Harringay online (award-winning local site) alerted me to rumours about the closure of the out of hours walk in facility at the Hornsey Hospital Community Health Centre. A letter arrived at the same time – so here it is in black and white. I have contacted them urgently on this and Cllr David Winskill (health spokesperson for Liberal Democrat council group) is in process of getting a meeting with them.
This is the same sort of shambles as we saw over the proposals they put forward on the Whittington A&E – ill thought out and without consultation. The PCT this time have summarily removed the service – suspended – pending evaluation because it is too expensive to continue whilst the evaluation is going on.
As this service is delivering on one of the promises made in terms of what would be in the new centre to get local people on board – it is totally unacceptable to remove the service – let alone without consultation.
As to cutting costs – well perhaps a few of the high salaried jobs could go in administration instead of a front line service as a first stop. There’s a novel idea!
Dear Ms. Featherstone
Re: Walk in centre at Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre
I am writing to inform you about NHS Haringey’s plans for the provision of the 8 – 8 GP led health service at Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre.
NHS Haringey commissioned the pilot walk in service in April 2010 for people who required medical attention outside of normal GP practice hours; at weekends and also during normal hours but without having to make an appointment.
It was always our intention to review the service after completion of the pilot phase to see how it complemented the other ways of accessing care, including NHS Direct, our out of hours services and extended GP opening hours. We recognized that we would need to establish whether the walk-in service was the best way of providing urgent unscheduled care and was not duplicating other GP extended hours services or being used as an alternative to General Practice appointments.
The pilot was due to finish on 31st July 2010; however, we extended it for another month and will now suspend the pilot from 1st September 2010 .This is to ensure we have sufficient time to put in place effective communication plans.
We recognize that this temporarily removes a service that has been of value to many patients. Under ordinary circumstances the preferred option would have been to continue the pilot whilst completing our evaluation. However, due to a rise in the payment required for the GP out of hours service this is no longer an option for the PCT.
We have put in place a communications plan to inform the public that the service is no longer available, and signposting them to the other ways that people obtain medical advice and treatment. These are:
NHS Direct: 0845 46 47
Out of hours service: 020-7388 5800
Seeking advice from your local pharmacist
Accident and emergency centres at The Whittington and the North Middlesex
I would also like to stress that NHS Haringey is committed to ensuring that Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre is a key community asset for the provision of Primary and Community Care services in the area. Services that are already provided at the centre include: GP Services provided by the QMP for their registered patients during normal opening hours and some extended hours, physiotherapy, foot health; speech and language therapy; midwifery and health visiting; counseling; sexual health clinics; minor surgery; dermatology outpatient clinics and diabetes outpatient clinics. We are working very closely with the Whittington Hospital to provide new clinical services including gynecology and obstetric outpatients. .
Once the pilot has been evaluated we look forward to updating you on future arrangements at Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre.
Yours sincerely
Tracey Baldwin
Lynne Featherstone 
“Haringey PCT remove out of hours walk in clinic” – you must be very proud, keep up the great work!
I knew that the first cry would be government cuts – but it isn’t the case. This is the local PCT – and its management. Perhaps if they had not spent so much on the rubbish proposals to close our A&E – they wouldn’t be so short now.
So we can work to make sure local services are just that – what local people want and need (which is government policy as health decisions are now devolved) or you can simply throw politically aimed comments at me – and achieve nothing.
RT @lfeatherstone: Haringey PCT remove out of hours walk in clinic – http://is.gd/eebV3 >>blamed on rise in GP out of hours payments
I just saw this in local papers (Hornsey Journal, Ham + High) and could barely believe what i read. All the talk about our local Polyclinic taking up the slack when they closed Whittington A+E was barely credible then. Now, with the walk in service going and the ONLY GP practice in the building reducing its hours (enforced again by the PCT) lets hope teh Whittington and North Middx A+E remain open or deaths on Saturdays and Sundays will surely increase?
I have also not forgotten or forgiven teh PCT for persistently lying about so called talks with TfL over improved bus services from Hornsey High Street to teh health centre that in fact they never had. now it certainly doesn’t matter to me as I won’t have any use for the place. Thankfully my GP practice declined the PCTs offer to move in.
Thanks for your continued support on this matter.
Lynne, could you give us further details about exactly which jobs in Haringey PCT you would like to see scrapped? They are likely to include some of your constituents who are employed by the PCT in administrative roles and who will no doubt be thrilled to hear that their MP is keen to see them out of work.
No Helen – not for me to prescribe but perfectly valid for me to indicate that frontline services are the priority and that if there is to be a decision and change – that local people deserve some say. There has been no consultation – not even with the staff at the centre.
Yes – of course – all job losses are going to hurt – wherever they fall. Why don’t you suggest where you thinkg the PCT should make amends for the shortfalls it may now be seeing? The funding has not decreased beyond the 1% set ages ago and which should have been budgeted for.
Are you saying that you would prefer frontline services to go? WIthout reference to local people or local staff?
But you have prescribed. To quote yourself: “As to cutting costs – well perhaps a few of the high salaried jobs could go in administration instead of a front line service as a first stop.”
I think that if you have read any of my comments in any of your blog posts then you will have gathered that II support public services, so thanks for the offer – but no, you you keep hold of the axe.
It was merely a suggested alternative direction for the management to look at – as I have noticed an aversion to dealing with costs close to home when it is so much easier to axe something or someone you don’t have to face on a daily basisI.
I note you don’t want to answer the question though. Given it would appear we both believe in public services etc – do you not think that we could have more constructive exchanges then hitherto?
Love to – I’m one of the people who have asked you many times for you to hold a public meeting.
And – you’ll have to take this on trust – in my day-to-day life no-one questions my commitment to public services. I have been consistent in my support of them. In the past year, as an example, I’ve not spoken in favour of something and then spoken against it just a few months later. And I’m not in public life. As our MP and someone who is in public life, you are the one with questions to answer.
Yes – but as I discovered – many of the people commenting on this blog were not real – but the same person. You are welcome to come to my surgery if you are a constituent – and I try and get to area assemblies etc whenever possible.
On the what I said before and what I say post coalition – how many times do I need to explain the coalition. Of course I have had to agree to things that were not in our manifesto – as have the Conservatives. It doesn’t mean that I subscribe to everything in the coalition agreement – but it is just that – an agreement forged so this country could have a stable government. I can’t believe you don’t understand the reality of this.
I haven’t changed my views – am just doing the best I can under the circumstances delivered by the election result.
What would you have done?
Simple answer to your last question Lynne. If you had a single shred of dignity left in your body you would leave the coalition.
But that’s the point – it isn’t that simple. It’s easy political meat – but it doesn’t really solve stuff. I signed up to the coalition agreement because I believed that the progressive parts – the raising of the tax threshold, the pupil premium and all the civil liberties stuff – made it a better option than a minority unstable government or a purely Conservative agenda. Obviously the budget cuts and the looming spending review are very challenging – and of course I don’t like them – nobody does. But I would have hoped that people who know me as their local MP would feel confident that I am making the arguments as always.
No problem. Hope you enjoy your final (and hopefully very short) term as MP for Hornsey & Wood Green.
Would Helen want you to hold a public meeting if the Lib Dems had gone into coalition with Gordon Brown’s Labour Party? Is she bitter?
“I don`t like betraying my principlas and ideals and the people who elect me but it must be done!”. Oh dear!!!!
I see there’s no response from ‘Helen’ yet (-; Incidentally, Jack Stone doesn’t exist – I know this for a fact.
Justin you are a fool. I exist and I suspect unlike you I actually use the NHS.Your like most Tories you can`t stand people disagreeing with you. Grow up!!!
Lynne, I don’t believe cuts in public services are the answer to the current crisis. There are many billions of pounds available through taxing companies, investments and high-earning individuals, let alone through a new “Tobin tax” on financial transactions. Oh, and cutting Trident would save a few bob. Cutting public spending just depresses the economy and is politically-motivated.
Your government, however, has decided to make ordinary people pay. So please don’t ask me as your constituent what I think should be cut. Because I believe in investing in people, not destroying public services which help us all grow and prosper.
What do you think?
I use the NHS. In fact I am totally 100% depend on it. It’s you who should grow up, ‘Mr Stone’
Justin if I don`t exist why bother replying. I am a figment of your imagination perhaps!!!
oh dear. Lynne, you are going to have to come up with a much better line than, ” what would you have done?” to defend your support of the Coalition. I’m afraid this is just the tip of a massive iceberg. Mrs Thatcher was David Cameron’s warm up act. Your position as a good ‘constituency’ MP is about to be severely put to the test.
By the way, I exist.
I exist too, Lynne and I have only posted here under one name, although I think there is another Michael who posts here too. I voted for you having been to the hustings and having been impressed by your commitment to local people and social justice. You and your fellow Lib Dems have sold out and I will not vote for you again. More of your voters feel this way than not. How is the party ever going to recover? Your only hope, it seems to me is to split into two factions and for the more right-wing section to merge with the Tories. Can you tell us whether you would join a new right-wing amalgamation or remain in a rump centre party, were this to happen?