Stockport Labour Group are seeking urgent reassurances regarding the future of Stepping Hill Hospital following the start of a consultation on changes to healthcare in Greater Manchester. The move comes after details emerged of the potential impact which reorganisation of 12 hospitals across the Region could have under the ‘Healthier Together’ programme.
With almost 7 weeks of the consultation period left, an Extraordinary meeting of Stockport Council’s Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee on 13th August heard more information from local clinicians and NHS representatives about what missing out on specialist status might mean for Stepping Hill.
Cllr Tom McGee, Labour’s Chair of the Committee, said ‘Healthier Together focuses on acute and emergency surgery, alongside abdominal surgery, and the principles of building and maintaining areas of excellence in the NHS, choice for those using healthcare services, and more consistent, improved outcomes for patients are very laudable. It’s some of the knock-on effects of change that the public need to be aware of.’
Whilst representatives from Healthier Together confirmed at the meeting on the 13th August that the proposals applied primarily to ‘once in a lifetime’ events which patients experience, concern was expressed by Labour Councillors at how remaining District General Hospitals which are not selected for specialist status could be affected.
In a response to questions, it was confirmed by the Chief Executive of Stockport’s NHS Foundation Trust that centralising the location of certain specialist services could have an impact on where other surgery is provided. Concern was also expressed regarding the effect on the future viability of operating theatres if this was to occur.
Cllr Wendy Wild, Labour’s Adult Care Services Spokesperson, said ‘this re-organisation could prove to be a prelude to fundamental change in our remaining local hospitals. The question is what happens to some interdependent services, including anaesthetics, intensive and critical care, neonatal, and some diagnostic provisions. These could be undermined.
‘Stepping Hill Hospital needs to obtain specialist status in order to safeguard its future, and I’d encourage members of the public to make their views known at the remaining consultation events in Stockport.’
The Healthier Together consultation, launched on 8th July and running until 28th September, will have two further events which members of the public can attend; the first in Cheadle on 4th September and the second in Edgeley on 24th September.
Stepping Hill Hospital serves 320,000 people across Stockport, High Peak and some parts of East Cheshire, and currently is the specialist stroke centre across Southern Greater Manchester. Healthier Together have confirmed that the final agreed proposals will be made public in May or June of next year, a matter of weeks after the 2015 General Election.