Hospitals given a week to make surgeon deal
NHS bosses have been given a week to reach a decision over how Portsmouth and Southampton could share specialist surgeons.
A three-month consultation to decide whether vein specialists will remain in the city or be shared with Southampton was due to start last week.
Now new details of what is holding up the launch have been revealed in a letter from Debbie Flemming, chief executive of Ship, a body made up of several local primary care trusts.
In it she said there are disagreements over one of the options which would involve splitting vascular surgeons between Southampton and Portsmouth, including how their rotas would work.
The other choice for the consultation was put together by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and involves keeping most of the surgeons in Portsmouth.
Queen Alexandra Hospital governor Syd Rapson said the ‘rota’ option – which would leave one surgeon at QA seven days a week and two five days a week – was not good enough.
He said: ‘The pressure is on them (Ship) now to compromise, because they don’t like the scrutiny they have come under.
‘I think we could reach a deal and avoid the public consultation, but if we don’t we will spend three months telling everybody why their option is ridiculous.
‘It would result in a reduced service for patients in this area and that is not acceptable.’
The consultation has been sparked after pressure from The News’ Keep it at QA campaign, which was launched last year to stop vascular surgeons from being moved to Southampton.
Mrs Flemming wrote: ‘We have come a long way from the original proposals to move all complex vascular operations to Southampton General Hospital, without any vascular surgeons remaining at Queen Alexandra Hospital.
‘However, before we start a public consultation, it is vital that the Trusts – and most importantly the vascular surgeons delivering the service – are in agreement as to how the new rotas would actually operate and which operations can be safely carried out at which sites.
‘It is these discussions that are taking longer than expected and resulted in the delay to the start of public consultation.’
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
freespirit
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 11:45 AMIf you can afford private mecidical insurance all well and good,but many of us cannot afford private. I have paid for the odd consultation privately but thats all i can manage. I would also say that i worked full time from 15 to 69 years and raised my children on my own, one went through Unniversity.so no monies left over for private meds. The NHS was set up for everyone and it should be keep that way. If you have an accidentheart attack -(NO 2 Simon ) who will be called-- an NHS Ambulance to take you tio an NHS hospital,: so the decision to keep vascular surgery at Q.A wiil affect NHS and persons with private medical insurance.
simon.farlington
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 04:43 PMThis is why I go private. You can not beat private.
freespirit
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 12:36 PMYes, i think the surgeons should have a big part in this decision as they will be the ones making the daily decisions of which patient they can treat,- when and where. I am just concerned like many others that if we have a shared service with Southampton they will reduce the number of surgeons in the future at each hospital; as there will be added costs re transport etc plus if new equipment is required will each hospital have the same! The crunch will come when there are a few emergencies at the same time. These things can always made to look good on paper but putting into practice is another story. If this becomes a shared service it will open the flood gates for other surgery in future.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.