“Hospital changes put
lives at risk” – claim
by David Skentelbery
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A CUT-back in surgical emergency services is putting patients lives at risk and causing the cancellation of operations at Warrington, according to hospital staff.
Up to 12 patients a day expecting operations at Warrington Hospital are being sent home because beds have been taken by emergency patients – many from neighbouring Halton – staff claim.
They say the problem has arisen since the closure of surgical emergency services at Halton Hospital in Runcorn.
Ann Roberts, a staff nurse in theatre at Halton, said: “There has been a slow wind down of services since Warrington and Halton Hospitals merged about four years ago.”
Staff had coped with massive changes at the two hospitals, adding to the pressure in an already busy environment.
The latest change, closure of Halton’s surgical emergency services, meant patients from Widnes and Runcorn had to go to Warrington. This meant extra pressure on an already busy A&E department at Warrington.
Ann said: “Emergency patients are filling up the beds overnight that were due to be used by patients arriving for operations in the morning.
“I heard that last week there were an average of 10 or 12 patients, expecting operations, sent home at Warrington every day.”
Another Halton nurse, who did not want to be named, said: “Patients are being put at risk by the delay caused by travelling to Warrington. Time is of the essence in some cases and some patients could die.”
In the past, she said, patients turning up at Halton with urgent conditions, such as a blockage in the bowel or a burst appendix, could be treated within half an hour. These patients now had to travel to Warrington.
She said: “Staff are really annoyed about this and staff morale at both hospitals is really low.”
But a spokesman for North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals, said cancellation of planned operations had, regrettably been a long standing issue at Warrington.
The Trust was tackling the problem by transferring an increasing number of planned operations from the busy Warrington site to Halton. To do this, more complex emergency admissions had to be switched to Warrington.
Chief Executive Ian Dalton (pictured above) said: “We are serious about dealing with this problem and the current changes are aimed at achieving this. The whole purpose of our strategy is to ensure that fewer planned procedures will in future have to be cancelled, which can only mean a better service for our patients.”
Introduction of the new system followed consultation with residents, Trust staff and partner organisations.
“Our top consultants, local GPs and I believe that these improvements will result in even better surgical services for patients across North Cheshire.”
“Rogue” cabbie banned
from driving for a year
by court reporter
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A ROGUE ‘private hire’ driver has been disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined ?600 and ordered to pay a total of ?1,300 costs for committing a number of offences.
Brendan Murray, of Locking Stumps, Warrington, was found guilty at the town’s magistrates court of acting as a private hire driver without a licence, using a motor vehicle as an unlicensed private hire vehicle, acting as a private hire operator without being licensed and using a motor vehicle on a road without insurance.
The court was told the borough council’s taxi/private hire licence officer, Phil Barnes, discovered the rogue ‘private hire’ vehicle, when it was booked by a family to take them from Appleton to Manchester Airport.
Barry Eaton, the council’s passenger transport manager, said: “It is our duty to issue licences to those people wishing to operate as private hire in order to protect members of the public from ‘rogue’ vehicles and drivers. The council had no alternative but to prosecute Mr Murray as he was clearly putting the public at risk.
“This is the second time Mr Murray has been up in front of the courts for unlawfully driving a ‘private hire’ vehicle and I am pleased that he has now been disqualified from driving for the next 12 months in order to protect the public.”
Critical care staff in
bid for national award
by staff reporter
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CRITICAL care staff from North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust have won a place in the finals of the prestigious national Health and Social Care Awards 2004.
The staff are voluntary members of the Warrington-based Anaesthetic, Trauma and Critical Care (ATACC) Medical Rescue Team which achieved a first place in the Northern regional final of the awards.
They are entered into the category for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Emergency Care’ and are in the last three for the national final which takes place in London on July 7.
One of the most highly skilled and advanced medical rescue teams in Europe, the ATACC team comprises anaesthetists and operating department practitioners primarily from North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Warrington and Halton hospitals.
In addition, ATACC operates with Mersey Regional Ambulance Service which provides paramedics for the team.
The founder of the team, Dr Mark Forrest is a consultant anaesthetist and intensivist at the trust.
He said: “Our aim is to reduce trauma-related deaths by providing patients with critical care as soon after the incident as possible, rather than them having to wait until they get to hospital.”
Using a specially equipped fast response car the 20-strong team is mobilised by Mersey Regional Ambulance in instances of trauma or other serious medical incidents.
The team, who works in duty groups of four – a paramedic as driver, an anaesthetist, an operating department practitioner and a member in training. Their rotas cover peak times for the ambulance service, i.e. Friday and Saturday evenings, and they can be called out to any location in Cheshire and Merseyside.
Dr Forrest said: “We are thrilled to have won the Northern final and are looking forward to the national final next month. This recognition of the value of our service can only help to achieve our long-term aim which is to expand the ATACC Medical Rescue Team into a 24/7 operation.”
Pictures show the medical rescue team at a training exercise and, in the lower picture, at the Northern Regional finals presentation (l to r) Jan Barnes, Guy Saunders, Dave McClure, Dr Mark Forrest, Rob Griffiths, Dr Allison Parker and Mark Rigby.
Fans invited to unveiling
of Brian Bevan wall
by staff reporter
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PEOPLE who purchased bricks for the Brian Bevan Wall at Warrington Wolves? Halliwell Jones Stadium are being invited to attend the official unveiling ceremony today (Thursday) – which would have been the RL legend?s 80th birthday.
Janette Lane, Bevan?s daughter, is to perform the ceremony at the east end of the North Stand, facing Winwick Road, at 1.30pm.
The wall is made of bricks engraved with the names and messages of Wolves? supporters and RL fans and the final effect of the design displays Brian Bevan?s face.
Bevan made his first team debut against Oldham in 1945. His performance in this match saw him sign a three year contract and start what was to be an amazing rugby career at Warrington. He scored a total of 740 tries including a club record of 7 in a match on two occasions once in 1948 and again in 1953.
Bevan saw Warrington win a selection of trophies including their first Championship Final success in 1948 beating Bradford Northern 15 – 5, alongside Challenge Cup and Lancashire Cup victories. It was in 1962 that Bevan made his farewell appearance for Warrington in front of a crowd of 16, 478 successfully beating Leigh 29-17, bringing his appearance total to 620 and points s
cored to 2,284.
Another post office
threatened with closure
by John Hendon
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ANOTHER Warrington post office is threatened with closure – to the fury of MP Helen Jones.
The Warrington North MP is seeking assurances from the Post Office that the future of Glazebury village post office will be secure following the retirement of sub postmaster John Murray in August.
Mrs Jones has learned that the Post Office is planning to retain the service “if at all possible” and are seeking to avoid the “potential closure”.
They suggest that a temporary closure might occur while alternative arrangements are put in place.
The MP said: “This branch is an essential service and I will be asking the Post Office what it is doing to ensure it is maintained. I am seeking an assurance that if a temporary closure proves necessary it will not become permanent and that a new sub postmaster is found as quickly as possible.”
Glazebury post office is also a newsagents and general store.
Post offices which have closed in recent times include Bridge Lane, Appleton, Sandy Lane, Oughtrington, Irwell Road, Latchford, Bruche and Croft.
Six others look likely to close in August – Norris Street, Church Street, Great Sankey, Kingsway South, Knutsford Road and Lane Ends, Penketh.
Post Office chiefs say the public is being consulted on all the closure proposals. Anyone who wishes to make comment should write to the National Consultation Team, PO Box 2060, Watford, WD17 8ZW.
Youths in attempt to
torch recycling bins
by staff reporter
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POLICE are seeking witnesses after an attempt was made to set fire to recycling bins on a car park at Stockton Heath, near Warrington.
Three people were seen trying to start a fire at the bins behind the Forge car park in the village centre.
One was described as a boy aged 14-16 wearing a green football shirt and dark tracksuit bottoms. He had a spotty complexion.
Another was a girl, also aged 14-16, wearing a school uniform.
Anyone who has any information about the incident is asked to call PC Graham Waring, of the Stockton Heath Community Action Team on 01925 652222.
Police probe vandal
raids on schools
by staff reporter
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POLICE are investigating two separate incidents of vandalism in Warrington, involving a school and a day nursery.
Thousands of pou nds worth of damage was caused at Long Lane Primary School, where more than 200 windows were smashed and at Birch Grove Day Nursery, Padgate, where intruders broke windows to gain entry and then trashed computers, videos, televisions, etc and smeared food on walls.
It is understood police have questioned children aged 8-10 in connection with the incident at Long Lane and also spoken to their parents and that CCTV cameras picked up three youths entering the nursery building.
Safe cycling – eggs-actly
how it should be done!
by John Hendon
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CHILDREN in schools across Warrington have been demonstrating the dangers of riding without a cycle helmet – with the aid of some eggs.
As part of Child Safety Week , year eight pupils from William Beamont High School and year six pupils from St Andrews Primary, Orford, dropped eggs protected by polystyrene in their assembly-time experiments.
The ‘brains’ of the test egg remained intact while those of the egg with no helmet were definitely scrambled!
Jane Knight, health improvement specialist at Warrington Primary Care Trust, said: “This experiment was a very visual way of showing that wearing a cycle helmet can save lives. A helmet can reduce the risk of head and brain injury by up to 88 per cent.”
Child Safety Week was organised by the Child Accident Prevention Trust to raise awareness of accidental injury – the single greatest cause of death among children and young people in the UK.
Last year, 1,352 children went to Warrington Hospital’s A&E with a head injury; of which 54 (four per cent) were hurt in cycling accidents.
Warrington PCT is working on numerous projects to reduce the number of children taken to hospital following accidents. Last year the number taken to Warrington hospital’s A&E department with burns and scald injuries was cut by 24 per cent.
Mrs Knight added: “This year we are hoping to reduce the number of children who have accidents even further. We also want to reduce the rising number of children who go to hospital with head injuries.”
