Fresh worry over Mineral Water Hospital unit closure plans
Health watchdogs have added their concern to worries over the closure of a specialist service for people with head injuries in Bath.
The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases is axing its neurological rehabilitation service from the end of March in an attempt to balance its books.
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Royal Mineral Water Hospital which is now the National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath
But the decision has concerned Bath and North East Somerset Council and the historic city centre hospital’s own governors - an advisory group of patients and community representatives.
At a meeting of the council’s Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel, an update was given on the future of the hospital, which is known as the Min, and which is preparing to merge with the Royal United Hospital.
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The board that runs the Min decided to stop providing the neurological rehabilitation service after its income fell by 50 per cent in the past two years, in a move that has already concerned the United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum.
Panel chair Councillor Vic Pritchard (Con, Chew Valley South) said: “I have never had a criticism of The Min, it is critical in what it does.
“People go out of their way to praise it. I think it is very unfortunate that it will be losing the neurological rehabilitation service, it is a vital service.”
The panel has requested another meeting to discuss the closure of the service in more detail.
The meeting was presented with a statement from the hospital’s governors, who say urgent action is needed to ensure that patients are not left high and dry.
Service development and delivery sub-committee chair Peter Miles said: “We believe that everything possible must be done to ensure continuing care for these patients at the necessary level, and urge all parties to agree a way to make this happen, for example by supporting the RNHRD unit in its present form, at least until all patients are transferred successfully to appropriate alternative service providers.”
He said the nearest equivalent service was in Oxford and added: “The closure of the Bath service will deprive the whole South West of a specialist high-intensity neuro-rehabilitation facility, and will significantly reduce the national resource for training new doctors and therapists, to deliver both the next generation of experts to provide this service, and to give experience and advice to clinicians receiving these patients when they return to their home community.
“Governors urge all relevant agencies, local, regional and national, to recognise this situation, and give full consideration to the future of this vulnerable group of patients and their families.”
The neurological rehabilitation service, which offers specialist assessment and rehabilitation to people aged 16 and over who have had a brain injury as a result of an accident or illness, will be stopped from March 31.
Min chief executive Kirsty Matthews said it had been a difficult decision to make.
She said: “We are having to make some difficult decisions as the Min is facing some significant financial challenges.
“We are losing at least £10,000 a day.
“Demand has changed over the past 18 months, it has fallen which has had an impact on our finances.
“We are a small organisation, the smallest foundation trust in the country.
“The Min is not viable as a stand alone organisation.”
3 Comments
by georgeodam
Friday, February 01 2013, 2:53PM
“The Min became a Foundation Trust a decade ago encouraged and guided by Monitor or the equivalent government quango. Immediately the administration of the hospital grew disproportionately making it unsustainable by the size of business transacted. Ever since the possible merger with the RUH was mooted, the disproportionate administration costs were given as the chief root of financial problems, and the chief thrust of the merger proposal was to significantly reduce these costs. Had the RUH already been a Foundation Trust, this would already be a fait accompli, and The Min's administrative burden minimised. It still makes sense for this to happen.
However, throughout the troubled times of the last few years the Min's Director has assured us that the Board has the needs and services required by patients at its heart and that the preservation of these were paramount. Chief Medical Officer Dr Bhalla was quoted recently as saying that there were no plans to close any patient services.
Now the test has come and the assurances given to Governors at many meetings and patients at the Annual Members' Day have already been shown to be baseless. All patients, and I have been one for nigh on 50 years, must now fear the loss of the other services they have enjoyed over many years, since no one can give any guarantee that they will continue.
This is specially worrying for patients who suffer from the rare rheumatological and chronic pain conditions in which The MIn has specialised over many years. At this hospital there is a large nucleus of research-based clinical practice that is not found in other hospitals and The Min has for decades been the training ground for rheumatologists worldwide. Such people have requested training there since they knew of the high reputation and special intermix of clinical and therapeutic practice that The Min has built over the years.
Many patients appreciate and value the special intimate atmosphere of the historic buildings, so well situated for those with locomotor problems and for rehabilitation, and it is a privilege to receive such top quality treatment in such a supportive and individual environment where plastic, chrome and chipboard are at a minimum.
The fate of The Min is a local problem that the people of Bath need to take to their hearts since it is part of their heritage. The Min has served the city and the nation since 1742 with an unbroken record, despite HItler's worst efforts. It still fulfils a modern version of its original charter and should be valued not just by Bathonians but by the nation and the world for its unique contribution to medical science research and practice. Give it vocal support and speak out.”
by bath1946
Wednesday, January 30 2013, 4:31AM
“Exactly, the facilities available at the Min. and the Riversife are physically to be relocated in the RUH and there have been many posts criticising the "consultation" which was a publicity stunt, the financial justification which was a lie, and concern by existing patients not satisfactorily answered. However this is the first time that publicly, the future of the neurological rehabilitation has been questioned.
With the developments in brain imaging and understanding this should have been highlighted as a field offering the potential for the specialists to be world leaders, and it is only because of the lack of publicity and investment that revenue has fallen.
The "consultation" did not highlight the closure of neurological rehabilitation and not only will this represent a sad loss of an excellent service as testified by many previous patients, but it also places a question mark over the future needs of such patients.
This decision which has been hidden within the mass of propoganda is a short-sighted loss of opportunity for Bath to re-establish the renown established by the Min. and is yet a further example of the negation of management desire to tackle the problems and implement forward thinking solutions. Instead, priority is given to the centrally located Min. to function as a prestige, high revenue generating boutique hotel and shops.”
by rogerh3
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 7:04PM
“The Min isn't 'preparing to merge' with the RUH, it's preparing to be 'acquired' by the RUH. The difference is more than nuance and could lead to the disappearance of the Min entirely.”