Tag Archives: muswell-hill

Lynne Featherstone MP visits award winning youth charities on Big Lottery Fund tour

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Lynne Featherstone, Alison Rowe and staff and volunteers at ExposureTo see how Lottery funding has helped transform the lives of local young people with mental health issues and learning difficulties, Lynne Featherstone MP, visited charities Exposure and Action for Kids, as part of a Big Lottery Fund tour on Friday.

At Muswell Hill based Exposure Magazine, the Hornsey and Wood Green MP and Big Lottery Fund Head of London Region Alison Rowe were shown three powerful films produced by young people, focusing on mental health. The films are part of Exposure’s wider Lottery-funded ‘Mind’ initiative, enabling young people to use the media to explore and recount their mental health journeys, come to terms with their experiences as well as raise awareness for peers and the wider community.

At Action for Kids, a Hornsey-based charity for young people with learning difficulties, the Liberal Democrat MP was shown the Big Lottery-funded computer equipment, tailor-made for each student’s unique needs, to help the students participate in the charity’s decision-making and learn new skills for independent living.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“These two unique charities do amazing work with young people in Hornsey and Wood Green, and it’s so wonderful to see their fantastic work continued and expanded, thanks to grants from the Big Lottery Fund.”

“It was great to meet some of the young people who have found the courage to speak about their mental health issues through Exposure’s ‘Mind’ initiative. This Lottery-funded project has really done wonders for the young people who have shared their experiences, but it has also helped raise awareness of mental health problems amongst youth more widely, and that’s just fantastic.

“Thanks to the generous Lottery grant, young people at Action for Kids have got new ways of expressing themselves, with the help of tailor-made computers. This has done wonders for their independence and their chance to have a say in how Action for Kids is run – really inspiring!

Lynne Featherstone MP joins Muswell Hill residents for Macmillan Coffee Morning

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Lynne Featherstone and local residents at the Macmillan fundraiserTo help support the important work of Macmillan, on Friday Lynne Featherstone MP joined local residents at a special coffee morning in Muswell Hill that helped raise over £500 for the cancer charity.

The Liberal Democrat MP joined Muswell Hill resident Emma Glover, who was hosting the fundraising garden party for the second year running, with generous help from neighbours and local businesses who donated coffee and prizes for a raffle.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“Most of us have, in one way or another, been affected by cancer. Macmillan is there to help make the trauma easier to bear, with invaluable advice and support.

“It’s so heart-warming to see the local community come together to help make sure Macmillan can continue their important work. It’s been great to see local residents like Emma, and local businesses step up to the mark and donate so generously.”

Local GPs deliver accessible information for visually impaired patients after visit by MP

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Lynne Featherstone with Haringey Phoenix members and staff from Dukes Avenue PracticeIn the latest breakthrough in her fight for equal access to health information for local blind and partially sighted residents, Lynne Featherstone MP on Friday had a commitment from Dukes Avenue Practice that they will produce information in accessible formats for their visually impaired patients.
 
The assurances were given as the Hornsey and Wood Green MP visited the Muswell Hill based surgery with members of the Haringey Phoenix Group in a bid to help advise on the best way of delivering for visually impaired residents. The visit was set up after Lynne wrote to all GP surgeries in her constituency in the summer about their provision of information in formats such as Braille, audio and large print.
 
This was the latest step in the ‘losing patients’ campaign, which aims to get local providers to adhere to laws that ensure health information is accessible in all formats.
 
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
 
“It’s great to see that our fight for accessible health information is picking up steam, with many local GPs showing a real willingness to develop good systems that deliver for blind and partially sighted residents.
 
“The visit to Dukes Avenue has been especially encouraging – they are really going the extra mile to make sure they meet their patients’ needs – and today I think we have made great strides for visually impaired residents here in Muswell Hill.”

Lynne Featherstone visits "inspirational" playgroup for children with special needs

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Lynne Featherstone with members of the Challenge GroupTo mark National Carers Week, Lynne Featherstone MP, on Friday, attended a special visit, to see the vital support and respite care provided by a Muswell Hill-based playgroup for local children with special needs, and their parents.

The ‘Challenge Group’, based at St James’ Church, was started by Muswell Hill resident Celia Webster and supports local parents of children with special needs, by helping with childcare and providing the chance to meet fellow parents, have a quiet break and a massage.

Parents who are interested in coming along on Fridays, should contact Celia Webster on cebwebster@googlemail.com or phone on 020 8883 6277.

Lynne Featherstone MP, comments:

“Being the parent of a child with special needs, Celia turned the frustration of not getting enough support into something so practical and inspirational – she started a playgroup for the children.

“The Challenge Group gives mums and dads the chance to have a break, get pampered and meet other parents in a similar situation. It has clearly been invaluable to the parents who come here.

“It is such an inspirational group to visit for National Carer’s Week. Full credit to Celia, for her hard work and dedication.”

The Big Society – for real!

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Thankfully – when my two were born – everything was OK. I certainly spent a great deal of time when I was pregnant worrying whether that would be the case – and happily for me it was. But it’s not always the case – and that devastating moment when a new parent is told there is a problem – changes your life forever.

For the rest of your life – depending on the degree of that special need – parents will become the ultimate experts in whatever the disability or need their child has. They will take on a level of care above and beyond what other parents can even imagine. And they will almost certainly spend a lifetime fighting for their child (and later adult child) to get what they need from the State.

I cannot tell you how many times I have listened and literally wept to hear the awesome battles that parents have fought had to get what is rightfully their child’s due in our welfare state. It shouldn’t be that hard at every stage – whether it’s a new wheel chair, respite, occupational or speech therapy, transport to a day centre, a place in a suitable school for that child’s particular need – even to get statemented in the first place – but it almost always is that hard.

So I went to visit Celia – and the playgroup she has set up for disabled children and their parents at St James’s Church in Muswell Hill. It’s called The Challenge Group. Celia wanted me to come there because as she put it ‘I would love them to see your face and realise that they could have a voice. Many feel marginalised and are struggling in a way that is hard to imagine. Two of the mothers have two children with disabilities and life is relentless. I realise there are no quick fixes, but feeling your are heard is powerful’.

Celia has taken on this voluntary mission as a Christian – but her life experience as a child psychotherapist and her work at the medical foundation for victims of torture have clearly pulled her towards the vulnerable in society, fortunately for us.

So – I spent a couple of hours talking to each of the mothers who wanted to raise an issue with me and will take forward all of those cases. Celia is right – there are no quick fixes – but there is much that needs to be done to make sure that these children, whose needs are so profound, have their needs met, red tape cut through, barriers and obstructions removed and so on. It’s not so much that I heard their voices – it’s more that the real experts in what is needed and what is wrong with out system gave me of their time and their expertise – to inform me, rather than the other way around.

There are good people there volunteering their skills to support these children and their tired, emotionally and physically worn out parents. Not only do the babies and children have a safe place to meet and play – but there is massage on offer, tea and cake, company, advice and of course – others in the same situation. As one mother put it to me who has an autistic child there – it is so great when they are there because when her son does something ‘odd’ no one pays any attention whereas when they are out in public – people turn and stare and comment. Of course – she is happy to go out in public too – but has to kind of steel herself for those looks and comments.

A big thank you to Celia for inviting me in – and a to everyone who volunteers there. I have no doubt what a difference this few hours makes to each and every parent (and child) I met there.

en10ergy – launching Sunday – amazing opportunity to invest in renewable energy!

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I want to encourage local residents to buy shares in a new local company – en10ergy! This is a really wonderful project to come forward and needs and deserves support from all of us.

There has never been anything like it before in Muswell Hill and it is a first for North London. Local people are invited to invest in en10ergy by buying £1 shares that are not transferable and can be sold back only after three years.

En10ergy is a local social enterprise company registered with the Financial Services Authority on 30 October 2009.

It is technically an Industrial and Provident Society [reg. no 30824 R] but it is like a trading company in having members who are shareholders and who are not liable for its debts. 

On the other hand its activities are not carried on for the benefit of the shareholders, but for the benefit of the community. The expectation would be of a social dividend rather than financial reward. The aims are to protect and improve the environment: by promoting and investing in renewable energy installations and by reducing carbon emissions and energy waste within Muswell Hill.

The other major project concerns the Muswell Hill Low Carbon Zone (LCZ) and it is funded by the Greater London Authority. Haringey council is in the lead, supported by the Muswell Hill Sustainability Group, British Gas and other interested organisations. The Zone comprises parts of the Broadway (St James’s Church to the roundabout) and roads to the south of it, including Church Crescent and Springfield Avenue.

The role of en10ergy is facilitative: it will assist in obtaining the commitment of Zone residents and businesses to reducing carbon emissions and waste by 20.12% before the summer of 2012: solar panels are an option.  Many residents have contacted en10nergy with requests for advice on how to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

en10energy want to be able to respond to them and to help and encourage others to put out less carbon and to reduce their bills. A good response to the share offer will enable them to do so.

Shares cost £1 each and people need to buy at least £10. That gives membership and right to vote. That will help the company invest in renewable energy in Muswell Hill, help turn the area into North London’s first low carbon zone and help spread information about how to make homes energy efficient. For more information, and to buy shares, please click here for more information.

Whittington A&E – Story 1

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Many people responded to my request for personal stories as to why it was so important that the Whittington A&E stayed open. I will publish one a day for the foreseeable future – to remind those putting forward the proposals and making the decisions – that this is about people’s lives not paper solutions.

Denise’s story:

I have to say I was aghast when I heard that the A&E department was under threat. I actually thought it was a rumour – that someone had got hold of the wrong end of the stick. I have signed the petition.

We have lived in Muswell Hill for 32 years and brought up our four children here.  We have had occasion to go to the hospital many times. Two of our daughters were admitted  (on different occasions) from the A&E department, one of them with a burst appendix. If we had had to drive any further to get her to a hospital I doubt she would have lived to tell the tale. More recently, we had to take our baby granddaughter to A&E because she started having breathing difficulties. She was seen quite quickly and given treatment, though not by the duty paediatrician because he was trying to save the life of a smaller baby who had just been brought in by ambulance.  Again, the thought of having to drive for miles with a very sick child is horrendous. The Whittington A&E department is always busy. It beggars belief that anyone could think it should close.

Whittington A&E

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Here’s my latest column for the Muswell Hill Flyer and the Highgate Handbook:

I sent out an email to my special email list to ask for people’s personal stories of when the Whittington Accident & Emergency had been important in their lives – and got a phenomenal response. (If you want to be on this list just email lynne@lynnefeatherstone.org and say so).

I will be presenting these to all the members of all the boards of all the layers of NHS decision makers who are working out our future health services (and there are many of them) and to the government in due course – to try and remind them that this about people’s lives – and that we are not just pawns on some management chessboard.

The clue is in the title of the service – ‘emergency’ – and some of the stories tell how the ambulance man or woman has said we must go to the nearest hospital because x won’t make it if we don’t – every second counts.

Now every resident of Muswell Hill and Highgate who has contacted me about this is quite clear about the importance of having a full 24/7 A&E locally. Distance matters both for saving lives but also for ease of access. And quite frankly the Whittington is far better placed for public transport than the Royal Free for us.

The decision makers are arguing that distance isn’t always important and that extra GP hours, NHS Direct and pharmacies can be a viable alternative. But no amount of extra GP hours or even an urgent care centre (which is one of their alternative suggestions) can replace a full A&E service. This is insanity being wrapped up and sold to us under the guise of ‘better clinical outcomes’. Yes – there are people who use A&E who don’t need to – but taking away A&E isn’t the answer – adding a GP walk-in where those people could be diverted to – could be.

If our A&E goes – as sure as night follows day – we will also lose obstetrics and the Intensive Care Unit. There will be no emergency take from GPs and it will compromise the teaching of medical students at the Whittington.

As for the funding, I put it directly to the Minister, Mike O’Brien, in an Adjournment Debate on the Whittington, that there is a fear that this is about cuts and budgets. The Minister assured me, on the record, that there would be no ‘slash and burn’ solutions and that all of this was about better clinical outcomes.

Well – for all those stories where people would have died if there had not been an A&E at the Whittington – seems to me being alive is a pretty good clinical outcome.

Whittington A&E: 4 out of 7 scenarios end 24/7 service

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Full credit to Rachel Tyndall (Chair of the North London Central Review Panel) for sending me the NCL Strategy Plan for our local health services. I had heard that these had been submitted to NHS London and asked for a copy – and it was given to me virtually immediately. I have circulated the document for information.

The content is of concern. First let me say – this is a long, technical document – in which the arguments are laid out for the configuration of health services across five boroughs and between five hospitals: Barnet, Royal Free, North Mids, UCLH and the Whittington. Ms Tyndall has said that a more accessible version for public consumption will be provided in due course.

In the appendix, are laid out, seven ‘scenarios’. This is where the fight to Save the Whittington A&E will come – if these are the ‘options’ that come for public consultation next autumn.

The seven ‘scenarios’  demonstrate different configurations between the five hospitals as to what services will be provided from each hospital. It is about a total provision – obviously – not just A&E. Suffice to say that four out of the seven ‘scenarios’ show an end to 24/7 A&E at the Whittington. Three show retention of 24/7 A&E.

Interestingly two of the ‘scenarios’ show a reduction to 16 hours A&E – however – from the minutes of the Board Meeting of the Council of Governors of the Whittington it is quite clear that the the 16 hour A&E is not a real option. The actual wording from the minutes of the meeting of the Council of Governors of the Whittington reads (and I quote directly):

Very importantly NCL and the Whittington have ruled out an option where the Whittington has an A&E with reduced opening time eg 16hours per day. This leaves options where either the full 24 hour A&E is retained or there is no A&E at all. The Whittington might then have an urgent care centre.

So – I don’t know why NCL have included two options showing a 16 hour A&E as clearly that has already been ruled out. This makes me wonder if options have been put in that are not really and truly under consideration but are there to make two of the options look better than they are – as they seem to offer some A&E rather than none. I will seek clarification on this seemingly conflicting evidence.

The greater problem for all of us fighting to save the Whittington A&E – is that as long as there are any ‘scenarios’ that don’t retain 24 hour A&E – we are in jeopardy. So – we need the public consultation next autumn to simply ask those who use the Whittington whether we want to retain the 24 A&E service or whether we would prefer the alternative range of provision at the polyclinic, GP extra hours, urgent care centre etc favoured by NCL and the Trusts.

Anything else opens the way to closure of A&E at the Whittington.

At this point – it is a battle to make sure whatever options finally come forward for consultation- that if local people want to retain a 24 hour A&E at the Whittington – it is retained!

The Whittington says yes!

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No – this isn’t about the A&E – I wish they said yes to that too. No – this is my visit to the Whittington with members of the Haringey Phoenix Group who work with blind and visually impaired people in Haringey.

Have you ever thought about this – you get the results to your tests for cancer – and because it is in print – you can’t read it and have to ask a neighbour to help. Can you imagine how dreadful it must be to have to bring someone else into what is a private matter. Of course – you may be lucky and have a partner or friend who you are happy to see your most intimate correspondence – but there are times when this just isn’t appropriate. Or the letter might be about an appointment – and you don’t get to see it or know about it until too late. And quite frankly – it should be a basic right in a civilised society to receive medical information in a form that is accessible to those who are blind or visually impaired.

Well – actually it is a right – in legislation! The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Duty of 2006 say this should be the case – but the actuality just isn’t happening. Partly this is because patients don’t ask – and partly because hospitals and GPs don’t offer or aren’t set up to deliver.

Hence my visit with the wonderful Haringey Phoenix Group. We met with Kate Slemeck and two other Whittington officials to discuss how we could arrive at a situation where asking wasn’t necessary because the IT system flagged up both that the patient was visually impaired but also what type of communication results, appointments – any communication – should be in. This could be anything from braille, to large print format (different point sizes for different degrees of impairment), audio tapes, etc.  Then automatically – all communication would be in that format. This is part of a campaign by the RNIB to convert the right in law – to the reality on the ground.

Three cheers for the Whittington – who embraced this and said they could see no reason why not – and were prepared to run a pilot. This would be a real breakthrough and the Whittington would be the first hospital to trial and hopefully become a beacon for provision of communication in appropriate format.

Of course – there’s a bit of a way to go – but they were welcoming, said that their IT system could flag this information up as we suggested. The next stage is to get GPs to ensure that this information – that the patient is visually impaired and identify the format required – so that it can be put onto the hospital system. And of course – it needs to be on the GP system – and all blind and visually impaired people need to make sure that the GP does this and so on.

So next step is to get Haringey PCT to write to all the GPs locally asking them to make sure that both on their own system and when they refere patients to the Whittington – it is made clear that this information has to be entered for flagging and so on.

I am assuming that the PCT will be delighted and willing to do so. I cannot imagine any reason why not – and this is the sort of small change that will make a huge difference.

Three cheers for the Whittington!