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Frimley Park Hospital’s Cancer Unit Under Threat
Are you aware that the GI Unit at Frimley Park Hospital might be moved to Royal Surrey County Hospital?
Did you know that the GI Unit was rated as a centre of excellence in December 2005?
Does it not make you wonder why a perfectly functioning GI Unit is being moved while the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority is heading for the largest financial deficit in the country?
This website has been organised to reverse the Summer 2004 decision to dismantle the GI Unit, in the interests of clinical need, financial imperatives, and common sense.
IN THIS SITE:
• Latest Progress
• Questions Answered
• Help Us
• Links
GI UNIT NEWS
MPs confident hospital can rise to its challenges - from Camberley News and Mail
22nd September 2006
Click here to download pdf (807k)
So will Frimley Park be closed? - from Camberley News and Mail
22nd September 2006
Click here to download pdf (1.6M)
Read Caroline Flint's reply to Michael Gove's letter
29th August 2006
Gove writes to Flint about GI Unit
26th July 2006
MP Demands Meeting with Health Ministers
4th May 2006
Michael Gove calls for a debate on accountablility in the NHS and demands a meeting with ministers from the Department of Health to discuss the closure of the upper gastro-intestinal unit at Frimley Park Hospital.
Michael Gove (Surrey Heath) (Con): May we have a debate in Government time on accountability in the national health service, so that Ministers might have the opportunity to take responsibility for what is happening in the NHS? The Leader of the House will remember that, more than six months ago, I raised with him the closure of the centre of excellence at the upper gastro-intestinal unit at Frimley Park hospital in my constituency. He told me then to contact the Secretary of State for Health. I have subsequently written to three Ministers in the Department of Health and received three replies. On each occasion, I have been told that I cannot have a meeting, even though I have written on behalf of hon. Friends in Berkshire, Surrey and Hampshire. How can we ensure that Ministers take responsibility for the health services that affect our constituents if they will not meet us and if they will not answer questions in the House?
Mr. Hoon: I am tempted to say that at least the hon. Gentleman got replies, which I regard as very important. I also regard it as important that Ministers are willing to meet right hon. and hon. Members of the House. That is a basic principle that should be observed, and I will certainly investigate the matter that the hon. Gentleman has raised, because I believe that he should have the opportunity to take his case directly to a Minister.
Gove renews entreaty to minister
20th March 2006
Surrey Heath MP Michael Gove has renewed his request to meet a health minister to discuss the Upper GI Unit move at Frimley Park Hospital.
Gove renewed his request on behalf of himself and his colleagues Andrew Mackay, James Artbuthnot, Gerald Howarth and Jeremy Hunt – all local MPs.
Gove wrote that ‘Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority are implementing a national strategy in a way which runs counter to every expression of local feeling. Most importantly, the views of local consultants have been overridden and the Richards Review is being pre-empted.’ He added, ‘I do hope you will reconsider.’
Gove is currently awaiting a response.
Ministers refuse to discuss GI Unit proposals
9th March 2006
Ministers from the Health Department have refused to meet local MPs to discuss the proposed move of the Upper GI Unit from Frimley Park hospital.
Caroline Flint MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, has written that ‘this type of issue is best dealt with by the relevant local NHS organisations’ and has declared that the Department of Health’s position on this issue ‘remains unchanged.’ As a result she does not ‘feel a meeting between us would be the best way to take this matter forward.’
There remain concerns from consultants at the Upper GI Unit that the review of the decision to dismantle it is not being conducted in as open and balanced a way as possible. Some are worried that the review will be a ‘rubber stamping exercise’ rather than a proper consultation, and question whether cancer patients’ support group, local politicians and the hospital staff will be able to accept a decision from such a review.
Concerns raised over new consultant
28th February 2006
There are concerns that this post has been created to facilitate the transfer of the Upper GI Unit from Frimley Park Hospital, rather than an appointment for other purposes – an indication that the Upper GI Unit will be moved in the near future.
This development has occurred before the review of the decision to move the Upper GI Unit has been completed, and some have raised concerns about whether the review can now be fully independent.
Consultant surgeon Sukhpal Singh has declared that ‘if this review is going to be truly independent and look at all options any further development of the unit at the Royal Surrey County Hospital should be halted until the results of the review are known.’ He suggests that the appointment of a new consultant should be stopped.
MPs Demand Meeting with Minister
24th February 2006
MPs representing local constituencies have sent an urgent letter to Heath Services Minister Rosie Winterton MP requesting a meeting to discuss the proposed move of Frimley Park Hospital’s GI Unit to Surrey County Hospital.
MPs Michael Gove, Gerald Howarth and Jeremy Hunt are keenly awaiting a reply from the Minister. Their concerns over the proposed move are shared by their colleagues James Arbuthnot, Anne Milton and Andrew Mackay.
All wish to highlight to the Minister the unnecessary move of the GI Unit from Frimley Park Hospital to Royal Surrey County Hospital.
External Partnerships Committee approves recommendation to Council
7th February 2006
The External Partnerships Committee of Surrey Heath Borough Council have adopted a recommendation to be put to the Full Council.
The recommendation says that the review of the decision be independent and include the following in its terms of reference:
• An assessment of the current service provision.
• Consideration of its performance to date.
• The financial implications of the proposed closure on top of the investment and annual running costs that a new facility at Royal Surrey County Hospital would require.
The recommendation is to be put to the Full Council on the 22nd February.
Government ‘Tsar’ to review cancer unit plan
7th February 2006
The Government’s cancer ‘tsar’ Professor Mike Richards has been brought in to review the decision to transfer the UGI Cancer Unit from Frimley Park to the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
This follows discussions with the Strategic Health Authority, who asked Prof. Richards –an expert in the field - to conduct the review. The review of the decision will most probably delay the scheduled timetable, which would see the UGI unit move later this year.
The move to review the decision reflects the outpouring of concerns expressed by local leaders and the wider community.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is an Upper GI Unit?
GI stands for Gastro-Intestinal. An Upper GI Unit treats patients who have been diagnosed with cancers in the upper gastro-intestinal area.
The Frimley Park Hospital Upper GI Unit provides a comprehensive service from initial referral to completion of treatment and discharge, utilising a multi-disciplinary team of gastro-oesophago surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, specialist nurses, dieticians, adhering to the national guidelines for referral under the Two-week Rule criteria.
The unit’s practices are evidence based, innovative and monitored according to patient needs.
The unit aims to diagnose and treat patients in a fast and effective manner in accordance with their wishes.
The Frimley Park Upper GI Unit offers the following services:
• Information about Upper GI cancer and appropriate treatment options
• Provide support to patient and their relatives from the time of diagnosis and throughout treatment
• Education and training for health care professionals and students
• Liaise with organisations external to Frimley Park Hospital
• Clinical expertise
• Patient involvement in their care
The Frimley Park Upper GI Unit has been rated as a ‘centre of excellence’ by the Cancer Peer Review Report, Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire Network authored by the South Zone Peer Review Team in December 2005.
What’s happening to it?
In the summer of 2004 a decision was taken by the Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire Network Board to move Frimley Park Hospital’s Upper GI Unit to Royal Surrey County Hospital. This decision was taken as part of the Improving Outcomes Guidance Implementation Plan for Upper GI services. This decision sparked a public outcry, which encouraged the Network Board to review the decision. Government ‘tsar’ Professor Mike Richards has been tasked with this review.
Why does this proposal not make sense?
The arguments against the proposed move are as follows:
• The current facilities at Frimley Park Hospital have been rated as excellent.
• There are concerns about the readiness of the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
• The Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority is currently heading for the largest financial deficit in the country.
• There has been public outcry over the decision itself and the lack of public consultation when the decision was made.
• The Frimley Park Upper GI unit serves 1.1 million people and is therefore already compliant with the Improving Outcomes Guidelines – the Guidelines are based on population.
• The Frimley Park Upper GI Unit performs four times the resections performed at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
• The operative results and outcomes were presented at the PPI Forum and are exceptionally good: the local recurrence rates of 4% and circumferential margin involvement of 10% compare favourably with published surgical series of 47% and 50% respectively.
• It is wasteful to move an entire unit just twelve miles to a new location when it is already performing excellently, when the seven resections a year being performed at the Royal Surrey County Hospital could be easily moved to Frimley Park.
• The clinicians delivering the care have not been adequately involved in the decision making process, and were adamantly in favour of an independent review.
• The principles of managed clinical networks – to improve outcomes for all patients – would be best served by concentrating specialist upper GI surgery at Frimley Park Hospital, not by creating a new unit with newly appointed staff twelve miles away.
It is simply not common sense.
How can I help?
There are lots of ways you can join in to stop the GI Unit being moved:
1. Sign our on-line petition.
2. Send the following letter to Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health.
3. Put up a poster (in your car or in your window).
4. Join the Friends of Cancer Services.
A Common Sense Solution
Common sense suggests that the most practical solution would be to integrate the existing gastro-intestinal cancer treatments and care at Royal Surrey County Hospital with the excellent services already available at Frimley Park Hospital. Relocating GI cancer-related work there could further establish the Unit as a centre of excellence for the wider area, be clinically and financially viable, and save a lot of potential time and money from being wasted.
HELP US
There are lots of ways you can join in to stop the GI Unit being moved:
Sign our on-line petition
Send this letter to Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health.
Click here to download (Word doc)
Put up a poster (in your car or in your window).
Click here to download (Word doc)
Support the Friends of Cancer Services
Contact Alex Crawford for more information
LINKS
NHS www.nhs.uk
Department of Health www.dh.gov.uk/Home/fs/en
Michael Gove MP www.michaelgove.com
Gerald Howarth MP www.geraldhowarth.org.uk
Jeremy Hunt MP www.localconservatives.or
BBC News www.news.bbc.co.u
Copyright © Michael Gove MP and Save the Upper GI Unit Campaign, 2006-07. All rights reserved.