Tameside Hospital – February Glossopdale Meeting
As well as been the leap day, last Wednesday also saw the most recent of the Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Glossopdale Members Meeting.
A long titled event, which is essentially an opportunity for local residents to put any questions, comments or concerns about the hospital, directly to its management, an opportunity just over a dozen local took.
As with previous events there was a brief introduction from one of Glossopdale’s two representatives on the board of Governors (Barbara Whitley), and the panel available for questioning including the new chair of the Trust Paul Connellan, Christine Green the Chief Executive and Philip Dylak the Director of Nursing.
Amongst the details within the introduction were updates on the Care Quality Commission Report, the LINk report, and updates on the financial situation of the hospital which appears to be performing better than was advised at the last meeting. There was also details on the more positive media coverage the hospital has received along with a comment that the compliments the hospital received out weighing the complaints.
One interesting point to note (or may be not depending on your point of view) is that from Glossopdale there are currently only 694 members of the trust, and they would like to increase that to be better able to connect with local residents. If you’re not a member of the trust but would like to join goto : http://www.tamesidehospital.nhs.uk/work-with-us/ft-membership-form.htm it doesn’t cost anything and there’s no time commitment to get more involved (unless you want to) other than receiving a newsletter every now and again on the activities of the hospital.
Once that was over it was onto to questions and comments from the folk in attendance with a number of themes been discussed including the heating been on at the same time as the air conditioning, issues other appointments, refurbishment of accident and emergency, signage and getting round the hospital, staff responsiveness in accident and emergency and if the trust will still exist if the current NHS bill is passed.
Many of the points were easily responded to and can be resolved, but one issue that was raised that I expect will make the local papers was around comments from one attendee over the hospital performance in dealing with a elderly patient with dementia, an issue particularly the dealing with a ‘elderly patient’ part which despite the various reassurances and improvements on other issues, still seems to be an issues that the hospital is getting wrong.
An area that despite the reassurances from the chief executive on the issue mentioned, there still seems to be some element on this where things keep going wrong, and despite the majority of folk attending the hospital without problems, its an area that seems like it will cause problems for the management of the hospital in the future.
