Vote of no confidence in CCG issued by parish council

A PARISH council has highlighted the ‘vital importance’ of Leek and Cheadle hospitals by approving a vote of no confidence in the North Staffordshire Clinical Commission Group (CCG) the body which controls health care in North Staffordshire.

At the last meeting of Ipstones Parish Council members voted to approve a vote of no confidence following the CCG being rated as inadequate. Councillors also agreed that an open letter be sent to the North Staffordshire CCG outlining their decision.

It comes after NHS England announced its findings on all of the 195 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGS) across the country.

Twenty four have been rated outstanding; 102 good; 58 requiring improvement and 11 inadequate. Four of the 11 rated inadequate are from Staffordshire. These are Cannock Chase CCG; Stafford and Surround CCG, Stoke on Trent CCG and North Staffordshire CCG which covers the Staffordshire Moorlands.

The Post & Times has already reported that following the announcement members of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s health overview and scrutiny panel and Leek Town Council have also approved a vote of no confidence in the North Staffordshire CCG when they held their meetings.

Now in the latest letter sent by Ipstones Parish Council to the chief accountable officer of North Staffs CCG, Marcus Warnes, last week, it said: “Considering your recent inadequate rating, members of the Ipstones Parish Council have moved a vote of No Confidence in your ability to make the important decisions in the health care provisions for the people of North Staffordshire and the Staffordshire Moorlands.

“Members feel that they have been seriously misled regarding the local hospitals and their future. These local hospitals, Leek and Cheadle, are of vital importance to the most vulnerable in our communities and the closure of beds in these hospitals only exacerbates the problem of ‘bed blocking’ at The Royal Stoke Hospital.”