Given the weight of evidence presented to the IRP our first reaction is shock.
The decision to support the PCT's proposals will jeopardise lives in Enfield and we consider this decision to be injurious to public health. This decision shows a blatant disregard for public opinion, which has been consistently demonstrated over the past few years. There have been cross-party, large scale public demonstrations, and collectively we have handed in petitions, letters, and signed forms in excess of 79,000 during this time.
Given that this was clearly a 'fait accompli' from the start it is unacceptable that an undeclared amount that runs into millions of pounds was wasted on a meaningless consultation. This public money should have been spent on healthcare !
We are currently considering every option. Nothing has been ruled in or out at this stage.
SCF would like to pay tribute to the work of the Health Scrutiny Committee; it's officers and cross-party members who have worked hard to underline the many reasons why this decision is not in the best interests of those we represent.
Many other groups have also worked hard to support the campaign and we are encouraged by their efforts and also those of all the campaign groups and members of the public who continue to protest against this ongoing downgrading of our healthcare system.
Online Petition
Save Chase Farm created an on line petition to the Prime Minister to lobby to prevent land at the Chase Farm site being sold off. An amazing 2 020 people signed it in a short period of time. The petition is now closed, the exact wording was:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to confer with Rt Hon Caroline Flint, Secretary of State for Communities and Housing, to prevent further land sales on the Chase Farm Hospital site ( please refer to PI ref:APP/Q5300/A/07/2043/798/NWF). This land is needed for the urgent development of Primary and Secondary care, for residents of Enfield, Barnet, Haringey and South Hertfordshire.
The Planning Permission was refused! See below.
Update on Planning Application
PLANNING APPEAL DISMISSED!!
We have received notification from the Planning Inspector and the Secretary of State that the appeal lodged by the Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital Trust to build an additional 279 housing units on the Chase Farm site has been DISMISSED. The Hospital Trust can appeal but only through the High Court and grounds for doing so are extremely limited by planning law.
The Planning Inspector has provided a very comprehensive report detailing the main issues covered during this lengthly appeal process. Please contact Kate Wilkinson or Kieran McGregor via Enfield Council if you would like a full copy.
The Hospital Trust were unable to prove that this appeal site was 'surplus to requirements' . We will continue to argue that this valuable piece of NHS land should be used to house much needed primary and secondary care health facilities for the residents of our borough.
The application was also premature; given that the future of the hospital as a whole is yet to be determined. The Joint Borough Health Scrutiny Panel covering the areas of Enfield, Barnet, Haringey and South Hertfordshire were not satisfied with the decision made by the 3 PCTs last December to implement 'Option One' (to downgrade Chase Farm Hospital - including the loss of a full A and E, Maternity, Women and Children's departments. They subsequently exercised their right to refer this decision back to the Secretary of State for Health; Alan Johnson. As a result, he has given the independent body called the 'IRP' the task of thoroughly investigating whether or not this would be in the best interest of our residents.
Update on Consultation
On January 21st, the Joint Health Scrutiny panels of four boroughs Enfield, Haringey, Barnet and Herts. expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision of the three PCTs by calling it in. The decision has been to the Secretary of Sate for health. The Secretary of State for Health has requested that the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) review the decision. The IRP are currently conducting a review of the consultation process. If you would like to participate in the review by providing evidence or speaking to the IRP in person, you should call them on 0207-389-8055 or email them: info@irpanel.org.uk
All proposed changes to services at Chase Far are now on hold pending this process.
In the summer of 2006, 10 scenarios were provided by the NHS for consultation. These 10 scenarios were mysteriously reduced to five in late 2006. Those five scenarios included one which would have allowed all frontline services to be retained at Chase Farm. This was called 'scenario E'.
However when consultation commenced in July 2007, the options had been whittled down to 2 options, Scenario E had disappeared. The options were selected and articulated by the NHS behind closed doors, and left the public with what amounted to Hobson's choice. Neither of the two options provided for a fully functioning Accident and Emergency department at Chase Farm or Women's and Children's' services at the Chase Farm site.
The residents of Enfield (and Haringey) were asked to engage in a sham consultation because it did not allow them to express their views only to respond to 'closed questions' relating to the limited options pre-selected for them by NHS bureaucrats.
In spite of this, thousands of people wrote in and sent back their questionnaires rejecting both options. The consultation tells us two things:
Firstly, the consultation document was poorly designed and the process was poorly managed. Response rates were abysmally low (considering we are talking about the future health needs of a population of 900 000 or more). No academic institution would accept the low response rate as a valid 'sample' to draw conclusions from.
Secondly, the people of Enfield and surrounding boroughs will not be duped into 'selecting' options which amount to cutting our services and transferring patients with life threatening conditions to other boroughs.
Save Chase Farm will continue to fight to ensure that the views of the vast majority of users of Chase Farm hospital are not ignored.
