City health and care watchdog to axe services as budget is cut

The Hull Local Improvement Network (Link), an independent body formed three years ago which has legal powers to examine services, had been receiving almost £157,000 a year from the city council but has seen this slashed to £48,000.

As a result it has made a 75 per cent reduction in staff, from four to one, and now says it will only be able to do limited work this year.

According to its annual report, which will go before the city council’s health and social well-being overview and scrutiny commission next week, in the last financial year the Link made eight formal requests for information and issued six reports with recommendations. The issues included hospital discharges, hospital transport, maternity services, eating disorder services, alcohol services, and access to services for people with hearing impairments.

But it will now only be able to investigate three issues until March 2012 and is inviting its members to vote on which these should be from the following list: GP appointments, patient dignity in hospital, carers’ support, care for the elderly, learning disabled patients in hospital, accident and emergency, services for people with a particular condition, and any other priority issue.

The services manager at Hull Council for Voluntary Services, Steve Kimberley, who oversees the delivery of Link, said: “The council has given a year’s extension until March 2012 with a 70 per cent cut in resources.

“Some of the work will have to be cut back on. We are currently putting out a list of issues people have raised and asking Link members to vote on what the priorities are that Link should investigate. We are just a victim of the cuts at the council and unfortunately we have got hit as well.”

The network has a membership of 959 with a further 242 stakeholders from public sector partners.

Over the last year it has made recommendations to a range of bodies including Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull Council, Humber Foundation NHS Trust, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, NHS Hull and the City Health Care Partnership.

Last year, Link called for “urgent” improvements to patient transport and car parking at East Yorkshire’s two biggest hospitals, after finding they were causing patients to miss appointments.

Research identified a series of grievances from patients and staff about the access to Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, in Cottingham. Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust is now working to create a further 250 car parking spaces at Castle Hill Hospital.

The Government intends to replace local improvement networks with “local Health Watch” groups as part of its controversial NHS reforms.

Mr Kimberley said: “This year is also about getting ready for the new system; it’s a bit of a transformation year.”

The city council’s portfolio holder for health and equalities, Rilba Jones, said: “Unfortunately, the current economic climate has required us to make significant budget cuts across all service areas and difficult choices had to be made on funding across all areas of the council.

“Following discussions with those involved in the support and membership of the Hull Link reductions in the funding were agreed by council in February this year.

“However, as part of the wider review of health and social care by the Government, legislation is in progress to replace local involvement networks with local Health Watch organisations.

“These changes, if enacted, will enable Health Watch to have a wider remit including advocacy, and sign-posting for health and social care issues. As portfolio holder I shall aim to support Health Watch in its new role.”