From Jacqui Martin, Chief Executive, Suffolk Family Carers - “Support for people Caring at Home”
www.suffolk-carers.co.uk
This is Jacqui Martin’s text read out by Canon David Lowe at the BBAG Meeting, 19th Jan 2007:

There are so many issues for family carers at the moment.

Family carers are being asked to do more and more and if not supported correctly will become patients themselves very quickly or in some extreme cases be pushed to a point where the care they give is no longer in the best interest of those they care for.

The time spent in hospital is shorter and shorter and discharge or transfer of care is often not planned, families not trained or informed of the tasks they are taking on, many not understanding the medication
or prepared for the time it will take to care for someone.

Respite care is an essential part of any care package whether for a day or a week or fortnight. Many families are sustained by this. Without we know some will cease to care and in those cases transfer the care to a residential or nursing home. Which in many cases is more costly often away from home and can be inappropriate.

The Bartlet has also played an invaluable role in allowing individuals to make life changing decisions, if they had been in hospital without the re-enablement they may have gone into residential care, sell their homes. With re-enablement in a safe environment many have returned to home to continue living independently with some support. Even with the home first scheme there is still a need for those who have totally lost confidence, may have broken something or be non mobile to be in a structured environment for a short time with high level support to bring them back to their optimum ability.

Some home support systems will only visit once in the night and this may be fine for some but those with complex needs it can often be frightening at night and being at home alone or with a family member who is unsure what to do it can be a negative experience.

There is still a need for some building based step down facility other than Blue Bird Lodge which is often unavailable, and is rarely available for respite. It is also used now for hospital prevention. There is also a need for some community based service in Felixstowe for drop in respite, and may be able to join up with some day services for the community not only older people but could this be joined up thinking and also for people with a learning disability who knows.

Many families are concerned regarding respite, day services and other services if the ownership were retained by some sort of Trust it could have many uses.

Family Carers in Suffolk and Older people will increase - we need facilities to cope with a variety of needs to enable people to stay at home in a positive way. Short breaks, regular respite for complex care that includes overnight - enablement when coming out of hospital and perhaps some prevention beds as Blue Bird Lodge cannot cope with it all.


Dr Janet M. Massey, GP and Honorary Secretary BMA Suffolk Division
Report for the Public Meeting. Bartlet Bequest Action Group, St John’s Church Felixstowe, 19th Jan 2007

Since standing before you here 15 months ago, we have seen the Felixstowe General closed and plans announced for “Disposal” of the Bartlet. It might not be total closure of the Felixstowe General as, according to an announcement on 19th October 2006 in the House of Parliament, £1.4 million are available for conversion of the Felixstowe General into a Health and Social Care Centre or Community Hospital.

However there has been some disagreement within the PCT about how these funds should be obtained and there was announcement from it on 5th January 2007 to say that this money has not yet been released by the Strategic Health Authority.

Meanwhile services (apart from X-ray) continue to be offered from the Bartlet. These include the Minor Illness and Injury Unit from 7 am to 10 pm, the GP out-of-hours services on Saturday and Sundays and a whole range of other clinics. There are still about 16 beds for patients from Ipswich Hospital or for those admitted by a Matron for prevention of hospital admission. We local GPs do not manage these beds as we were not offered the contract. It has been heartbreaking for the staff at both facilities to see teams who worked so well together having to reapply for their jobs and to be reorganized by a so-called Acting Chief Operating Officer.

As the Chairman of Suffolk Division of the British Medical Association, Dr Rod Donnelly, said when he gave evidence to the Suffolk County Health Scrutiny Committee in January 2006, we will still need some beds for the rehabilitation of our patients after hospitalization. If the PCT can keep its promises about providing sufficient beds for our patients who do not need an acute hospital bed, and can be prevented from entering hospital (step-up) or have access to rehabilitation (step-down), we GPs would be delighted.

But as Suffolk Coast has 22% of population is over 65, and the PCT is 25% overspent, and, knowing the findings of the Health Select Committee (House of Parliament) 13 December 06 that there is: “Compelling evidence of failure of financial management ... and ... serious underlying failures in the financial management of the NHS, which have occurred at all levels of the organization from the DoH to PCTs”, we are aware that the NHS, as we have known it and served it, is at very great risk.

Dr Peter Holden, one of the National Leaders of the British Medical Association, the Doctor’s Trade Union, is asking where are the criminal charges for passing the financial time bomb parcel, for brokerage (moving funds around the organization) and most important for us now tonight, the trust endowment funds for the Bartlet? (BMA Suffolk Divisional Meeting 13th December 2006)).

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bartlet Bequest Action Group is asking you for your support for Demonstrable Democracy in East Suffolk. I am sure that all of you here tonight signed the petition which we took to Patricia Hewitt on 11th November 2005 insisting that we kept Felixstowe General as our Community Hospital, and the Bartlet full of beds for the care of those from East Suffolk who needed them. We were seeing at the time how well Michael Brown, the Modern Matron, was able to control admissions and run the Bartlet and the staff so remarkably well.

You will remember that there were about 15,000 signatures (which is half the population of Felixstowe) to keep both facilities open. And I am sure you are aware that some fee-earning consultant was able to get away with saying this petition did not count for the PCT’s Consultation, and so could be ignored.

Dr Bartlet was very clear indeed about what mattered as regards care of patients after being in Ipswich hospital. His Will gives absolute guidance on the use of the building and the endowment fund. The PCT now considers that the Bartlet can be disposed of as redundant estate, without involving the Felixstowe locality group, Felixstowe Town Council, Suffolk Coastal District Council, local GPs, MIND, The Alzheimer’s Carers Group, and the Board of Ipswich Hospital Trust, the Hospital Consultants and many others, including the Suffolk Health Scrutiny Committee. By ignoring the legal requirement for Trustees to run the Bartlet, and by not telling us how it will be used, and for whom, and at what cost, is still - I believe - stealing Felixstowe and East Suffolk assets.