Conservative politician said he had even taken to reading a trade union book for guidance.
There was “no consideration for the inequalities that will exist”, he added. The negotiations involved Labour opposition group councillors too. “In many ways, that process has highlighted the difficulties and frustrations that cabinet members in particular and senior officers from the council have about the ICB,” said group leader Cllr Len Foster.
He added: “I believe the ICB from the offset made the decision on financial grounds. It’s never been about patients, it’s never been about patient care. It’s always been about the money.” The changes are expected to cost £9m capital to implement, and save £4.1m revenue.
Deputy council leader Cllr Richard Hannigan called the ICB decision “a dreadful piece of judgement”, and claimed it was contrary to the area’s integrated care strategy it had agreed to. The strategy “clearly states” place as a priority and to improve health inequality and outcomes.
A major concern since the changes were first proposed has been transport for patients and loved ones. Cllr Tony Gosling said there were “no credible transport links and one road prone to closure” for patients going from Scunthorpe to Grimsby’s hospital.
(Image: North Lincolnshire Labour Group)
Cllr Max Bell told of how his disabled mother spent four days in Scunthorpe General Hospital last month. The prospect of trips to Grimsby “sends a shiver down my spine”, he said. “That’s an entire day I have to take off work, as someone unable to drive due to an eye condition,” he said, highlighting economic impact for people.
The patient transport system nationally was “already failing”, noting previous Scunthorpe Live coverage of an experience he and his mum had. “This proposal will make those existing barriers worse.”
“The fact that they’re undertaking a review to review the eligibility criteria for non-emergency transport makes me sick,” he said of the ICB. “That bad faith alone is enough reason to refer to the Secretary of State.”
Cllr Julie Reed reported on transport provision to Grimsby and scorned suggested reliance on “massively oversubscribed” voluntary car schemes.
“Our local Scunthorpe General Hospital has been unfunded for so many years and fundamentally, the ICB think it’s cheaper to update Grimsby rather than Scunthorpe,” claimed Cllr Andrea Davison. Through Scunthorpe MP Sir Nic Dakin, she met health minister Karin Smyth on December 4.
Cllr Foster highlighted the case of Cllr Bell’s mother “as an example of the state we’re going to be in”. Under the changes, her four-day stay in Scunthorpe General would have been handled at Grimsby, he stated.
Wrapping up, Cllr Waltham said, “this decision is callous, calculated and ill-considered.” Councillors had “imparted incredibly emotive stories about how this decision makes us feel”. The united opposition “will send a very clear message that if you come for our hospital we will come for you”, to NHS bosses.
What the ICB say
Approached for comment, an ICB spokesperson said: “It is disappointing that North Lincolnshire Council has chosen to make a request to the Secretary of State (SoS) to call in the decision, without putting forward any new mitigations for consideration.
“We stand by the decision made in July which we firmly believe is in the best interest of patients and the sustainability and safety of our hospital services. It followed extensive public consultation with thousands of people living and working in northern Lincolnshire, as well as stakeholders and partners and changes were made to the initial proposal as a result of the feedback we received.
“The changes we had put forward were never about saving money, but about being able to use our resources more effectively to provide the best clinical care and health outcomes for our patients.”
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Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
