Month: April 2018
End single-use plastics, use refillable water bottles – ‘Refill’ campaign launched in Seaton
I spent this morning going round Seaton delivering ‘Refill Devon’ stickers like this, for shopkeepers and cafe owners to put in their windows if they are willing to let people refill their bottles – to reduce single-use plastic pollution. The response was encouraging but unfortunately Recycle Devon hadn’t sent me quite enough. If your business didn’t get one, but you’d like to join the scheme, email info@recycledevon.org.
Let’s make Seaton a ‘Refill town’! I shall be spreading the word to other places in the Seaton & Colyton division.
I have written to @CllrIanThomas, incoming EDDC leader, for assurances on health services and hospitals, after Conservative amendment leaves East Devon community hospitals vulnerable to closure
In a debate at EDDC on Wednesday Independent East Devon Alliance councillor, Marianne Rixson, proposed a motion ‘requesting the NHS organisations to observe the following principles:
1. All community hospitals which have lost beds should be maintained as health hubs.
2. Wherever possible, services and clinics should be moved out of Exeter to local community hospitals.
3. More outpatient services should be provided in each community hospital, with no overall cuts to the level of services in any town in order to minimise complex journeys between towns.’
I was disappointed to hear that this motion was completely replaced by an ‘amendment’ (left) proposed by Conservative Councillor Mike Allen, which was then carried.I have written the letter below to express my concerns to incoming Council leader, Ian Thomas, the member for Trinity ward, to ask him to join me in pressing for each of our hospitals to be kept as a hub for outpatient services.
LETTER TO IAN THOMAS
Dear Ian,
Belated congratulations on your nomination to lead EDDC, which I assume will be agreed at the Annual Meeting in a fortnight’s time. I am writing following last week’s Council resolution on health, to ask for your clear support for keeping all community hospitals in East Devon as health hubs. As this is a matter of great public interest, I shall make this letter public.
Since I could not be present at the meeting, I will not comment on the procedure adopted, except to inform you that members of the public have complained to me about the way Cllr Rixson’s motion was ‘amended’ by Cllr Allen. My concern is rather that the resolution potentially increases the vulnerability of some of our community hospitals to closure when the CCG announces its Local Estates Strategy.
I welcome the resolution’s call for the CCG to provide ‘evidence-based forward plan of proposed changes to health services in East Devon, for initial discussion at a future Cabinet’, and the reference to ‘consultation with local communities’ about community hospitals, as well as the review of service changes (bed-based to home/community-based care). You will need to press hard on the latter, as Claire Wright has been asking for it repeatedly without success at DCC.
My worry is that the resolution removes the benchmark assurances that Cllr Rixson’s motion sought. While the resolution says that all efforts should be made, in consultation with local communities, to ensure the existing estate of community hospitals is retained for health care purposes, it only recommends that, Where appropriate, the potential development of “Health Hubs” be investigated.
Unfortunately this can clearly be read as implying that hubs will not necessarily be appropriate in every hospital – and that EDDC might therefore accept the closure of those hospitals which are not developed as hubs.
I remind you that when the Conservatives fought the County elections last year, you said you wanted ‘bed-less hospital buildings adapted to accommodate new health-related services and boost community health provision‘. There was no suggestion of any exceptions then.
I would like you to give an explicit assurance that you will join me in pressing for
(1) each of the hospitals which has lost its beds (Axminster, Honiton, Ottery and Seaton), as well as Exmouth and Sidmouth, to be kept open;
(2) achievement in each hospital of the ‘boost’ in health provision which your 2017 policy rightly asked for – and any in any case no overall cut in services in any of them; and
(3) a formal public consultation in the affected town and surrounding area should a closure of any community hospital, involving substantial relocation of outpatient services, be proposed.
Kind regards,
Martin
My message of support to the legal team who are fighting the dismantling of the NHS in a crucial case in Leeds Crown Court tomorrow #Justice4NHS
Tomorrow, the crowdfunded legal case brought by 999 Call for the NHS to stop US-style ‘Accountable Care Organisation’ (ACO) contracts being introduced into the NHS will be heard in Leeds Crown Court. Supporters from all over the country are gathering in Leeds and I’ve sent them this message:
‘On behalf of the councillors and activists who are campaigning against the Integrated Care System in Devon, I send best wishes to our legal team and everyone who is campaigning to keep a universal, comprehensive and fully public National Health Service.
‘Following our opposition, the Devon STP has given up the idea of Accountable Care Organisations for the time being. We believe that this legal case has already played a key role in slowing down the moves by the Conservative Government and NHS England to place our health service in the ACO straightjacket. We now look forward to a legal victory which will turn the tide against the dismantling and privatisation of the NHS.’
New local, chemical-free food cooperative coming to East Devon soon – launches online survey of local residents’ opinions, please complete
In My Back Yard is a new East Devon food cooperative, a group of local, chemical-free food producers based in Branscombe. They say:
‘We’re aiming to provide a service offering the local area more choice, more convenience and more reliability, so you can enjoy delicious produce from East Devon and neighbouring counties, with regular availability every week. How the co-operative grows can be helped by you and your feedback here today. More information will be available as we continue to bring together resources and services. We appreciate your opinion as local residents, so we’d be very grateful if you’d complete this quick survey.’
I’d like to urge every reader of Seaton and Colyton Matters to complete the survey – thank you! If you know someone who isn’t online who’d like to print off and post the survey back, here is a printable form: In My Back Yard – market research survey April.
Is this what they call a consultation? ‘Your feedback: Please provide more stops at Clapham Junction not less. South Western Railway response: we will continue with our original plans to reduce services in the peak and shoulder peak periods.’
But they have made a small concession: ‘We are amending the plans to ensure both Clapham Junction and Woking calls are maintained in off-peak West of England services.’ 
.
Hospital transport key issue in rural areas, says BBC – not uncommon for people to travel hours each way for 10-minute appointment
The report on the Radio 4 Farming Today programme is described here
Seaton & Colyton MATTERS 