GP Backing for Shotley Bridge Hospital

To follow on from the last article on the site we have had the opportunity to meet with the lead GP in Derwentside who has the role of chair of Practice based Commissioners in Derwentside.This group have the task of deciding what services they want to purchase for patients in Derwentside along with the County Durham PCT. I think its fair to say the GPs have a good deal of influence but obviously there are others who make decisions that impact on us here in the District.

We thought that it may be useful to ask for a statement from the GPs as to their intentions or attitudes toward the hospital and we are grateful to Dr Gallwey for circulating this statement around her colleagues.

The Practice Based Commissioning Cluster for Derwentside supports the continuation of the present level of services in Shotley Bridge Hospital. Within last year’s LDP we have identified a need for increased services for the elderly to reduce emergency admissions and this requires a continuation of the current range of services including the availability of inpatient facilities.

Our commissioning plans for 2007-2008 have identified future services which will need accommodation and will improve access for Derwentside patients.
We welcome the opportunity presented by the Tribal Report to explore options around the future ownership of Shotley Bridge.

I think this will give us all some hope for the future with the GPs taking such a positive stance and I know Hilary Armstrong is also intent on arranging a meeting with Dr Gallwey to find out for herself what the local doctors believe is the way forward on the hospital.

In answer to the posts about what we can do as individuals well I will be asking our representatives at the stakeholder group to request patient/ public involvement and I hope the other partners will agree to that.

What form that takes,if successful ,I am not sure but we can perhaps consider a forum or group of some sort that supports the hospital ,acts as a pressure group or even looks toward some more positive role if it were seen as possible to have some form of community ownership or involvement.

Alex Watson