Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

Robert Flello Excerpts

Tuesday 7th January 2014 Westminster Hall

[Jeremy Lefroy]

I am most grateful to my hon. Friend, and I return his compliments. He has likewise tremendously supported the trust and the work that has been done.

My final point is that the children and families who will be most affected by the paediatrics proposal are those on the lowest incomes. Such families are the least likely to have access to private transport to take their children nearly 20 miles to the nearest hospital at night. For them public transport in the daytime is often poor, and a taxi fare is beyond their means—certainly if they have to visit a sick child several times. I believe that those on low incomes should have fair access to health care, which both Monitor and the Secretary of State have a responsibility to ensure.

The paediatrics department at Stafford made an alternative proposal in its response to the consultation. That alternative was measured and understood the need to cut costs. The alternative proposal included a reduction in the number of in-patient paediatric beds, and consultants would have worked in a network across both of the new trust’s sites.

A pattern can be seen: critical care, maternity and paediatrics. There are sensible alternative proposals.

[Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Lab)]

I echo the sentiments of other hon. Members in thanking the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate. I also echo the sentiments of my colleague and near neighbour, the hon. Member for Stone (Mr Cash).

Before the hon. Member for Stafford (Jeremy Lefroy) concludes, I have two points. First, he is absolutely right that there are sound alternatives that need to be considered very quickly, and a proper process must be put in place. Secondly, the situation’s impact across the whole of north Staffordshire, and indeed the whole of Staffordshire, should not be underestimated. I hope he agrees that there is probably no right solution, but we must get as near as possible to a right solution.

[Jeremy Lefroy]

I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman, and I appreciate his support and the support of colleagues from Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle and across Staffordshire. We have worked together, which is a great achievement on a subject that can be political.

In conclusion, surely it makes sense to work through the proposed clinical networks while Stafford is joining the expanded UHNS—with things roughly as they are now—for a period of two or three years. I believe that those network solutions can work. If they prove as effective as the clinicians and I think they can be, we will have achieved the objective of securing services that are financially, clinically and operationally sustainable in Stafford, and indeed elsewhere, under the expanded UHNS. Such services would be welcomed by my constituents and would reduce the potential pressure on other hospitals, such as UHNS, the Royal Wolverhampton, Manor hospital in Walsall and hospitals in Burton.