Defend George Eliot Hospital

Over recent months news has emerged that our local hospital, George Eliot hospital in Nuneaton, is struggling.

In June we were made aware that the Mary Garth ward at the hospital was due to close to save money. The government have ordered £20billion worth of ‘efficiency savings’ to the NHS and so hospitals are trying to save money where they can.

Redundancies are part of that process. 257 at the last count.

More recently than the discovery of redundancies, it emerged that the hospital are considering being managed by a private franchise.

The other option they are mulling over is to merge with another hospital. There are a few who have been named in the press, this week it was the Heart of England Foundation Trust (HEFT) who were in the headlines of the local paper expressing an interest. They currently run Heartlands Hospital, Solihull Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and the Birmingham Chest Clinic.

Also, most shockingly of all, we were told via the local press that the maternity and children’s services are ‘under review’.

A consultation is due to start on December 5th 2011.

There are six options being proposed:

1) No change: services in Nuneaton remain as they are.
2) Move inpatient paediatrics and complicated births to University Hospital in Coventry, with a midwifery-led unit and short stay children’s ward in Nuneaton.
3) Transfer all inpatient children’s services and complicated births to University Hospital, with a midwifery-led unit at George Eliot.
4) Switch all inpatient paediatrics and births to Coventry, with a children’s assessment unit in Nuneaton.
5) Move all inpatient paediatrics and births to University Hospital in Coventry.
6) Transfer all inpatient children’s services to Coventry, with all maternity services and a paediatric assessment unit remaining at George Eliot.

We are petitioning for the first option –

1) No change: services in Nuneaton remain as they are.