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Patients’ welfare must be top of Royal Free’s priorities list
Hospital activist and campaigner Arthur Brill welcomes the Royal Free’s new chief executive and offers him some timely advice
I WOULD like to welcome David Sloman, the Royal Free’s new chief executive, with a request that he puts the patients’ welfare at the top of his agenda.
Next, that he takes on and solves the ongoing problems associated with IT system, Cerner, implemented without a pilot, despite advice.
This has impacted markedly on the Royal Free Hospital’s reputation, its ability for consultants and patients to make appointments easily (its raison d’être), its extra staff needs and financial cash flow revenue loss of some £10million.
I feel very disappointed that the Royal Free Hospital board decided not to apply to be a lead trauma and hyper acute stroke unit, particularly as its own stroke unit is rated the second best nationally.
It surely would have been more practical to increase its consultant team base to cover a 24/7 operation, a much cheaper option for NHS London, than starting elsewhere from scratch.
As the Londonwide decision time approached on Monday, Barnet Primary Care Trust fought a good rearguard action on behalf of its patients and the Royal Free but recognised the futility because of the Royal Free board’s decision.
In the event, the choice for the major trauma centre was as “close as a cigarette paper” in favour of St Mary’s, namely 51 per cent.
As hospital attendance cycles are being dramatically shortened by improved treatment, all hospitals need to make sure that the necessary rehabilitation and social care needs are in place, particularly for the vulnerable and elderly.
The issue not mentioned at any of the numerous meetings I have attended, but raised by Camden LINk, through its PCT, concerned the likely increase in costs for families and carers of patients who will have to travel further to attend their relatives.
Can you make sure this is not forgotten?
A request was made by Barnet that they receive an analysis of why the Royal Free stroke expertise will be downgraded in the future.
There is a wealth of goodwill towards the Royal Free from its various volunteers, be they ex Patient and Public Involvement Forum members, Camden LINk, the Panel of Users or ex-hospital volunteers on whose behalf I would like to make a plea to increase their subsistence allowance.
They deserve it.
As someone aware of the savings required by the north central London sector (including the Royal Free) over the next 10 years of some £600million, or more, this will surely prevent any foundation trust application, to much general disappointment, and consequently there will be no direct control over finance or estate.
Closer collaboration through UCL Partners, the Whittington and UCLH, could have enormous benefits, but David Sloman must ensure that this is not at the expense of further bureaucracy, or its own destiny.
Having been closely associated with the Royal Free in a number of ways for the past 10 years, colleagues and myself feel justly proud of the public’s improved perception of the hospital.
The clinical reputation of the Royal Free Hospital is second to none.
Let’s hope it always will be.
I hope you take these points on board, Mr Sloman, and good luck.
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