NHS funding is an issue of huge importance
When Dr Sarah Thresh was told the news that her cervical cancer could return she was devastated.
But despite being told she would need an urgent hysterectomy to eliminate the risk of developing the disease again, the 37-year-old had to endure a five-month long battle to have the surgery at Portsmouth's superhospital.
It shattered her faith in the NHS.
Now with the General Election nearing, she wants to see change in the health service and is looking for which party will put patient care back at the top of the health agenda.
The mother-of-one, from Locksway Road, Milton, Portsmouth, says: 'Over the years I have had many operations and hospital treatment with the NHS.
'Until this episode I have always been happy with the treatment I've received and have even defended the NHS, saying that for what we pay, it is a very good service.
'Maybe I was unlucky this time but I can no longer say that I am happy with the health service.
'During the wait for my operation I was treated like a number, not a patient. And I was given various excuses for the delay and cancellations, including there being a backlog of operations, and there not being an anaesthetist available.
'To put people through what I went through emotionally is inexcusable, no matter how much or little we pay for the service.
'This was a complete mess up of our NHS and was unacceptable, and I still haven't received an apology.'
Dr Thresh, a research scientist at the University of Portsmouth, is one of many patients to have experienced delays in appointments and treatment.
Since the closure and transfer of services from Royal Haslar Hospital, Gosport, and the transfer of services from St Mary's Hospital, Milton, to Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, the quality of local health care has come under fire.
The new 256m superhospital was supposed to centralise healthcare and provide the patient with a better experience.
But critics say the superhospital has seemingly struggled, both operationally and financially, with targets being missed.
For months now Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs QA, has been failing to meet national targets such as the A&E four-hour wait and 18-week referral to treatment target for admitted patients.
QA has also struggled to meet demand, with the emergency department overwhelmed by patients and hospital managers having to appeal to the public to go to treatment services elsewhere in the area.
But things could be set to get worse.
The chief executive of the health service has already warned that up to 20bn of savings will have to be found by 2014.
The three main parties have all agreed that savings need to made and can be done so by improving productivity, by tackling management waste and redesigning services.
But with many already worried about the state of health care the plan for cuts will only serve to cause more concern, and local health bosses have even admitted the savings could mean cuts to services and staff.
Now as health chiefs prepare for having to make savings, changes can already be seen, with dozens of redundancies at QA, and possible closures of wards and changes to services.
Given the current situation Dr Thresh will certainly not be alone in wanting to see anything but cuts to the NHS, but instead wanting to see investment and improved services and care.
She says: 'I personally would rather pay more tax than see cuts in the NHS.
'I think whoever gets into power needs to concentrate on providing good quality healthcare and not just focus on meeting targets.
'I'd also like to see improvements in GP services – not having to wait days to speak to a doctor.
'And I would like to know that I'll receive any necessary treatment in a realistic and fair time frame.
'Something definitely needs to change.'
Parliamentary candidates across the area are agreed local health care needs to improve and have varying issues they will individually lobby for.
Penny Mordaunt, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Portsmouth North, says tackling the city's poor public health would be a main focus and the Tories would organise and fund healthy community events to screen and promote wellbeing.
She says: 'Poor public health, unhealthy lifestyle and undiagnosed long-term conditions are big issues in Portsmouth and we would ring fence budgets to tackle this.'
She adds: 'On a personal level I have set up a national commission with the centre for social justice to improve older peoples care.'
'I'm currently focused in improving end-of-life care at the new QA hospital, lack of primary care services in Hilsea, ensuring Portsmouth retains school nurses and looking at ways healthcare professionals have the opportunity and funds to access continual professional development.
'If elected, finding additional support to tackle alcohol and drug abuse and overstretched mental health services would be a priority.'
Meanwhile, Dr Graham Giles, Labour parliamentary candidate for Gosport, said he would aim to provide more care in the community to ease pressure on QA and enable residents to get care closer to home.
He says: 'The superhospital provides excellent quality of services, although some people may say otherwise.
'But when you build a new hospital like QA you have to give it one or two years before you really get a handle on demand.
'At the moment there are teething problems, understandably.
'I think small local hospitals is what we need.
'In Gosport we already have a good hospital – the Gosport War Memorial, but there's every chance of an extension there in the future. It would ease pressure on QA.
'I would also look to improve the transport to the superhospital.
'We need direct, affordable transport from Gosport.'
While Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Liz Leffman, would focus on more NHS dental provision and more care in the community.
She says: 'The first thing I would campaign for is more NHS dental provision.
'People are still struggling to get an NHS dentist and this needs to be improved.
'We also need more care in the community and this would help ease pressure on the superhospital.
'I think that's why people get appointments and treatment put back because the hospital is so busy and dealing with cases which could be treated elsewhere.'
Hospice calls for support from candidates
The Rowans Hospice is calling on local parliamentary candidates of all parties to pledge their support to hospice care.
The hospice in Purbrook has asked them to back the hospice care manifesto, by adding their name to a growing list of candidates pledging to take a closer look at hospice care.
Last year, the hospice provided care for 860 people from Portsmouth and South East Hampshire with life-limiting and terminal illnesses.
But with only 16 per cent of funding coming from the government, the hospice is reliant on the generosity of the local community through donations and volunteers in order to provide its vital services.
Ruth White, chief executive at The Rowans, said: 'A hospice is not just a building; it is a way of caring for people.
'At The Rowans Hospice we provide physical, emotional, spiritual and social care and support in people's home and in the community.
'With an aging population the demand on palliative and end-of-life care is set to increase.
'Along with the impact of the economic downtown on voluntary donations, hospices need more secure and sustained investment in order to provide the very best care for everyone facing the end of life.'
The hospice care manifesto is calling for all candidates to support the following principles; good care at the end of life should be available to all who need it; the NHS should work closely with local hospices to improve the care that people receive at the end of their lives.
Investment in hospice care by the NHS maximises the support provided to local people, and helps theNHS deliver better value for money; and government investment in hospice and palliative care needs to be sustained beyond 2011.
Mrs White adds: 'The hospice receives such wonderful support from local people, and we hope that candidates of all parties will show their support for hospice care.'
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
The Lib Dems say they will increase spending in some parts of the NHS by cutting waste in others.
The party says it has identified specific savings that can be made in management costs, bureaucracy and quangos, and will reinvest that money back into the health care.
The Lib Dems plan to cut the size of the Department of Health by half – abolishing unnecessary quangos and cutting the budgets of the rest; while also scrapping strategic health authorities, and would seek to limit the pay and bonuses of top NHS managers.
It would also aim to make the NHS work better by extending best practice on improving hospital discharge, maximising the number of day case operations, reducing delays before operations and, where possible, moving consultations into the community. Other key priorities include prioritising dementia research.
LABOUR
A Labour government would put the 'NHS in your home'.
It would offer services such as chemotherapy, dialysis or palliative care to patients at home.
The party also promises patients the right to cancer test results within one week of referral, and a maximum of 18 weeks' wait for treatment or the offer to go private.
Labour says it would also deliver preventative health care through routine checkups for the over 40s and a major expansion of diagnostic testing.
Patients would also get the right to choose a GP in their area open at evenings and weekends, with more services available on the high street, personal-care plans and rights to individual budgets.
CONSERVATIVE
The Conservatives say they would increase health spending every year.
The party says it will give patients more choice and would free health professionals from the burden of meeting targets that get in the way of providing care.
It also says it will increase access to vital drugs and services, and create a greater focus on preventing people getting ill in the first place, and improving cancer and stroke survival rates.
The party promises managerial reform to make the health service more efficient.
NHS staff would also be accountable to patients, and patients would be able to rate hospitals and doctors.
Performance of the NHS would be totally transparent by publishing information about the kind of results that health care providers are achieving.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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