Plans to send stroke victims to University College Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire under a strategy which involves terminating services at Rugby St Cross are unacceptable.
The first stage of the Coventry and Warwickshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) will close all six stroke beds at Rugby St Cross hospital. This will have two consequences for the people of Rugby:
1. Provision at UCH Coventry is not being scaled up to match the beds lost in surrounding Warwickshire hospitals. However, no funding or staffing has so far been allocated for a so-called ‘care in the community’ strategy with fears that the load will fall on overworked carers and voluntary services.
2. For those victims who are treated in hospital beds this will entail extra travelling causing extra stress and worry for those relatives dependent upon an inadequate bus service.
Far from cutting services at St Cross, Rugby is facing a population growth that should put it strongly in line for expansion. Likewise, privatisation and funding cuts do not help with the national funding gap now being around £30bn!
Nationally, the Green Party would give an immediate cash injection to the NHS to help improve services, hire more nurses and doctors and would end the drive to privatisation that this Tory government is aiming toward. Translated locally this means at least a fully equipped A&E Department along with improved support and treatment services right across the board.
You can read more about the plans in this Rugby Observer article.
How YOU can help stop the axing of services at YOUR St Cross hospital
This is how you can help. The local NHS group has provided an online questionnaire about the proposals which you can find here. Fill it in and tell them what you think – but hurry as the consultation closes on 16th July
Rugby Green Party 