In April I set up an FGH Working Group with the aim of creating a practical, and deliverable, plan to restore Level 3 critical care at FGH. I wanted to share an update following the meeting that group held today.
I have been very encouraged by the excellent progress we have made in just two months, and the constructive engagement of all organisations involved.
There is now a consensus that NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB’s plan to permanently decommissioning Level 3 critical care will have far-reaching consequences for FGH. Such a decision would not only impact the most critically ill patients but would also lead to a gradual decline in Level 1 and Level 2 care. Over time, this would inevitably affect the viability of other vital departments, including A&E and maternity, thereby eroding the sustainability of the hospital.
Following today’s meeting the FGH Working Group shared the following progress updates:
- A bid has been made to fund a research and education programme aimed at nurses, Allied Health Professionals, and medics.
- A business case is being written as the first step in developing a potential robotic surgery offer at FGH that would improve patient outcomes and help attract clinicians to work at the hospital.
- Discussions are ongoing with Defence Medical Services to see what support may be available.
- Recruitment to key posts at the hospital continues with some positive successes recently.
- Further work is underway to look at what additional support can be provided around the wider factors influencing recruitment and retention in the area.
What is now required is time and stability to allow this work to move forward. The ICB’s continued threat of permanent decommissioning level 3 critical care is actively undermining our efforts to restore it. It is making recruitment significantly more difficult at a time when attracting high-quality clinicians is essential.
I will therefore be meeting with the Chief Executive of Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB next week to ask, once again, that they pause the current decommissioning process it is pursuing.
Doing so would provide the necessary time and space for the collaborative work now in progress to bear fruit and allow a viable, sustainable, model for Level 3 care to be fully developed.
