Chris Taylor

PEOPLE will be rightly outraged to learn that on Monday, January 31, two patients arriving at Moorlands Hospital well before closing time were both denied treatment and turned away, what’s more, neither was clinically examined.

One lady clearly suffering pain and distress had fallen and broken her wrist and banged her head. We must question how many other needy injured and sick patients have been similarly denied treatment and turned away.

It was only in mid-november last year that Jennie Collier, Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust (MPFT) managing director, gave Councillor Charlotte Atkins and myself an absolute commitment that such a failure of service would not happen again, calling these cases ‘teething difficulties,’ and that everyone arriving before closing time would be clinically triaged and treated, and staff would stay over if necessary.

We must be quite clear this failure of service is not a reflection on staff and their undoubted commitment, but on MPFT management.

The additional duty on staff at the end of their shift is not desirable – and the solution clearly lies in the urgent reinstatement of normal hours of operation 8am – 8pm employing two staff shifts. This failure of service is unacceptable and requires immediate resolution.

The Hospital Trust must act urgently to improve the management of the service – to ensure the delivery of high standards of care as expected by the community, and for which the hospital is highly regarded.

The MPFT must provide public assurance that the operational model in place is sustainable, and does not rely on stretching the goodwill and commitment of their professional staff.”