Posted 23rd August 2010

I work with the ambulance service in the Edinburgh/West Lothian area, and I totally disagree with any downgrading to St John's. The hospital covers a large area and is very much needed.

The fact Edinburgh has only 1 hospital with an Accident and Emergency Department is insane in my opinion! The move seems to be towards "Super Hospitals". Larbert is an example, which is ok if you live nearby, but not if you live further afield!

St Johns should retain a full Accident and Emergency department in my opinion, but sadly a number of ambulances have been sent to Edinburgh Royal as St Johns staff are no longer happy to take trauma calls, this has resulted in a significant delay in the patient receiving the care they need and has no doubt had an impact on whether they live or die in some cases.

I fully support your campaign, while we all understand budgets are under strain, St Johns covers a very large area and should be retained as a full acute hospital!

Details supplied

Posted 9th August 2010

We have recently received the following letter from the St. John's Hospital Dialysis Unit highlighting the progress and improvements the Department has achieved to date. 

Letter received 9th August 2010

Having originally opened in 2005, the unit has been running 5 shifts a week including an evening shift on 3 days a week since 2009.

This means that no West Lothian patients are currently dialysed in Edinburgh, there is no waiting list for spaces in the St. John’s unit and indeed, St.John’s currently has sufficient capacity in space and staffing that it is dialysing patients from Edinburgh in order to assist with capacity issues in the RIE, and we even dialyse one patient from the Borders to assist with their work.

The unit repeatedly gets excellent feedback from patients & from visiting staff; in a recent survey of patient’s feelings about their dialysis unit, the St.John’s unit surpassed all of the other Lothian & Borders units in almost all categories.

With best wishes.

Paddy Gibson
Consultant Renal Physician with responsibility for St. John’s

Comments from the SDC Team

While the SDC has at times expressed concern over Staffing levels at St. John's and the transferring out of experienced Staff, we have always sought to fully support St. John's departments and their Staff.
Therefore, we are happy to publish this letter with details of how the dialysis unit at St. John's has achieved a high level of performance feedback from their patients and visiting Staff as well as comparing favourably with other similar units in the region.

Congratulations to the Unit Staff on their fine achievement.

The SDC Team

Posted 6th February 2010:

I have recently heard that Lothian Health Board consider the New Edinburgh Royal to be their flag ship Hospital setting the standards for good practices and quality of Health care within the Lothian area.

If this is indeed the case then my recent experience in attending this establishment leads me to conclude that they should re-assess the contents of their operational quality manual and also listen to patients who are being subjected to what can be best described as wholly unacceptable standards of care.

Examples.

On arrival at the reception desk they had me booked into the wrong doctors clinic, my address was wrong and after much searching they could not locate my file, conversations in respect of these matters were overheard by everyone in the waiting area and did become a source of much amusement, when my files were found they were in the DNA” did not attend file”for two days prior to my appointment.

Following my operation I was returned to the Medical day care centre and advised that I should remain in bed until 7pm. This was complied with, however when I got out of bed to remove the theatre gown and put on my pyjamas, the gown, pillow and top sheet were soaked with blood, my wife advised staff of this however no comment was made, it was my wife who removed the stained bedding however the stained plastic pillow cover was not cleaned until I was going into bed and required to ask the night staff to clean the plastic cover and also supply a pillow case .

This raises several very serious issues, on return to the ward the wound was obviously leaking and had not been checked WHY?, this neglect could have resulted in infection leading to complications, where were the infection control procedures? who is ultimately responsible for these failings?

The theatre staff had prescribed painkillers which were not given, when I asked for tablets I was advised to take my own, no check or record was made as to what or how often I was taking them, noting that I was taking Dihydrocodeine and Gabapentin and was unaware as to whether these could conflict with the local anaesthetic and Morphine given in the theatre. On the day of discharge I did insist on being given two tablets as prescribed by the surgeon.

On the day of discharge I was wakened at 5.45am advised to get washed, dressed, pack my case and go through to the lounge to await a chest x-ray and further tests. These were not carried out until approx 10.30am, at the end of the final check my notes were endorsed that prior to discharge the badly blood stained dressing required to be changed, this was not done I did question this and was advised that it was a three day dressing and despite the obvious leakage did not require to be changed.

Nightshift staff served Breakfast at 7.30am which consisted of a bowl of flakes, slice of toast and cup of tea, no further food was provided prior to discharge at 12.30pm.

Lounge area was used for discharging and receiving patients it was chaotic to say the least and one patient in full view of all was prepared and given a blood transfusion.

An elderly patient from Fort William who I presume had an operation on the previous day was discharged by being advised that she would travel by taxi to Edinburgh Waverley, then by train to Queen St station Glasgow where she would require to change trains to travel to Fort William. The Lady was unaccompanied and when asked if she was happy with this arrangement replied “No” however this was only noted.

The standard of cleanliness within the facility is very poor, the cleaner vacuumed where she could get to and made no attempt to dust or wipe down surfaces, as a comment, I saw very little evidence of frequent use of the hand wash solutions which are placed throughout the facility.

I should also place on record that I have no complaints in relation to the theatre staff they were excellent as indeed were the majority of nursing staff. They are obviously working under extreme pressure, and in my opinion have been given strict guidelines in respect of time scales and cost savings generally, regardless of patient need.

In conclusion, if this is their flagship they should rename it the Titanic for it is surely heading for disaster. When compared to St John’s Hospital in Livingston it is a very poor, St John’s is cleaner, friendlier, more efficient and certainly more accessible.

J R Graham

Posted 10th December 2009:

Sirs
For your information, last week I learned (in a rather roundabout way!)
that the WRVS Tea-bar in OPD4 is to be closed on Friday 11th December
because the Hospital require the space for a new office / consulting
room. 

I cannot argue with the Hospital on this but feel that a very
valuable service to patients, staff and students is being taken away.  I
understand it is intended that a trolley service will be set up as a
replacement but this will not be able to provide the same level of
service as the Tea-bar unless the volunteers are willing to man it.

It is also worth noting that the Hospital has been gifted many thousands
of pounds by WRVS over the years, raised partly from this Tea-bar.

I bring this to your attention because it not only seems to be another
downgrade in patient services at the hospital but also many people feel
the matter has been handled in a rather unfortunate way.

Should you wish any further information, please contact me.

Yours,

C T

Posted 11th October 2009:

Following recent correspondence regarding public transport access to RIE. 

Firstly I would like to move a massive vote of thanks to Elsie Boyd and the Action to Save St. John’s Hospital party.  It took a lot of hard work both before and after the election of 2007 to achieve a decent service from St. John’s to RIE, a service for which many a patient and relative is very grateful.

It is a shame that Mrs. Mulligan did not see fit to join in to receive a similar service for her half of the county.  Not one area in her constituency, for which she has responsibility, nor one resident of her constituency, whom she represents, has direct access to RIE. Her constituents require a minimum of 2/3 buses. 

Mrs. Mulligan would do well to put her own house in order before starting on her neighbours.

Yours faithfully J M

Armadale

Posted 21st September 2009:

Hospital Bus Services

Response to the article by Mary Mulligan in the West Lothian Courier 10th September 2009

The Edinburgh transport chiefs are reported to be stalling moves to have patients from the Capital treated at St John’s hospital by with-holding funding to provide transport from the capital to St John’s This is of course a very worrying situation

Mary Mulligan seems to have plenty to say on this matter now! Why did she, Bristo Muldoon or the Labour Group have nothing to say when the NHS Lothian transferred our Emergency services without the West Lothian people being consulted?

It was because it was Labour policy to centralise services. The people of West Lothian were just TOLD what was happening !

Transporting people from WL was never considered by them even although the journey could take up to two and a half hours each way and be a round trip of in some cases 70 miles

I was a patient in The ERI in July 2005 and became aware of how people were getting very few visitors if at all. I vowed to see what could be done about this very worrying state of affairs and contacted Mary Mulligan. She did pay me a visit but all she said was it was being looked into and would get back to me. She never did until I began campaigning

After weeks of hearing nothing from her I decided to do what I told her I would. I campaigned all over West Lothian and presented West Lothian Council with19,207 petitions asking for funding to provide transport from St John’s to the ERI.

The then Labour Council did fund 2 buses a day to cover the visiting periods but these buses had to be pre -booked and although welcome, fell very far short of requirements to attend appointments at other times of the day This was the cheapest option they could come up with!

It was People Power that forced them into providing transport, not Mary Mulligan or the Labour Council. Even yet, her constituents in Blackridge Armadale and Bathgate require 2 -3 buses to access the ERI. She should be ashamed that this is the case

It was only after the 2005 election when the SNP took control of the Council that they funded 9 buses a day and then shortly after, 14 buses, catering for staff as well as people having to attend for appointments. No thanks is due to Mary Mulligan and Co.

The inconvenience and extremely worrying situation of patients being transferred and St John’s being downgraded was the reason The Stop The Downgrade Campaign was formed

It is clear that NHS Lothian are mainly interested in the Edinburgh Hospitals. They have consulted the Edinburgh people and have taken note of their concerns. Why was West Lothian denied the same consideration? They have given us a few minor departments but these affect only a relatively few people and do not cater for the majority of people who unfortunately may require emergency treatment at their local hospital

West Lothian is the fastest growing area in the country and yet the NHS Lothian see fit to reduce our services. They should hang their heads in shame.

We still have a big fight on our hands and we would ask you to join us at our next meeting. We must fight for re-zoning and the return of our emergency services to our local Hospital.

We need all the support you can give us.

Elsie Boyd

Posted 7th September 2009:

Hello,
I overheard a friend mention the campaign to my Mum in passing conversation. I decided to attend the next meeting, which was held on 21st May, to find out more for myself.

The content of the meeting was pretty scary stuff, especially with the info about the junior doctors.
I was genuinely shocked that I hadn't heard much of what was discussed. Almost everyone I've told since then also hadn't heard how serious things have become.

I'm wondering how to get more people involved. To make them aware and seek action and support from West Lothian residents.

Perhaps a flyer with one bullet point would hook residents if it tells them how they could be affected by the closures of services within their hospital.

I really think more people would be supportive if they understood how seriously this situation affects them and theirs.
Most of us are reactive, not proactive. But if you could get the message across, the support could be massive.

I have seen one article in the free paper since May but nothing else.

What can we do to recruit and use your local people power?

Yours

A thankfully healthy West Lothian resident, who hasn't needed St Johns so didn't realise the scale of the problem.

Posted 28th May 2009:

I read with interest the NHS handling of the so called rezoning. The sheer size of West lothian does not seem to matter nor the people who are expected to travel to the ERI & WGH.

The bus service is better but it takes more than ten minutes. I think we have to remind the NHS that even getting to St John's hospital from anywhere in West Lothian can take 1 hour plus & that's if the buses make connections. What about people from Stonyburn, Fauldhouse, Blackridge to name a few.

What is happening to our frail elderly taken past St John's then waiting for care?

Targets appear to be more important than people.

Details supplied

Posted 21st April 2009:

'I guess the time is coming when we will have to do something and fast about the horriffic situation'.

Details supplied

Posted 11th May 2008:

Dear Sir,

there have been lots of politics played recently in the press in regard to St Johns. As a taxpayer I would be much happier if they would find out who on the health board is responsible for the waste of money that is the new barriers and machines bought for the car park before they knew that they could even install them? None of the new equipment is being used! Who made this decision but didn’t do their homework in respect of the local planning laws? How much taxpayers money was wasted on this white elephant? Was it as much as £50,000?

In light of this and the reported selling off of £100mill of publicly owned assets. Does anyone else think that there should be an investigation of their mismanagement of public funds?

A. D

Posted 2nd April 2008:

Dear Stop the Downgrade,

I am staff at St Johns, I find the whole situation at St Johns deplorable, NHS Lothian has no interest in St Johns. There has been no inward investment towards St Johns - oh, sorry - we got a new front door. Let's look at the services provided -

The "new" renal unit - there had been a campaign in West Lothian for years before the Renal unit was built. The Renal Unit is a self contained, self running and managed from the "city" unit. St Johns has little or no involvement in the day to day management of the renal unit. It is a satellite unit of the RIE and WGH. The staff are dedicated and caring and provide an excellent service but it is a mistake that the Renal unit is associated with St Johns. For all its addition to St Johns it could of been built in Morrisons car park for all that it adds to St Johns.

The "mental health mother and baby unit" - this is old ward 16 - so West Lothian has lost psychiatric beds for a national eight bedded unit. Where did the ward 16 patients go?

The ENT unit - this has always been at St Johns. This is a regional service now, contrary to the Campaign website this does offer both trauma and elective surgery. The ward admits patients from all areas, including the Borders. This unit has a very busy list and provides the ITU and Theatres with a large proportion of their case loads. The unit in conjunction with the plastic surgery unit is continuing to provide more and more complex life saving and life preserving surgery in more and more complex patients. More patients are being admitted with a greater array of complex illnesses and disorders requiring both, plastic surgery, maxillo facial and ear nose and throat surgery. The main issue affecting the success of the ENT / Maxillo facial and Plastic surgery units is the provision of the ITU and HDU service within the hospital. These units are poorly staffed and appear to be overwhelmed with emergency patients with the resultant cancellations of elective surgery.

The "observation ward" - This is simply the day bed units old home, there has been no useful changes in the ward. The side rooms have simply been changed into offices and store rooms. The ward is chronically understaffed, there is generally one trained nurse overnight for up to thirty patients. These are supposed to be stable patients but are now becoming sicker and sicker. In addition the ward is admitting patients from Accident and Emergency. On one occasion there was one trained nurse and two nursing assistants for twenty patients with one patient being aggressive, five patients requiring intravenous antibiotics (which need two trained nurses to give), one patient awaiting an ambulance and two patients on route from accident and emergency. Is this safe and effective? NOT

Surgical Services - There are no surgical services or orthopaedic services at St Johns yet the West Lothian GP's constantly send patients. However if patients turn up very sick then a surgeon has to come from Edinburgh to operate. The downfall is that there are no longer wards able to look after the person after their operation, usually they have to to the gynecology ward as they are now the only staff able to give some kind of care.

ITU. This ward appears to be totally understaffed and very busy. Their appears to be only two or three staff on at any time who even work in St Johns the rest are made up of agency nurses or nurses borrowed from other hospitals. Yet patients continue to be admitted to this ward. You often hear that the ITU ward has only three staff on for three patients yet accident and emergency are sending them more patients. Wards are being asked to cover breaks for ITU, yet there are no staff within st johns who came can care for an ITU patient. Is this a safe situation..and can it continue?. This is supposed to be the ENT/Maxfax and Plastics dedicated ITU yet it can't even manage its own caseload for admitting medical patients.

CCU. This ward is again very,very busy but staff say they are undervalued by NHS Lothian. They feel they are losing all the interesting patients to Edinburgh.

A&E. Again this is a totally understaffed unit, yet is becoming busier and busier. Staff estimate that the throughput has increased by at least thirty percent. The Out of Hours GP service is moving into accident and emergency, this will take away two cubicles from accident and emergency, making patient management even harder.

Medical wards. These are very, very busy wards. Yet they are understaffed, especially when compared to similar wards within RIE and WGH, yet they have a lower incidence of MRSA, CDIFF than both the "city" hospitals. What people fail to realise is that St Johns runs with only minimal staffing at night - two trained instead of six. There is no room for manouver within St Johns.

From speaking to staff, relatives and patients it appears that all fear for the future when the new larbert hospital is opened. Many staff have expressed a desire to leave St Johns and go and work for another health board.

St Johns is admitting an ever increasing number of medical patients despite no increase in its catchment area, more and more people are moving into West Lothian (and thus into St Johns) yet their has been no real investment in St Johns. What happened to the sixty new acute medical beds that medical staff had suggested were badly needed. yet the WGH is getting a new revamped acute receiving area.

It is little wonder that staff at St Johns are worn down and morale is so low. All decisions are taken at Edinburgh level, favour Edinburgh and place West Lothian patients at a significant disadvantage.

Staff at both the WGH and RIE feel the same, they have huge morale problems and are suffering under the increased workload. This is not the place to identify their concerns and worries but we should not castigate them, they are blameless pawns in the game played by NHS Lothian. The RIE is becoming dirty and filthy and its not the staff's fault - they are having to admit more patients than the hospital was designed for, they are grossly overworked and stressed. When the RIE was built it had two hundred less beds, they are admitted three times more than ever, the A&E at the RIE was the busiest in Europe even before the closure of emergency services at St Johns. What has NHS Lothian done - they have landed the massive workload generated from West Lothian (and was treated at St Johns) onto an already heaped plate. Little wonder that the RIE is falling apart at the seams.

The NHS Lothian managers and politicians who support it should spend a week in St Johns, spend time speaking with patients, explaining to their relatives why their eighty year mother has to go to Edinburgh for a hip replacement after a fall in St Johns, explaining why their son has to go to Edinburgh for treatment for a GI bleed at one o'clock in the morning, why their fathers surgery has been cancelled because their are no beds in the HDU ward, why their sister has to be rushed through to st johns after her bowel has been damaged during birth, why the ambulance has to drive past St Johns with the son on board after he has broken his leg playing football. It is okay for NHS Lothian managers and politicians who sit in big fancy offices earning thousands for doing nothing to speak via their official mouthpieces whilst it is the underpaid, undervalued, demoralised staff at St Johns (and at the Western, RIE, Sick Kids etc) who have to pick up the pieces made by them.

So please don't complain about the staff at all sites (St Johns, WGH and RIE) unless they are to really to blame, complain about the senior managers and politicians who make the decisions. Us frontline staff are tired and fed up of defending the poor decisions made by our great and good. When making a complaint ask - is this due to the policy decisions taken by senior management?

Details supplied

Posted 29th March 2008:

TEAM

I read with interest Mrs. Mulligan MSP’s latest statements in March she quoted Miss Sturgeon MSP as stating "St. Johns had not and will not be downgraded", I seem to remember Mrs Mulligan and her colleagues both parliamentary and Council making the exact same statements during the recent elections, all vehemently denied the downgrading of St John’s or service removals from St. John's, however now Mrs Mulligan says of Ms Sturgeons statement that - in her words- “nothing could be further from the truth” and demands services be returned.

Do we therefore assume that she is now admitting that St. John’s was downgraded and that services were lost during her and her parties tenure in office (she must be as you cannot return that which has not left)?

I suggest that Mrs Mulligan’s letter and those of several of her colleagues printed in the press recently owe more to amnesia and hypocrisy than good sense and judgement. They downgraded St. Johns over several years yet she demands that their years of destruction and damage are repaired immediately by the new administration.

Services must be returned but safely and with the relevant support services to secure them so that this fine hospital it’s staff and West Lothian’s Healthcare can never again be decimated by any political party putting policy before the people.

AD

Posted 20th March 2008:

Team,

In respect of the letter posted previously regarding the standard of care supplied at St John’s, as a senior member of nursing staff can I please explain that this deplorable state is due entirely to NHS Lothian policies being visited on me and my colleagues.

In particular, there is such an obsession with the 4 hour waiting time target that the care of existing in-patients is being reduced. We are now at the stage of moving patients, including those with serious illness and the elderly, several times during their stay, sometimes in the middle of the night.

We don’t want to do this but are being forced by management who take their orders from Edinburgh.

To add insult to injury, wards are being allowed to run in a permanent state of understaffing. Even when we are on our knees we are not allowed to go to agency. We come to work on our days off and we often leave well after the end of our shifts. The place is running on goodwill and this is disappearing rapidly.

Worse still, the Royal is frequently on red alert which means it can’t take its own patients. Our managers then ship them out to St John’s, adding further to our workload. When the Royal fails to cope it is us that pick up the pieces, and with no extra staff. It is West Lothian patients who are then boarded throughout the hospital to accept the Edinburgh influx. On Monday 17th March St. John’s was bursting at the seams and struggling with lack of beds and staff, but we were still made to take several transfers from the Royal.

Believe me when I say that normally dedicated staff are working beyond their limit and that morale is at rock bottom.

For Lothian Health Board, St John’s is just a large decanting facility to allow the Royal to cope and meet its targets.

Details supplied

Posted 17th March 2008:

Hello.

I am a member of staff at St. Johns. Unfortunately my daughter was an in-patient for 8 days and I was appalled at the level of nursing care she received. In 8 days she was transferred to 6 different wards, some of these transfers were during the night when she should have been asleep. In 8 days her sheets were changed twice even though she was pyrexial. She is 19 yrs old and ended up in a geriatric ward.

What kind of care is that? I'm disgusted with the level of care offered at St. Johns.

Details supplied

Posted 20th February 2008:

Re: SDC Statement 20th January 2008 - How can the St. John's Staff Unison representative possibly be a senior member of the NHS Lothian Board?

Surely this is a massive conflict of interest where the interests of the Staff must be severely compromised when their Union representative's over-riding loyalty must be to his paymaster and fellow Board Members.

What qualifications does this Union representative have to merit one of the most senior NHS Lothian Board positions other than a willingness to be kept on a tight leash by the Board?

Unbelievable cronyism!

No wonder St. John's Staff are getting such raw deals on salaries, conditions and parking charges!

This situation should be rectified immediately with the proper election of an independent Union representative from the general work force who can properly look after the Staff interests.

WFG West Lothian

Posted 8th February 2008:

I suffer from arthritis in my hip and now am in need of a hip replacement. I am now walking with a stick to alleviate the pain on walking any distance. I am suffering this pain because I do not want to go into the RIE and would have no hesitation about going to St. John's which is just on my doorstep.

I have heard from friends and neighbours about their experiences in RIE, the unpalatable food, the dirty conditions of wards and toilets, all contributing to the risks of contracting MRSA and other infections.

Another factor is the cost of car parking and the distance visitors are required to travel. I would not expect people to visit me should I be forced to go to RIE.

CC

Posted 23rd January 2008:

Dear Campaigners,

As usual neither my husband nor I will be able to attend the meeting but we fully are behind your campaign. St. John's must be reinstated to its full potential and we must find ways of combating the powers that be who have other intentions. We were also dismayed to learn that it appears 'Nicola' has been misinformed by her advisors. This must be rectified immediately and exposed for what it is. It is appreciated that many do not agree with the politics now in force for apart from whatever political persuasion everyone should at least 'play fair' - Not adopt deceitful underhand attitudes.

At 80 years of age we personally can fully appreciate the trials and tribulations of having to travel so far for treatment which should be available on our doorstep. If it is the intention to make it a geriatric hospital as you say then this has to be stopped.

We have to do everything possible to get the 'blockage' removed, to ensure that the right people are in authority and that properly qualified people are in place where needed. The underhand way of running down St. Johns has to be exposed and our present Government has to be aware of the deceit which is taking place to undermine their authority and promises. It appears that the opposition will stop at nothing to get back in power.

Just a thought - The people who are constructing The Elements in our Town Centre, tell us that there is a catchment area of 2,000,000 people for these shops. Does the same figure apply for St. John's? If so it should be a flagship hospital.

AND do the NHS still intend the Larbert Hospital to look after us as well? Why on earth did we have such a lovely Hospital constructed on our doorstep if they intend us to travel - in these times we are told carbon footprints count - not with NHS it seems.

JM

Posted 23rd January 2008:

Re RIE hygiene item:

Is this the new flagship hospital that is costing US so much money?

Just what are they doing with OUR money? They certainly are not spending it on support services, and who is holding them to account? I wouldn't use my money to supply food like that in the community so why should my taxes be used to buy food like that in hospitals?

If there is any justice then this hospital will not be the NHS Lothian board's legacy, it will be their folly and hopefully downfall. If they ran a company like this they would have been sacked long ago, but because it's OUR money from the PUBLIC purse and not shareholders then they get away with it.

No wonder the hygiene standards are so low when they are maximising the Bank shareholders profit margins whilst we pay AND are suffering these conditions. A double whammy.

I wonder where those reaping the benefit are being treated for their healthcare and what the food is like there?

It's time we all said enough is enough and make them answer to those who pay the piper and before they are allowed to run riot with anymore of OUR taxes.

AD

Posted 11th January 2008:

Having been a patient in RIE I can assure your readers that the conditions are exactly as portrayed in the pictures on your site - I related to every picture posted.

Please keep highlighting these issues as the people of West Lothian need to realise before it is too late that Lothian Health Board have inflicted on us a second class system whilst cherry picking all the services and health care professionals for Edinburgh. We have no equal access and no equal status when it comes to Health Care. Lothian Health Board took West Lothian's budget and ran, now we are paying the price.

I beg all of West Lothian not to wait until they have to suffer to stand up and speak up now.

Thank you for all your ongoing efforts. I, having been a victim of the health boards bias, assure you of my support.

JM

Posted 11th January 2008:

Have just been looking at the photographs taken by a patient during a stay in the ERI. Absolutely shocking!

Is this the wonderful hospital that more and more people from WEST LOTHIAN are being transferred to? Things haven't changed since I was a patient there in 2005 or since the Frontline Scotland program filmed there last Autumn presented by Eleanor Bradford.

We have been told it is for our own good and safety that some services have been transferred from St John's Hospital in Livingston to the ERI!

The NHS Lothian should hang their head in shame. Patient care seems to be the last thing on their agenda. This is a very frightening situation which seems to be getting worse far less being addressed.

We must fight to have our services returned to St John's Hospital where they rightly belong and where they scored 94% for cleanliness in a survey taken last year. The ERI only scored 83%
and was rated as one of the dirtiest hospitals in the Country. It certainly is living up to it's disgraceful reputation.

Please support the SDC team by coming along to the next meeting to be held later this month They are fighting for your Hospital on behalf of the West Lothian people

EB

Posted 2nd November 2007:

It was a shock this week to learn that one of our real fears (and no doubt our opponents would think of it as a hypothetical scenario) actually came to pass – that there was a fatal car crash and eight vehicle pile up near to the Livingston junction on the M8 motorway.

The West Lothian Courier reported that the casualties were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment. What scandal.

Those who have chosen to enter into public service – who represent the interests of ‘we, the public’ - need to have a serious think to themselves. For the record I shall record my concerns to my councillors and MSP regarding this issue.

L McD

Posted 26th October 2007:

[Increased parking charges at St. John's hospital halted]

Congratulations!!!!! SDC Team has worked tirelessly on the behalf of West Lothian and won again!! On behalf of many THANK -YOU!

E D

Posted 16th October 2007:

I made arrangements with my family to visit my son-in-law in the High Dependancy Unit of the cardiothoracic department at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and towards this end checked the time table for the 400 bus from the internet site Traveline. I was heartened to see that a bus went through Midcalder at 1407 which arrived at the Infirmary in time for visiting.

This morning the post delivered to me a magazine from West Lothian Council aimed at pensioners in the county and to put off time before leaving to catch the bus I flicked through the pages. I noted a paragraph on transport to the Infirmary and did a double take when I noted that the 1407 bus was not mentioned. I at once phoned the number given and was flabbergasted to be told that very few buses now went through the villages but the next one did stop at Wilkieston. Why not East Calder ?

Is this not a downgrade on visiting our loved ones who are being treated at the infirmary? In order to get there I must now travel backwards to Livingston centre or onwards to Wilkieston. This service was trumpeted in the local press as being additional to the 400 but as far as I can see it is a detrimental step backwards.

BH

Posted 12th October 2007:

Queue to ponder St John's irony

Sitting stuck in the traffic queue at St. John's recently the irony of the situation was not lost.

NHS Lothian have created an accident black spot at the very gates of the hospital which they have denuded of the services to cope with emergencies.

Even falling victim to their black spot will not get you past the gates to St. John's as there are no means to deal with the injured and not even a mortuary for any fatalities.

You couldn't make it up!!

T D, West Lothian

Posted 10th October 2007:

Today I had a hospital visit but when I arrived at the barrier it read not in use...so when I came out I never got a ticket as it read NOT IN USE.

I drove up and was surprised to see the barrier was in use. I pressed the call button and explained the situation to the call handler whom I felt was very abrupt and rather smart. By this time a queue of cars were behind me. The call handler proceeded to order me to reverse my car (and all the cars the length of the car park) to purchase a ticket. I have only used the car park on one other occasion since the new system was introduced , which I received a ticket on the way in and paid on the way out.

The way I was treated today was a disgrace, I have no problem in the £1 fee but think it should be more clear to people on entering the car park how the system works. I have come home feeling very upset and embarrassed as I had to make all the innocent drivers move.

I hope no other person is made to feel like this.

Mrs J R

Posted 8th October 2007:

Does the arrogance, pomposity and sheer cheek of NHS Lothian know no bounds?

First, they ignore a prior notice informing them of their requirement to apply for planning permission to install their new ticket machine at the entrance to St. Johns car park. Then, they proceed anyway. When they are subsequently informed that they still require planning permission and that there are serious road safety issues which require that they cease to use the illegal machine, John Jack (Director of Facilities for NHS Lothian) responds by saying "we have now sought the advice of an independent planning consultant!"

Is this the same cash-strapped Health Board which is starving hospital wards and department of vital supplies? Is this the same Board which now has the audacity to use taxpayers' money to consult an independent planning consultant not only to assist them in fleecing these same taxpayers of more of their hard earned money but also to aid them in taxing the sick and divesting the staff of some of their 2.5% pay rise?

NHS Lothian is a prime example of why health Boards need to be directly accountable to the people. We therefore demand that NHS Lothian is dissolved and replaced by a fully elected board.

WJM & ED EH48

Posted 28th August 2007:

I was incensed to read the story of Jim Devine MP causing a fuss at the cost of his taxi from Edinburgh airport to his home in Blackburn resulting in a cut price journey for him.

Due to his party and their policy of centralisation and PFI my friend found herself alone at night outside the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, never having been there before and having no knowledge of Edinburgh she had no option but to take a taxi home cost £49 the same as Mr. Devine should have paid, but unlike Mr Devine she has no choice, unlike Mr. Devine she had no influence with which to barter for a reduction and unlike Mr. Devine she has no expense account to claim recompense.

It would appear that what is Sauce for the goose is definitely not sauce for the gander in Mr.Devine's eyes, he has no compunction about patients paying to travel to and from hospitals but baulks at paying to travel to and from airports!
Speaks volumes!!

AD West Lothian

{ATSSJH Councillor nominated to NHS Lothian Board}

Posted 26th August 2007:

Congratulations on this recent accomplishment which should ensure the voice of the people in this district to be heard on the LHS Board.

This is a great step forward, well done.

J & JD

Posted 23rd August 2007:

Folks,

You have all done us proud, well done to you all. We will be walking with you, and let democracy flourish, congratulatons again!!!! (And thanks for all of your hard work!)

DC

Posted 23rd August 2007:

CONGRATULATIONS

As said previously anyone in charge of a Council, Committee or similar who refuses to allow the participation of a democratically elected member by public wish should not be allowed to remain in charge. We are told we live in a democracy not a dictatorship.

Also much appreciate the latest newsletter. Extremely interesting. Particularly to those of us who are unable to attend the meetings.

We are with you in spirit. All power to the cause, We must and will win.

J&A McF

Posted 23rd August 2007:

Congratulations!

HC

Posted 13th August 2007:

What is wrong with Doctor Winstanley? Why won't he accept the petitions to stop the car park charges. Does he not realise that if patients have visitors twice a day for 7 day's a week that is £14 a week or if the charge has gone up to £2. £28 a week.

That is a tax on the sick people and a heavy burden on drivers who have family to support. Car drivers will be looking for other places to park.

And why should Doctor Winstanley try to block Councillor John Cochrane from joining the board? What has he got against an experienced and knowledgeable man who knows the hospital ropes? I would welcome any experienced person on the board as we need a good well run hospital. A hospital we the people can be proud off and which the people of Livingston helped equip.

E.

Posted 16th July 2007:

It was with great dismay, given the following report in this weeks press, that I was made aware that wards and departments in St. John's have ran out of vital supplies. Perhaps others can give you some more information on the supplies situation and how it is impacting on patient staff and hospital moral.
As the report states savings next year have to double what suffering then? Is this the hidden price that we, the tax payer, are paying for PFI?

ED

Big hospitals' saving target raised to £20m. LOTHIAN'S main hospitals have been ordered to almost double the amount of money they are saving over the coming year. The hospitals have been set a target of saving £21.7 million - compared to the £11.5m achieved last year. Spending on agency nurses, taxi bills and drugs are expected to be cut as part of the drive. (Evening News Monday 9th July 2007).

Posted 28th June 2007:

OBITUARY

It was with great sadness that since our last meeting we have learned of the loss of Mr. John Strachan a campaign stalwart since 2004.

John was a passionate supporter of the hospital and was on the first demonstration outside St. John’s. He was the first campaigner with a placard and even had leaflets printed which he funded from his own pocket and handed out at demos, meetings and even in Holyrood, and he soon had us all joining in with their distribution.

We all remember with a smile John pulling on his KEEP ST JOHNS ACUTE t-shirt over his shirt, tie and pullover in the bus on the way to Holyrood to lobby Malcolm Chisholm, and then that night on Scotland Today there was John in the public gallery overlooking the floor of the chamber still proudly wearing his t-shirt.

In the intervening years John continued to write in support of St. John’s to MP’s, MSP’s, Prime Ministers and First Ministers alike.
We were all delighted to see him arrive at the first meeting of the Stop the Downgrade Campaign and although frailer and joking that his t-shirt would now do him for a night-goon, the passion was still there, a Union man fighting for public services - as it should be.

We were sad to hear how ill he was and of his admissions to hospital, where by all accounts he continued campaigning by talking to staff and patients about the downgrading of the hospital and he kept us posted by letters which also included donations to the fighting fund for which we are very grateful.

We were heartened to know that through his family and Ashok, John was aware of the campaigns election success and that there was now hope for the future of St. John’s.
We are delighted to have the continued support of John’s family to whom we offer our heartfelt and sincere condolences.

When this battle is won, the war is over and St John’s is again a fully staffed fully fledged acute hospital it will be tribute and testament to the people of West Lothian who, like John fought for what was right and just and stood up to be counted.

John encapsulates the fighting spirit of this campaign and its supporters.

St. John’s could have had no better advocate than John Strachan.

We are proud to have known him.

The SDC Team

Posted 24th June 2007:

Re: the ERI Transport

Since the SNP took control of the West Lothian Council they have been very quick to look into the transport to the ERI as they promised in their election campaign.

I had a meeting on 1st June and another on the 11th June with Peter Johnston and Roy Mitchell (transport manager) when we looked very closely into the difficulties people were experiencing and we came up with proposals which were put to the Council on the 18th June.

It was proposed and passed that a direct bus will be introduced running from St. John's to the ERI and should commence in September. The time table is being looked into. In the meantime the existing Healthlink 400 will continue to run.

A request has been made to the Scottish Executive for funding to run direct services from the West of the county also directly to the ERI.

I am delighted that the SNP and Hospital Campaigners have moved so quickly.

Elsie Boyd

Posted 16th June 2007:

The following is a reprint of comments sent to the letters page of West Lothian News, the online newspaper.

An initial letter from Bristow Muldoon and subsequent responses are shown below.

It was Andy Kerr who secured the future of St John's
Thursday, 14 June 2007 -

SIR, It was with some surprise that I read the article published regarding St. John's future being "more secure" following a statement by the SNP Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon.
The truth is that in spite of the scaremongering of the "Stop the downgrade" group the future of St. John's was secured years ago whilst Andy Kerr was the Health Minister, that all that Ms Sturgeon has done in the case of St. John's is to back the position set out by Mr. Kerr in late 2004, and when NHS Lothian gave assurances on supporting and enhancing services at St. John's. Services which have seen additional consultants include A & E, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Paediatrics, whilst ITU beds have been assured, St. John's has been awarded university teaching status, St. John's is now the regional centre for head and neck surgery, and a catchment review was already underway before the elections and will be implemented early in 2008.

I was particularly surprised to read the comments of Cllr. Cochrane, as it was my understanding that he and his group wished to see the return of trauma orthopaedic services and emergency general surgical services, however in a parliamentary answer to Mary Mulligan MSP Nicola Sturgeon responded, "Trauma orthopaedic and general surgery were moved from St. John's Hospital and transferred to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in 2004 and I understand from NHS Lothian that they have no current plans to review their decision. It is not our intention to undertake a general review of service changes that have been made in the NHS."

Why are the "independent" health campaigners not denouncing the SNP, as Ms Sturgeon has instructed other health boards to revisit their plans on service changes?

I have for some time believed that the "independent" health campaigners were an anti-Labour organisation, which they denied in the approach to the elections, but their actions since of voting in support of a Tory/SNP administration of West Lothian Council, in taking senior paid positions within the Council nothing to do with health, and now in meekly supporting the SNP when they clearly have no intention of returning emergency surgical services exposes them as nothing more than political stooges of the nationalists.

There will be many people who took the "independent" health campaigners at their word who will now be horrified to find that their votes have been used not to benefit St. John's, but to prop up a nationalist administration that took fewer seats and votes on the Council than Labour.

Bristow Muldoon, Livingston

Andy Kerr no more "secured" St John's than he did Ayr and Monklands
Friday, 15 June 2007

SIR, Mr Muldoon makes a number of assertions and these inaccuracies should not go unchallenged.
A hospital does not become secure just because it is awarded university teaching status or because new consultant appointments are made.

These consultants (like the others at St John's) hold Lothian contracts and they can be moved anywhere depending upon clinical need. This is called redeployment and many staff at St John's have experienced this as services are moved to Edinburgh.

Everyone (including Mr Muldoon) agrees that an increased catchment population is vital for St John's long term future. However, the catchment review has been ongoing for almost three years. Moreover, NHS Lothian has not promised that this will be implemented. It will be subject to public consultation. Already, patient groups in Edinburgh are voicing their disquiet at the prospect of having to "come out" to St John's.

Andy Kerr no more "secured" St John's than he did Ayr and Monklands when he allowed notices of closure to be served on their A and E departments.
Prior to the election, Mr Muldoon stated that he would "take no lessons from me in standing up for St John's." He didn't need to. The lesson was provided by his own constituents who deserted him in droves and converted a 3670 majority Labour seat into an 870 vote win for the SNP. It is a supreme irony of politics that in a tight election, the victory in Livingston propelled the SNP into government at Holyrood!

I would encourage Mr Muldoon to look more closely at what he sees in print. Already our Councillors are working with colleagues across the entire political spectrum to fulfil our Campaign aims, including the repatriation of emergency services lost to Edinburgh under his watch.

We will keep the community informed through our website - www.stopthedowngrade.org - and at regular public meetings, the next of which is at the Kaim Park at 7.30pm on Thursday 28th June.
The glaring omission from this process is the local Labour Party, some of whose members seem to have no interest other than re-running the election campaign ad nauseam. This does them no credit and it diminishes our collective ability to resuscitate the hospital.

Once again, I urge Mr Muldoon and his supporters to join us in an all-party campaign. They can use their considerable talent and influence to help us restore St John's as a fully-fledged, emergency hospital. In so doing they will not only enhance health provision locally, but also make a significant contribution to the welfare of the entire population of Lothian.

Dr Ashok J Jacob, Leader, Action to Save St John's Hospital


St John's campaigners are a breath of fresh air
Friday, 15 June 2007

SIR, In balance to the somewhat bitter comments of Mr Muldoon can I say in all sincerity that I have found the St Johns campaigners to be a breath of fresh air at West Lothian Council.
They have from day one stated their case clearly and concisely and have remained unwavering in
fighting for the best future possible for our vital local hospital. I personally value greatly their advice and knowledge when dealing with "Health" issues.

Perhaps the reason they do not condemn the SNP is that at both local and national level we are prepared to talk positively to them about the best way forward. This is in stark contrast to Bristow's beloved Labour party who have and continue to try and belittle and dismiss them at every turn.

Perhaps Bristow would like to comment on how, when the likes of Bruce Ferrie were telling us that staff were happy and the hospital was in no danger, those very same staff were being prevented
for fear of dismissal from saying what they really thought. John and Ellen have forgotten more about health than any of our local Labourites will ever know.

I have no doubt should we (the SNP) fail to meet expectations in relation to St John's then the hospital campaigners will (quite rightly) give us just as hard a time. I do not however see that happening.

Perhaps Bristow would do well to remember that they are democratically elected representatives of the people, a position to which he can no longer lay claim.

Councillor Andrew Miller, SNP - Livingston North


I know who I believe about St John's
Friday, 15 June 2007

SIR, IT is with yet again some anger and disappointment I read the latest comments by Bristow Muldoon former M.S.P
To come out with comments which are so typical of his party just "spin" the stop the downgrade campaign has only one agenda to preserve, sustain and hopefully improve services at St Johns .

The people who voted for the health campaigners have nothing at all to fear as they have at least got a voice within the council which will be acknowledged and listened to ..

I recognise Bristow's comments and concerns regarding a Tory provost and mutual allegiance with the S.N.P. and it is to put it simply a strange alliance given their opposing political beliefs..

This however in my opinion pretty irrelevant to the St John's issue .. as this is far more important than any cheap put downs .

I would suggest to Bristow that he at least has the courtesy to let the STD campaigners and particularly councilors be recohnised and given a chance to see what if any influence impact they may have to this campaign both locally and nationally .I think it is very contemptuous of Bristow to denounce these councilors as this is some thing I find quite insulting to myself and many others who voted for and have continued to support them .

I feel that even at this very early stage the elected representation is having an impact and this is fantastic ..

I would suggest anyone who has concerns about the STD group's actions or motives can address this by going to their councilors surgery or attending their frequently held open and public meetings which coincidentally are well attended; this the great thing about having a democracy where you will be listened to and acknowledge just who do the public want to believe Dr Ashok Jacob esteemed heart specialist and Dr Margaret Cook very proficient ,professional and caring people with a real empathy and commitment to St Johns or labour politicians who continue to try and undermine all the effort and hard and productive work being put into this campaign ..

let the people decide I know who I believe .....

Billy Bowes (of no political persuasion), West Lothian

Re: press release 13th June 2007

Posted 13th June 2007:

Exceptionally well done. You all should be proud of yourselves; you have worked hard for all of the people of West Lothian, keep up the good work!

D C

Posted 3rd June 2007:

SDC
Your updated site is looking fantastic, it is full of hope, together with inspiration and dedication. It is great to see that the fight goes on and that already you are moving ahead with plans and a strategy to secure St John's for the future.

This should surely show all those who stated that there was no point to campaigning as "it wouldn't change anything", that there is a point, it has changed everything and that a community standing together and fighting side by side are a powerful force, together they can achieve their goals.

I hope that ALL of the supporters, the hospital staff and the people of WL will be galvanised even more now and will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the campaign until your ultimate goals are attained.

Good luck.
WJM

Posted 30th May 2007:

Dear Fellow Campaigner

I would Like to invite you to the next PUSH (People United Saving Hospitals) meeting on Saturday 9th June. Please feel free to contact me for further information.

Vanessa Gee - vanesgee@googlemail.com

National Meeting
Saturday 9th June 2007

Coventry Motor Museum
Millennium Place, Hales Street,Coventry.CV1 1PN
12noon to 15.30 all welcome

website - www.pushnhs.org.uk

I had the privilege of meeting with a lady yesterday at West Lothian House. She had arranged to hand me personally a petition for the abolition of car parking charges at St. John’s Hospital. I salute her on her efforts and endeavours to canvas so many people on our behalf, and gain so many signatures from her area. I also envy her stamina and energy to further our aims and objectives in support of our campaign. Well done BP (you know who you are).

Please keep up the good work – with your help and support we can, as the song goes “Overcome them” and lets rid ourselves of this immoral tax on the sick.

John Cochrane

Councillor, Action to Save St. Johns Hospital.

Posted 16th May 2007:

In response to The recent comments by Tommy Davidson saying that "they [Action to save St. John's Hospital Councillors] jumped into bed with Peter Johnston " and calling into question their "independence".

The hospital campaign has no political or party agenda as anyone who goes to the frequent open and public meetings will confirm.

The facts are that they will work with whoever supports them in their efforts to provide key and essential local services.

It is most unfortunate that this can not be forthcoming from all parties as if this was the case I am sure Mr Davidson would express a different viewpoint.

I think it is fair and reasonable to suggest that if the hospital campaign is not supported - and when I say supported by concentrating on the real issues affecting people and not political spin - then the campaign group will not be slow in letting whatever group know where they stand.

I think it is sad that this campaign has not had more cross party support as it is an issue or issues which affects everyone in our community and that in itself should be far, far more important than trying to score cheap political points.

I, like Tommy Davidson, am a bit surprised that "Provost" Kerr has shown allegiance to S.N.P given their respective manifestos but then again I suppose that is one thing about living in a democracy.

I would ask Tommy Davidson to come along to any of the SDC meetings as it is an open and public meeting and all views will be made welcome.

I would suggest that political allegiance has no place in the hospital campaign but support has and there is a big difference.

The only thing that matters is people and their needs and opinions.

BB

Posted 14th May 2007:

YAHOOOOOO !!!!

Wonderful. It is indeed a novel feeling that council policy is perhaps going to reflect the wishes of the public for a change.

Furthermore, I was delighted to read on the cover of this week’s WL Herald & Post that our 3 councillors may hold the balance of power in the council. Way to go !!

Congratulations everyone !!!!

And special thanks to the SDC team who have been, and continue to be, critical to the ongoing campaign to save St John’s Hospital. You do a far greater service to West Lothian through this campaign than the career councillors and politicians.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you all at the next meeting.

Regards

LM

Posted 12th May 2007:

THANK YOU to the people who had the imagination and drive to get this campaign on the road.

That it has been successful to the level that we have 3 representatives on the council who have the good of St John's as their priority is just great.

Congratulations to all involved and very many thanks once again.

V

Posted 12th May 2007:

Congratulations to all of you and a good decision taken.

Best wishes for your term of office.

HM

Posted 10th May 2007:

Today, I attended my first Council meeting; I attended with feelings of trepidation, nervousness and overwhelming panic. However my colleagues and I were made to feel welcome by the majority of those we met.

By now you will have read in the newspapers of our decision to align with the SNP to form a working administration. Our decision was not taken lightly; we have spent the last 5 or so days intensively debating with both SLP and the SNP where we could have a meeting of minds on the major policies of health within our community. At the forefront of our minds has been our commitment to you and how best to highlight our communal cause. We felt a partnership alignment with the SNP would provide to us with a voice to raise issues of concern on healthcare. We have never been given this opportunity under the previous administration. We also identified shared common goals and aspirations with our SNP partners on current and future healthcare issues within West Lothian.

In partnership we believe that the road to the restoration of services already transferred to Edinburgh can be reversed and that an immediate halt to any further service transfer can be instigated.

We jointly believe healthcare services should be local and that locally elected representatives should be held to account for any decisions taken on matters of healthcare provision. Together, I am assured we will do our very best to return St. Johns Hospital at Howden to a fully fledged District General Hospital.

We intend to act responsibly, serving as best we can your interests and addressing your concerns. With our partners we will provide unity over the next few years. However on matters which do NOT affect health in the community we will remain INDEPENDENT and share our views with both the SNP and SLP in the hope our considerations are taken on board.

We your representatives look forward to your continued support. If you as either a member of the public or a NHS staff member have concerns which you feel strongly about, please do not hesitate to contact Ellen, Gordon or myself, your concerns will be kept confidential and anonymity preserved.

Kind regards,

John Cochrane

Councillor, Action to save St. John's Hospital

Posted 9th May 2007:

Dear All,

In reply to E.W' letter 1st May - the rumours are true you still can phone the hospital's number at night but the calls will be diverted to Edinburgh.

I do not think that system will be of any help to any of our patients needing help or families wanting information.

I hope our new SDC councillors will be able to put a stop to that.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted 9th May 2007:

Congratulations to the successful candidates but it does not take me to point out that so far nothing at all has actually been achieved in stopping the downgrade of the hospital - in that, rather than a change of government, you have my best wishes, but I think you all now carry a distinct responsibilty, along with Angela Constance, to ensure that the real aim of securing the future of St Johns as an acute hospital is achieved.

Best Wishes

S H

Posted 6th May 2007:

Hearty congratulations for all your efforts and on this great success.

We both promised our votes and voted accordingly.

Well Done!

J and J

Posted 6th May 2007:

WE HAVE MADE HISTORY

Last weeks headlines in the West Lothian Courier told us “it’s make your mind up time at the polls” and YOU did – three Action to Save St. John’s Hospital candidates were elected. As one of those elected I would like to thank you all for the help and support you have given to us over the course of the last few months. Some of you I have phoned direct, others who I have been unable to contact – for all of you “Thank you” and I have no doubt we will meet again at the Kaim Park on 24th May.

The Campaign was short; the outcome has made political history and will have long term outcomes.

The Campaign will continue until we achieve our aims and objectives to reduce any further services at St. Johns and the restoration of the services already transferred to Edinburgh.

The Campaign still needs your support and effort to highlight the unsuitable levels of healthcare provided to the West Lothian community. We hope, with your help to continue to focus on healthcare issues.

Mary Mulligan, who narrowly held the Linlithgow seat, has stated in the “Evening News” – “The hospital campaigners should be ashamed. They’ve run down St. Johns”.

I personally am not ashamed. I am proud of the help and support of the people of West Lothian who have supported the Campaign. Could there be a sense of “sour grapes” on the part of Ms. Mulligan who with her colleagues, were unable to read the writing on the wall or sense the swell of public opinion against the downgrade of our local hospital?

I mentioned the West Lothian Courier; this is our local newspaper which did not support us in any way during the campaign.

Please continue with your support through the www.stopthedowngrade.org website and by attending our meetings. Again, many thanks for your help.

John Cochrane

Councillor

Posted 5th May 2007:

It is with great delight I congratulate the three SDC candidates on their election to the Council.

It is also with great delight I heard of the election of Angela Constance to Holyrood -
at last there will be voice which will be heard both locally and nationally.

I commiserate with our other candidates and also appreciate the hard work which has gone into this campaign and has reaped outstanding success. One must however not be complacent as I have been quite astonished by the hostility and some of the accusations and statements made by politicians and others.

I also have no doubt that this campaign has had a major influence and it proves that people do matter and that people and care are far more important than politics and spin.

Democracy is alive and well and let us keep the same for St Johns.

Congratulations to you all.

BB

Posted 5th May 2007:

Congratulations on your success & on your fight.

MR

Posted 4th May 2007:

Well Done! Each and everyone of you.

Power to the People.

JW

Posted 4th May 2007:

My Aunt (who lives in Balerno which is nearer St John’s than the Royal) who has battled for many years with kidney failure is now at the point of needing dialysis. She has been offered two options:

1. To have her dialysis treatment at the Royal Infirmary with door-to-door transport

2. To have her dialysis treatment at St John’s but no transport arrangements

They are obviously trying to sway patients to opt for the Royal Infirmary instead of going to St John’s.

Yet another example of how services are being diverted from St John’s.

JK

Livingston

Posted 2nd May 2007:

Dear Friends,

How many other elective surgical patients have had the same distressing experiences when responding to an in-patient admission for hip surgery [in RIE] not to be allocated a bed?

This happened to me - admission Thursday for surgery on Friday at 10 am. No beds available and no reason given and another patient and I were accommodated overnight in the hospital 'hotel'.

This may be adequate for patient's relatives but it's not the protective environment required for the pre-surgery patient.

I am a retired nurse and know what is essential for the well being of the patient pre-surgery to reduce unnecessary stress and administer medication, this does not happen if you are in the hospital hotel.

I cite this situation as it was repeated in February of this year to an ex-colleague of mine (who gave me her permission to use the information) when she too needed an elective surgical procedure to her spine. The problem she highlighted on being accommodated in the hotel was that if she had an emergency (because of occasional episodes of unstable angina) no consideration was given for nursing backup.

I had already complained and had a response that the problems had been investigated but it appears I was reassured that things would change but sadly not.

This is only one problem we need to address since the reduction in available beds in the RIE & St John's. An article mentioned eleven hundred beds reduced to eight hundred in the RIE and we now have under three hundred at St John's which used to be six hundred.

The EDD or early discharge date appears to be more important than allocating a bed so that the surgery can be carried out. It seems that statistics and renting a bed from Consort - because of the PFI private (funded initiative) - is at the root of bed availablilty.

No wonder we are having difficulties fast tracking beds.

This is the future - we need to stop this downgrade of our local hospital.

WP, retired nurse

Posted 2nd May 2007:

Hi there to all the candidates, friends and supporters of Action To Save St John's hospital.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best, good luck and success for Thursday the 3rd May. We will go down in history.

Also to all our supporters and helpers, too many to mention, thanks a million for your loyal support and I hope all of us can pull off a Victory for St John's Hospital and the people of West Lothian.

kind Regards,

Ellen Glass

Posted 2nd May 2007:

I see that's another category of patient going to Edinburgh now. All stroke patients outwith the hours of 9am till 5pm have to be taken to Edinburgh.

Yes, slowly, more and more conditions are being shipped off to Edinburgh whilst our lovely hospital is being downgraded.

I wonder if Mr Derek Thomson, the Unison convener at St John's will change his mind now as his letter to the Courier last week was full of propaganda that St John's was a thriving hospital, or maybe he is just too comfy in his role at the hospital. He should be looking after his members.

Now strokes and heart attacks are being sent direct to Edinburgh along with all the other services that have already moved. This is fact and is happening now.

Concerned

Posted 2nd May 2007:

I think St Johns should stay just as it is.

How will visitors from West Lothian get to any other hospital if they do not have a car?
And the government want to cut down polution? Surely this will just add to it.

I was in St John's to get my gall bladder removed and I had some visitors. I know if I had my gall bladder removed at any other hospital I most sertainly would not have had a visit from my wife as I am the only person in my house that drives, therefore my wife would not have been able to get a bus as she has not got a clue on how to get to Edinburgh.

In my opinion any downgrading of St John's hospital should be put to a vote of the patients and residents of West Lothian as it is our money that pays for this sort of service.

Well we do pay national insurance do we not?

J O D

Posted 1st May 2007:

Has anyone else heard the rumour that the night shift on the switchboard at St John's is being phased out? The phone number is being phased out over the next year and the rumour is that at night time, all incoming calls will be transferred to RIE. General calls, crash calls from the hospital.

How can a swithboard 25 miles away efficiently and safely organise emergency calls for patients in St John's?

It is also extremely worrying to hear that the Children's Ward and ITU are under threat. If they go, the anaesthetists go and so will the excellent consultant led maternity unit.

EW

Posted 30th April 2007:

Can I suggest through your column that the people of West Lothian boycott the Courier in support of the ambulance staff, the hospital staff and the people’s campaign for the hospital all of whom have been badly let down by the “West Lothian” Courier?

I would also suggest that we consider a protest outside their offices, we, their readers deserve an unbiased paper, which puts the welfare of its readership first.

It was very clear from the front page this week exactly where the Courier's loyalties belong.

This allegiance has quite frankly led to reporting which has aided and abetted the powers that be to destroy our much loved LOCAL hospital.

They are a disgrace.

W. J. M

Posted 28th April 2007:

Hello,

I am a midwife working in the maternity department at St Johns. I love my job and I feel privileged to assist women through the special time of childbirth however staff morale is at an all time low. We are under threat as a department although management does not admit this fact. We are oppressed by midwifery managers from the New Royal and our own managers are powerless to make decisions or changes without receiving the OK from the New Royal.

We are working under increasing pressures of high patient numbers and under-staffing. Women are choosing to deliver their babies at St Johns instead of the New Royal as we are known as being a warm and friendly unit where women are cared for as individuals and the birth process is not seen as a production line. People as far away as North Berwick have attended our department and it would be heartbreaking to remove choice from our ladies.

Unfortunately staff sickness is not being covered, ward sisters are requesting bank staff however managers at St Johns are refused permission as they in turn are not given clearance to pay for the staff by managers at the New Royal.

The unit has to work under-staffed putting unbelievable strain upon the remaining work force and it is not uncommon to work a 12.5 hr shift having had little or no breaks.

Staff are sacrificing their own health and well-being to maintain our renowned high quality of care but how long can this continue?

Sincerely

Concerned Midwife.

Posted 27th April 2007:

How disgusted I felt when I read the front page of our West Lothian Courier.

Is this not typical of a paper that is meant to represent the people of West lothian? They are blaming the ambulance crew for the Addiewell pensioner's unfortunate death as they turned up at the wrong address.

How must the ambulance crew have felt when they read those gutter comments? They had
raced from the Western General in Edinburgh to get to the address but as usual the Courier blames the crew instead of asking why they had to come from Edinburgh and not West Lothian in the first place.

As usual they have picked on the easy target and not the people responsible for having our ambulances working in Edinburgh.

This journalist should be ashamed of himself.

Disgusted

Posted 26th April 2007:

I understand the argument is that it is better to have fewer but more specialised hospitals. This is the argument of an accountant.

The public argument is that there should be the same or more specialised hospitals. Since the public pay the accountant, the public view should prevail.

J B

Posted 26th April 2007:

As someone who recently had occasion to benefit from the excellent facilities at the hospital, I find it both alarming and incomprehensible that such a major downgrade is contemplated.

How many people are to die or risk death or serious illness before the authorities realise that such crass shortsightedness is in error?

G S

Posted 26th April 2007:

I think it would be a mark of respect if a two minute silence was held for Dr Hughes after his tragic death at the meeting on the 26th April at the Kaim Park Hotel

T

Posted 25th April 2007:

Hi,
I was recently taken to St. John's by ambulance from the Almondell Park with back trauma.
As a qualified First Aider, I was taught that Strains and sprains get RICE...

Rest, Ice, Elevation

When I asked the doctor attending me for an Ice pack she said "this is the NHS! No Ice"!!

In fact they did not have ice or were not prepared to give me any, perhaps there has been been some advance in medical science that I have missed out on??

I will vote for the motion to stop this dreadful downgrade.

Regards,

J D

Posted 25th April 2007:

I have experience of the downgrade - I was sent through to the Western General with suspected appendicitis passing St John's on the way. This is absolute crazy and must be stopped before it is too late.

W D

Posted 25th April 2007:

Hi,

Good to see your website, you definitely get my vote!!

J D

Posted 24th April 2007:

Hi Team,

Don't know if any of you were listening to Radio this morning when the visit to Ballater took place and discussion with political candidates etc. Obviously the question of the cut back in NHS provision throughout Scotland came up for discussion.

Unfortunately I was not able to hear the whole programme but I did note that one candidate (don't think it was current emcumbant) said that the 'safe' time had to be taken into account in patients travelling to Hospital. One instance given was of a pregnant woman who wanted to have her baby in the local Cottage Hospital, rather than have to travel to Aberdeen. If it was a normal birth local would be O.K. but if complications set in she would have to go to Aberdeen, probably by car. Hence she could end up in a lay-by part way to Aberdeen trying to give birth in her car on her own.

The article about the elderly lady dying before the ambulance reached her is an example of what can happen IF WE HAVE TO WAIT TOO LONG. This should not be. Everything should be done to help save life, always thought this was what the medical profession stood for. Do we not have mobile paramedics who can travel to an emergency by motorbike or similar, why do paramedics have to wait for the ambulance to take them. Yes, an ambulance may be needed but surely if the paramedic chould have got to that woman in time she may be alive to-day.

It further transpired that the authorities (i.e., Govt/NHS) appear to no longer teach Doctors etc to be 'general' - they are all encouraged to 'specialise'. Hence shortly if we just have a 'general' problem, there will be nobody to treat us. We will have to arrange to have a 'special' complaint, which requires specialised treatment, to get any help. It was of course said that by transferring everything to specialised centres we would receive better treatment. May be, But surely that system precludes any treatment for emergencies on a LOCAL basis.

We have to stop the rundown of St. Johns, we have to stop our local emergency treatment being sacrificed for the greater good of the specialised centres.

We are told more money has been given to NHS - O.K. but most of this has had to go on PFI payments, and increased payments to staff. Nobody objects to medical staff being paid what they are worth and more except when we hear of the fantastic salaries given to some Doctors.

St. John's is even more important now that we have the disastrous '24' so called emergency service which obviously does not work well in many cases.

Money can be found for War and other matters but in my book HEALTH is the top priority. If our health is good everything else fits into place. If a Hopital is built and kitted out under PFI, let the Govt fund this separately not take if from NHS funds. This is a wasteful process anyway and somebody is making fortune from it. Let Government fund direct and PFI would be unnecessary thus saving a lot of money which could go to NHS.

A thorough shake up is necessary to stop the enforced wastage of NHS money.

Sorry for this tirade but had to get my thoughts off my chest.

J Mc

Posted 24th April 2007:

I sent an e-mail to Angela Constance and received the following reply.

It looks to me that the SNP will support our cause.

Regards

[theSNP reply has been moved to the 'what the Politicians have to say' section]

Posted 23rd April 2007:

My wife used to have a job in the pathology lab at St Johns. However, since
the closure over two months ago, herself and her 3 remaining colleagues (all
the others had already jumped ship) have had virtually nothing to do. The
cost of this is over £10,000 per month.

They were given no formal notification of the closure until my wife
complained and since the closure they have been completely ignored.

They have asked for early voluntary retirement but even now, no date has
been been set for the meeting to decide this.

They have stated that there is a policy of 'no compulsory redundancies' and
are insisting on 'redeployment'. However, how do you redeploy someone who
for the last 30 years has only ever done the job of a lab technicin? Even
Human Resources have agreed that there is no likelyhood of suitable
alternative employment at Livingston.

They seem hell-bent on denying the appropriate redundancy payments to those
involved whilst at the same time happy to continue squandering money on a
group of people to do absolutely nothing.

Needless to say my wife has been under considerable stress and there seems
to be no end to her hell and no-one seems to care.

In the meantime, the Royal has been swamped with work because they hadn't
realised how efficient the unit at St John's had been and should not be able
to recruit additional personnel until my wife and her colleagues are 'off
the books'. I understand that the turnaround for results, which used to take
no more than a week maximum, can now take anything up to 8 weeks and the
staff at the Royal are having to work overtime to keep up even the apperance
of an adequate service.

I am quite happy to elaborate on any of the above and you may wish to email
the 'Acting Head of Employment Services' directly on
Janis.Brown@luht.scot.nhs.uk and let her know how disgracefully you feel she
is treating my wife and her colleagues.

B A

Posted 22nd April 2007:

A PAINFUL REMINDER OF THINGS TO COME

Ann is a pensioner, she was a nurse, she fell over in her house and injured her hip. Ann lives alone, as many of our pensioners do, painfully she crawled to the phone and alerted her daughter who rushed to her assistance. A call was made to the local Health Centre outlining the problem and the high level of pain and discomfort Ann was in – however, there was no help or words of encouragement from that source – the doctor refused to make a house visit and suggested that an ambulance be called as, in his opinion the ambulance staff would be better able to control the situation.

Some time later an ambulance did eventually arrive, however, no paramedics were on board, so the technicians could not administer any positive pain relief other than gas and air. PASSING St. John’s Hospital the ambulance transported Ann to the New Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh with her daughter in company. The journey took in excess of 40 minutes, during which time Ann, a pensioner, was in much pain and distress due to the pain – the technicians could only apologise for this distressing experience.

Decanted at the Trauma Unit of the NRIE, a distressed Ann was left on a trolley until such time (a few hours later) she could be assessed by an “appropriate authority”. Her daughter was informed that she could not stay with her mother until an “appropriate authority” had examined her. Ann’s daughter is also a nurse. When Ann was eventually seen her daughter was allowed to be present.

The fall had fractured Ann’s hip, after a very long and painful day she was transferred to a ward. This was now late in the evening. No one seemed concerned that she required help to get in to her night clothes, so she was left lying unattended on the bed until her daughter took matters into her own hands and prepared her for the night ahead.

By now we are in the twilight hours. Ann’s daughter is now stuck at the NRIE, having come in by ambulance there is no way to return to Livingston. No transport, no bus, no train. Having attended her mother all day she is also hungry – no food available on site, it is so late everything is closed.

What PRICE healthcare for this lady and her family. What PRICE of the pain relief that was not available when it mattered? Shame on the Health Board and shame also on those local councillors who are members of the board, they should resign now.

J C

Posted 20th April 2007:

I think the article in the front page of Friday's Evening News just sums up what is happening to people in West Lothian.

It took almost half an hour to get to the aid of Mrs Bell as the ambulance was working in Edinburgh and had to respond from there to Addiewell.

The outcome was that Mrs Bell dies in the arms of her husband waiting on the ambulance.

I hope Mr Devine and all the people who say everything is hunky dory will now have a rethink. This is nothing short of an absolute disgrace, and proves beyond doubt people are dying because of ambulances working in Edinburgh when they should be in West Lothian.

M

Posted 20th April 2007:

My wife used to have a job in the pathology lab at St Johns. However, since the closure over two months ago, herself and her 3 remaining colleagues (all the others had already jumped ship) have had virtually nothing to do. The cost of this is over £10,000 per month.

They were given no formal notification of the closure until my wife complained and since the closure they have been completely ignored.

They have asked for early voluntary retirement but even now, no date has been been set for the meeting to decide this.

They have stated that there is a policy of 'no compulsory redundancies' and are insisting on 'redeployment'. However, how do you redeploy someone who for the last 30 years has only ever done the job of a lab technician?
Even Human Resources have agreed that there is no likelyhood of suitable alternative employment at Livingston.

They seem hell-bent on denying the appropriate redundancy payments to those involved whilst at the same time happy to continue squandering money on a group of people to do absolutely nothing.

Needless to say my wife has been under considerable stress and there seems to be no end to her hell and no-one seems to care.

In the meantime, the Royal has been swamped with work because they hadn't realised how efficient the unit at St John's had been and should not be able to recruit additional personnel until my wife and her colleagues are 'off the books'.

I understand that the turnaround for results, which used to take no more than a week maximum, can now take anything up to 8 weeks and the staff at the Royal are having to work overtime to keep up even the apperance of an adequate service.

I am quite happy to elaborate on any of the above and you may wish to email the 'Acting Head of Employment Services' directly on Janis.Brown@luht.scot.nhs.uk and let her know how disgracefully you feel she is treating my wife and her colleagues.

B A

Posted 17th April 2007:

A point which has been raised in this household is - what about the carbon miles involved if everyone from Livingston is supposed to go to ERI?

Not only private transport, but buses and ambulances will be producing unnecessary greenhouse gases.

Keep up the campaign. We need to save our Hospital. We therefore have to vote for those in favour and remember those who caused the problem in the first place !

J McF

Posted 17th April 2007:

St. Johns Hospital is in the heart of West Lothian and without it’s services means patients have to travel into Edinburgh, mainly the very difficult to reach Royal Infirmary with it’s very limited public transport routes from Livingston (taking around 90 minutes) which is expensive and if you have a car, parking is also expensive.

My 15 year old daughter was referred to the Royal by our Doctor at Howden Health Centre as there were no facilities at St. Johns. As this was during late afternoon, the journey took over 1 hour to the Royal Infirmary.

As she was referred, she was able to skip the usual A&E waiting room but still had to wait 3 hours to see a Doctor. She was assessed and then left in a corridor on the hospital bed alongside other patients, some of whom were handcuffed to their beds and with a police presence for another 4 hours.

She eventually was given a bed in a ward with mainly elderly women occupants at around midnight.

Is this the future of our hospital care without St. Johns?

M C

Posted 16th April 2007:

I work at St John's and I am increasingly frustrated at the way our patients are treated.
I frequently hear stories on the length of time patients have to wait to be transferred to Edinburgh for treatment that we used to carry out at St John's.

Sometimes the decision to transfer patients is made at 4pm or 5pm ward rounds, then nursing staff have to wait on average 3hours for a bed manager in Edinburgh to locate a vacant bed in one of their wards.
And only then can nursing staff at st john's request an ambulance to transfer the patients.
Depending on the condition of the patients we can request tranfers within an hour, or within four hours.

Frequently the ambulance service is stretched and the ambulances used to transfer patients between hospitals are the same ones which answer emergency calls. So quite often they are unable to meet the time limit requested due to attending emergencies.

Some patients end up being transferred at 2am or 3am when ambulances are finally free.

Quite often people don't realise the state of services within West Lothian until they actually need treatment.

Then it is the nurses that have to deal with angry patients and relatives who know it is not our fault but are looking for someone to voice their complaints to.

We urge patients and relatives to complain, if they do complain we never hear of it...but I don't think enough people do complain.

Keep up the good work - I will vote for you.

Posted 13th April 2007:

Ask the powers that be what the difference 28 miles ( bathgate to RIE) can make for someone who is having a heart attack? Clot busting drugs or emergency opening of the artery by a balloon and stent?

E W

Posted 11th April 2007:

For the increase in population that West Lothian will see in the near future (Heartlands development, Armadale, Blackridge, Wester Inch Village etc), we cannot allow St John’s to be downgraded.

West Lothian needs a hospital that can cater for the area, especially one that is expanding so quickly. I cannot imagine that the Western General or the new ERI were designed to cope with such increases or that people in West Lothian would be willing to travel to Edinburgh for maternity care etc

S M

Posted 4th April 2007:

I'm sure you're already aware of it, but BBC news is asking for people to contact them with local election issues which matter to them and these would be highlighted on the programme.

Posted 4th April 2007:

Having recently decided to stand as an independent candidate in the local elections, it has amazed me how many politicians are still burying their heads in the sand in relation to St. John’s Hospital.

Over the past three weeks I have travelled to ERI on 8 occasions to visit a sick friend. I am neither elderly nor unwell, but I have to say that journey every couple of days takes its toll, particularly given that visiting hours during the day end just in time for the rush hour traffic. I hate to think what people have to go through on our not particularly good public transport system.

I realise I am not a lone voice, but why does such a major issue as the provision of full primary clinical care at St. John’s not appear to be as big an issue as it obviously is?

I have written to the Courier this week to ask the same question, although I suspect we already know that these decisions are motivated by financial considerations, rather than by clinical care needs.

The lack of coverage of this appalling situation by our dumb-sorry, dumbed down-press is equally appalling. But then why let serious issues get in the way of a good story, as on last week’s Courier front page.

I wish you and the campaigners all the best, and will do my best to continue to contribute to the debate.

Posted 2st April 2007:

I have just had a situation where as my grandson had to go to sick kids for a small op. He is only just over a year.

What a running up and down we had from Livingston to there.

My daughter stayed in with him and also had a run in with the night nurses as they were so unhelpful towards her.

She ended up in tears being so tired not being able to sleep at night whereas if this had been done at St. John's she stays just up the road and her and her husband and myself could have taken turns in staying with him at night so mum could have got a rest.

So come on, get the services back to St. John's.

B D

Posted 2st April 2007:

SAY – NO, NO, NEVER TO OUR HOSPITAL DOWNGRADE.

WHY IS OUR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA SILENT?

Looking back to 2004 and the ‘Save St. John’s Hospital Campaign’ our local newspapers were a beacon of light during that period of gloom and uncertainty. Excellent reporting, with headlines “Make your voice heard” and “Lives at risk – say health workers”, helped move the campaign forward and kept our community informed of the radical changes to our NHS in West Lothian.

Sadly, today, when we need their clarion calls again – but they now appear to be absent?

Despite the assurances emanating from both our National and regional representatives St. John’s Hospital is slowly and surely being run down by the transfer of Medical/Surgical and Strategic services to Edinburgh. Decisions affecting our community are being taken behind closed doors in secrecy and implemented by stealth.

It is also interesting to read the letters published by our MP, MSP’s and Councillors at the time, and compare them to those being made now – most of our representatives have remained silent on the current situation.

We remember well what was said:

Robin Cook – our late well respected MP – “I was instrumental in getting St. John’s Hospital built and I will not be instrumental in having it taken away. I supported devolution because I wanted decisions brought closer to the people”. – St. John’s at that time was a fully equipped District Hospital.

Bristow Muldoon – MSP (Joint statement) “We need your support to convince Lothian Health Board that their proposal are deeply flawed” – What has been done in the intervening years to protect West Lothian – we all know the answer.

Peter Gabbitas – Then Chief Executive – “We want to reassure the people of West Lothian that the proposals set out a positive future for St. John’s Hospital and the development of services the hospital provides”. Peter was one of the first Senior Mangers to jump ship and move to Edinburgh - did he know something we did not?

The 2007 ‘Stop the downgrade of St. John’s Hospital’ needs your support and that of the West Lothian Community to STOP any further erosion of the services and to return home to their rightful place those which have been taken from us. As a PFI building project the new Sick Children’s Hospital in Edinburgh will absorb any children’s services in St. John’s – we will not be consulted on this!

I hope our close Community will make their views and concerns heard on this issue by supporting the campaign at the next meeting in the Kaim Park Hotel in Bathgate on 26th April at 7.30pm.

Yours Sincerely

John C

Dedridge

West Lothian

Posted 31st March 2007:

In January I fainted and when I came round I was in severe pain and discovered I had broken my tibia and fibia. My husband called an ambulance and I was taken to the RI, I asked the ambulance driver why I was not taken to St Johns as it is 10mins from my house. To my dismay I was informed that they no longer deal with trauma. I was disgusted and shocked. My stay in the RI was horrible, not enough staff to cope with the patients and I felt I was an inconvenience to the staff.

Not only did I have to go on a 45 min journey, I now have to attend for check ups and with having broken my leg am unable to drive therefore I am having to depend on someone taking me on a 45 min trip and spend 30 mins in hospital. This is ridiculous when I have a hospital on my doorstep.

God help the person who has to go by ambulance along the bypass when there is a hold up how many deaths have there been since this all started?

I believe that if a patient is being tranferred to the RI doctors are also taken from other hospitals to carry out procedures. Why is the patient not left in St Johns and the doctors travel?

I am totally disgusted with the idea of closing St John's, its not that long ago that it opened - more money wasted!!!!!!

Posted 28th March 2007:

I was shocked to read the comments 5th March. Everyone in West Lothian and surrounding areas all want an Acute 24/7 General Hospital.

No-one should be threatened by disciplinary action or threatened to be dismissed, it is a free country and everyone is entitled to their views and thoughts.

Why do we not get rid of the management and bring back the Matrons? they would not allow our hospitals to be downgraded. The Matrons knew what our hospitals needed and fought long and hard to keep what we needed. No one defied the matron, her word was law.

If required I can get a petition round our houses to keep our hospital and all our departments intact.

If I recall a lot of the people sent donations in for equipment to help our St. Johns Hospital and we should have our say in what happens to our hospital.

E P

Posted 26th March 2007:

I note Ernie made a passing note to the inability to obtain stationery products in Feb 2007.

As part of the dissection of the former West Lothian Healthcare Trust (the only integrated such organisation in Scotland) more strategic support services will be withdrawn from the St. Johns site.

Financial services has moved to Edinburgh, next week the Purchasing department which worked well with nurses and doctors et al will be moved to the Astley Ainslie Hospital in Edinburgh.

Many of the St. Johns hospital staff will remember the chaos when this was last done some 10 years ago and had to be moved back a few years later. The current staff will either be moved or re-deployed within West Lothian. Those who move to Edinburgh will be paid expenses for years to come.

With satellite communications, a very expensive computer system installation there really is no logical reason for this type of move. The Purchasing unit has been able to work efficiently “offsite” (not in Edinburgh) for the last couple of years.

From next week there will be little or no support for Nurses or Doctors at St. Johns – this will be done on an impersonal way by letter or a phone call from Edinburgh (if at all). No longer will the link exist between these professions and their customer base – what a waste of time and resource not to mention value for money.

The West Lothian Purchasing Unit through its hard work obtained accreditation at Charter Mark and more recently to BS 2002 status unlike its Edinburgh counterparts who achieved little in efficiency saving.

It is clear to me the reason for the demise of the West Lothian Hospital by “a thousand” cuts is to provide the funds to support the continuance of the PFI “money cow” at the Royal Infirmary.

Our political representatives at the parliament and the local council should be ashamed – no chance of that when it is impossible for them to give a straight answer to a straight question.

Yes and no is a difficult concept for these well paid representatives of the people.

Good luck with the campaign.

J C

Posted 26th March 2007:

Having read the ambulance situation it really gets me angry to know that West Lothian ambulances are working in Edinburgh.

My father had a heart attack last month and it was 40mins before an ambulance arrived. The paramedics were angry and very apologetic saying they had responded from Edinburgh and this was a common occurance as at many times there are no ambulances in West Lothian as they can all be in Edinburgh or elsewhere.

Surely this is outragous, and it has only happened since the removal of services in to Edinburgh

M

Posted 24th March 2007:

I am all in favour of your campaign.

St. Johns Hospital needs to keep all their departments and get sufficient trained staff to maintain them.

People with young families and older people do not want to have to go long distances to a hospital when we have a good hospital right on our door-step.

E P.

Posted 24th March 2007:

The downgrade has to be STOPPED. We have to get this wonderful hospital RESTORED and even IMPROVED for the people of West Lothian who appear to have been ignored. Anyone would think we do not deserve to be treated any better by recent decisions.

Travelling to ERI is a traumatic journey and just at the time when relatives and friends have enough stress without the addition of needless expense and waste of time. This is particularly galling when we have the facilities available locally if they were allowed to be used. Its not as if they don't already exist. . WE HAVE TO MAKE A STAND.

Obviously the people who are making the decisions have no idea of the enormity of such decisions nor the distress they are causing. Further it shows how they are prepared to WASTE money by running down services that have worked in the past for years very satisfactorily.

Guess it's the old old story - we want to justify our position and fantastic salary at the expense of those who are unfortunate enough to be ill.

We need much more money spent on improving our Health services, - perhaps we should move to some of the other Scandanavian country who have far higher standards.


M.M

Posted 22nd March 2007:

I just wondered if people realise that West Lothian Ambulances are now more and more covering 999 calls both in Edinburgh and now also Falkirk and Stirling.

We as Ambulance staff are fed up with West Lothian being uncovered for long periods due to ambulances covering the big city.

It seems that Edinburgh is the priority over the people of West Lothian.

When this question was raised in 2004 we were told West Lothian crews would be returned to the West Lothian area almost immediatlely, this however is not the case.

The removel of more services from St johns would have an even bigger impact than is happening now. It is a daily occurance of crews responding from Edinburgh to 999 calls in West Lothian, as at times all West Lothian ambulances can be outwith West Lothian at the same time.

This is fact and people have and will continue to be put at risk because of this ridiculous
situation There are only 4 ambulances on after midnight for the whole of West Lothian.

Yours,

concerned Ambulance Staff, West Lothian

Posted 22nd March 2007:

The next meeting of the Stop The Downgrade will be held in the Kaim Park Hotel, Edinburgh Rd. Bathgate.

We have been distributing SDC Posters around West Lothian to invite people along and allowing them to make up their own minds as to what is happening to services at St John's Hospital in Livingston.

I called in to ask the owners of the Post Office and General Store in East Calder if they would display one of our posters when I was verbally attacked in no uncertain manner by a customer.
This man accused the SDC of political propaganda and told me I could not put up our poster!
He argued there had been NO downgrading of services at St John's and totally denied the transfer of our emegency surgery, trauma orthopaedics, pathology and mortuary to the ERI. He then said he would be putting up a Labour Poster stating these facts!

I wonder if I imagined being a patient for 5 days in a ERI surgical ward for observation (something previously carried out at St John's)?
I wonder if my visitors imagined the 56 miles round trip they had to make to visit me?
I wish this had been my imagination, but unfortunately this was the reality of things as many others have found out too.

One of the owners of the Post Office told me that further to the unpleasant incident he had had a phone call from the Labour Councillor for East Calder Mr King. This was obviously to advise them not to display our poster!
It had been their intention to put up the poster but after Mr King's phone call they decided maybe they'd better not!!

Is intervention like this permissible? If it is Heaven help us!!

The SDC has only one aim and that is to fight to retain the services we have at St John's and to have those already transfered to the ERI returned.

Centralisation is a Labour NHS Policy and it is this policy that has caused the problems we are now facing.

You have a chance to change this policy at the ballot box on May 3rd I urge you to use your vote wisely.

E B
Blackburn

Response comment Posted 2nd April 2007:

May I just correct a few details of your account of the exchange that took place in East Calder recently.

I witnessed this incident and your account is somewhat dressed up. What the gentleman said was that your campaign was BECOMING more political and that you were putiing up candidates at the next elections true or false? He also said that if the owner decided to put up the poster then he would have to put up a Labour, Conservative, Green, Liberal and anybody else who appeared with a poster. At no time was he questioned or asked about St John's losing services.

I know you will not publish this letter but just to set the record straight.

J W

East Calder

Posted 21st March 2007:

Copy of letter published in the West Lothian News, Tuesday, 20 March 2007

Cowardice is not fighting for something you believe in

SIR, May I be allowed be allowed to respond to "DF" Deans South, (www.westlothiannews.co.uk) who refers to me saying that Ernie Walker has contributed to local Health care? Also the statement inferring or accusing Ernie Walker of "Cowardice” by hiding behind health service issues and other pretty irrelevant comments which have no relevance at all in my opinion to either Ernie Walker or any other candidate who stands as an independent electoral candidate. And more importantly is of no relevance to the "stopthedowngrade " campaign group.

What I would ask DF is his/her point, cowardice is by not saying who you are ...cowardice is for not standing up and fighting for something you believe in.

I myself look on myself as committed supporter off any campaign to preserve and sustain valuable and local services within our Community.

The stopthedowngrade campaign is not about any individual it is about people and services.

We live in a democracy and standing for election gives anyone regardless of political or individual views or beliefs an opportunity to bring those into the public domain. This is a democratic process which we should all value and certainly use our vote.

It is this same process which will allow us to support those whose aspirations we can identify with as individuals.

This DF, allows you the opportunity to vote for Mr Walker or anyone else. You have raised points which whilst legitimate points in the broader context they are not relevant to this campaign having an elected representative(s) gives people who believe in the campaign a voice.

I made the point about Ernie Walker contributing to local health that having worked locally in a senior position he had an understanding and empathy with the current situation.

DF seems to me to obviously have a lot of question he would like to ask Ernie Walker so I would say to DF come along to the next meeting of the campaign group I am sure you will be welcome.

I would ask you though to acknowledge what this is about, it is about our hospital and our community. I respect Bristow Muldoon who has taken the time to respond to previous comments made by myself both through this site and privately and this is what is so great about being in a democracy where you can have a voice and this is what having any candidates in any election is about, having a voice.

So let's not deviate and distract away from the issues facing us .. so I will look forward to seeing "DF" on the 29th March in Acredale House, Mid St, Bathgate, 7.30pm.

B B West Lothian

[Note: since this letter was published in the West Lothian News we have changed the next meeting venue due to the increasing number of supporters. The next meeting will now be held in the Kaim Park Hotel, Edinburgh Road, Bathgate. Thursday 29th March, 7.30pm]

Posted 16th March 2007:

I note that in Mr. Muldoon’s most recent letter he admits that in 2004, on his watch, West Lothian’s St. John’s hospital lost vital services to Edinburgh.

Whilst this admission is welcome, his refusal to qualify this as a downgrading baffles me, or is this implying that we have the level of service we deserve?

This together with the failure to recognize the moving of mortuary services to Edinburgh in 2006 and Pathology services to Edinburgh in 2007 is a further cause for concern as I am sure that bereaved relatives and people awaiting test results will see this as a loss of services adding up to a diminished hospital service in West Lothian for the people of West Lothian.

The outcome of the key health debate in 2004 was a foregone conclusion, a token gesture vote was never going to deflect party policy, I noted that none of his colleagues, including Mrs. Mulligan, followed suit, or were they not allowed?

We nurses and staff also have family and friends who use the hospital and we are worried!

In my opinion, neither Mr. Muldoon nor Mrs. Mulligan can stand on their NHS record, as under their tenure they have presided over the removal of VITAL LIFE SAVING SERVICES and replaced them with ELECTIVE, 9-5 AND OUTPATIENT SERVICES.

St. John’s General Hospital IS being dismantled bit by bit and being replaced by their Cottage one.

E D West Lothian

Posted 12th March 2007:

[Letter to the Glasgow Herald from the Campaign Chair]

Dear Sir,

I would like to correct some of the misconceptions generated by Dr Swainson, Mr Muldoon and Mrs Mulligan in your letters page on Friday 9th March.

First and foremost, our Campaign is totally free of party politics. Indeed, it was created in response to an attempt by politicians to suppress public protest Vis-à-Vis St John’s Hospital.

We are campaigning exclusively for St John’s and the NHS in Scotland. We have no comment to make about other political issues.

We have raised a legitimate query about the need for removal of surgery and trauma orthopaedics in the face of a written public commitment from Lothian Health to consult the public beforehand. They didn’t! We are comparing this unilateral decision with that of Greater Glasgow / Argyll and Clyde Health Board which has RETAINED these services at Inverclyde Royal Hospital.

Our Campaign aims are stated clearly on www.stopthedowngrade.org. I invite anyone to let me know how we are ‘anti-Labour’ in calling for services to be retained at St John’s, for car parking charges to be frozen (as has just happened by First Ministerial instruction in several Glasgow hospitals) and for Health Boards to be directly accountable to the people.

I agree with Dr Swainson that various services currently remain at St John’s. However, we have two major concerns. Firstly, that the infrastructure of the hospital is being degraded to the point where these services may cease to be viable. Secondly, when the hours that junior doctors can work are reduced in 2009, Lothian Health will use this as an excuse to withdraw more acute services.

Our group intends to fight this election as an Independent political party. We hope to win the Livingston Parliamentary seat and several council wards in West Lothian. We see this as the democratic way of informing the public what is happening to St John’s and also effecting a change in current policy.

Yours truly,

Ernie Walker

Chair,

Stop the Downgrade Campaign

Posted 12th March 2007:

A further Bristow Muldoon response to the letter from B B Seafield.

[printed on the 'what the political parties say' page

Posted 11th March 2007:

As previously reported the Healthlink Bus Service to the ERI is due to be replaced on the 16th April 07. The new service will be run by Prentice of West Calder and will be funded by WLC, NHS Lothian, and Edinburgh City Council.

I was pleased to learn this will be a walk-on service and people who hold a Scottish Executive bus pass will be able to use them.

Edinburgh City Council will contribute £9000 but this is with the proviso that a detour will be made via Ratho and the Park & Ride at Hermiston.

This concerns’ me greatly as naturally such a detour will add to the journey time to the ERI.
People in the West of the County will still have to travel to St John’s to access this service. No further provision is being made for them!

Would it not have been possible for Edinburgh City Council to run a bus from Edinburgh to make provision for the people of West Edinburgh rather than from West Lothian? When I was a patient in ERI I spoke to a man from Sighthill area and he told me it required 3 buses to take him there. I’m sure this same journey will affect quite a number of people who would be grateful for a more direct service from that area.

A Scottish Executive Grant was obtained recently to run a bus from early morning to late at night to Edinburgh Airport by WLC. I wonder why there seems to be such great difficulty in funding a decent bus service to a Hospital of all places!

People who take their cars to St John’s to join this bus will have to pay car parking charges The only car park in West Lothian to charge people! This charge is set to double very soon for parking over 4 hours. This is simply an unacceptable tax on the Sick!

No journey to the ERI will ever be easy. The location at the end of the extremely busy City Bypass makes this impossible.

The requirement for transport is the simple side effect of services being removed from St John’s (despite what some politicians would have us believe). We must fight to have our services returned to St John’s where they rightly belong and we must fight to stop any further downgrading.

The ERI is costing the Tax Payer £40million per year + interest in rent. NHS Lothian is already in dept and this is why St John’s is being affected. The same is true of Monkland’s Hospital in Lanarkshire, paying for Wishaw and Hairmyers, both PFI Hospitals.

Dr Allyson Pollock who did a report for Frontline Scotland likened this financial deal to paying a loan shark! The NHS will never be out of dept! She also said “Lanarkshire NHS had not done their sums” I don’t think NHS Lothian have either!

Please give the Stop The Downgrade Campaign your full support www.stopthedowngrade.org and come along to the next meeting on 29th March in Acredale House Mid St Bathgate 7.30pm.

St John’s is your Hospital. It was built to serve the people of West Lothian as a GENERAL HOSPITAL and while specialist services there are greatly appreciated we need our Acute Services there 24hrs a day and not just a day care centre from 9am to 5pm.

E B

Posted 11th March 2007:

I would like to thank the Linlithgow Gazette for printing Dr Jacob's letter in full. The West Lothian Courier should be ASHAMED of itself for not printing it in full and not allowing it's readers to have all the facts!

[Dr. Jacob's letter is also printed in full below]

Posted 10th March 2007:

My husband and I are disgusted with the failure of the local Council to stop the erosion of our hospital. I have overseen the change from Bangour to Livingston on the promise of a state of the art hospital only now to find that the hospital is being whittled away by stealth. What we will end up with is a cottage hospital and how many patients will make it to an Edinburgh hospital in an acute situation? I urge everybody to write to their MSP and local Councillors to stop this act of lunacy now, before it's too late - and don't believe the promises made by Lothian health board as they cannot be trusted.

Posted 9th March 2007:

Please note: This letter was printed in the West Lothian Courier 8th March 2007 but was edited with information left out. The full letter is reproduced here with the express permission of the writer to include the personal details shown.

The Editor
West Lothian Courier
20 – 22 King Street
Bathgate EH48 1AX

5th March 07

Sir,
I fear that Mr Muldoon is being breathtakingly naive in his comments - letters 1 March 2007. All over Scotland it is clear that communities value their local hospitals. When these institutions are diminished by the progressive withdrawal of acute services then one is left with a series of cottage hospitals. The addition of dialysis and phototherapy units, while being entirely laudable, does nothing for these cottage hospitals in respect of their ability to provide acute, 24/7 care. Similarly, the acquisition of teaching status simply creates a University cottage hospital!

“Safety” and “viability” are often cited as being the drivers for service redesign, yet there appears to be considerable inconsistency across the country. Inverclyde, with a population far smaller than West Lothian, has just retained most of its acute services after a huge public campaign aided by the local newspaper. Why should St John’s be different?

An experienced politician like Mr Muldoon should, for once, put the interests of his constituents ahead of that of the Party. Slavish obedience to a Party policy which is hostile to the aspirations of local people does him no credit.

The reason why support for Ernie Walker is growing exponentially both within the hospital and in the wider community is that he holds no brief for ANY political party. This is demonstrated clearly in his Campaign aims which are available on www.stopthedowngrade.org

I believe that the most important local issue in the May 3 election is the long term future of St John’s as an acute, 24/7 general hospital.

It may interest your readers to know that I am now under threat of disciplinary action and/or dismissal, not for clinical impropriety, but because I have chosen to make my views public.

Yours sincerely,
Dr Ashok J Jacob
Consultant Cardiologist, St John’s Hospital

Posted 7th March 2007:

The letter from B B in Seafield [posted below] on 3rd March makes it clear that the views stated in the comment are not political but are given out of a care for the Community, a concern no doubt shared by many of us in West Lothian.

So what response [also posted below] does this comment get from Mr Muldoon? The same tired old rhetoric is trotted out stating how only his Party can sustain the NHS and giving himself a pat on the back for doing what he did to get the Hospital where it is today. (talk about shooting yourself in the foot!).

If Mr Muldoon admits (boasts even) that he was involved in, and therefore presumably has some responsibility for, activities and discussions leading to the situation St. John's hospital is now in...

Is he not ashamed at the growing number of West Lothian people having to make up to 60 mile round trip treks to Edinburgh for treatment and visits instead of St. John's?

Is he not ashamed that there are no practical transport links in place from West Lothian to Edinburgh hospitals to support patients and visitors having to make their way there due to treatment moving or not being available from St John's? Maybe a patient's minibus taking the scenic route via many stops and taking 2 hours each way meets his expectations but that's completely unacceptable as a caring NHS treatment of people.

Is he not ashamed at the way punitive parking charges are imposed at hospital car parks and these expected to increase?

Is he not ashamed that Services continue to be removed from St. John's, the latest being the Pathology Department?

Is he not ashamed that the majority of people in West Lothian are only finding out about these lost Services through a Public Campaign and NOT from our Councillors or Politicians.

Mr Muldoon assures us that the future of St. John's has been 'secured', but as what and at what price to patients and visitors from West Lothian?

Making St. John's into a part time day care centre is not acceptable for nor deserved by the West Lothian Community.

Why are our elected Politicians in West Lothian not fighting tooth and nail for St. John's to be preserved as a 'fully staffed Acute District General Hospital' for the people of West Lothian as called for by this Campaign? Having a local, fully functional 24/7 hospital is not just 'nice to have' for the People of West Lothian, It's ESSENTIAL for acceptable, effective patient care.

Hopefully this Public Campaign will have more success at bringing this about than our Politicians have had with Government policies to adhere to as a priority over patient's needs.

B G West Lothian

Posted 7th March 2007:

I have had a response from our eminent local M.S.P about recent letter I sent to yourselves and also several local newspapers I would never get involved in anything which has a political single party interest. I have one single interest, care about our community.

Mr Muldoon's comments [printed on the 'what the political parties say' page] - you the public decide ..B B Seafield

Posted 6th March 2007:

The following transcript is of a letter received from John Strachan. John is a long time fighter for St. John’s and supporter of the campaign (some will remember John as the T-shirt man).
Unfortunately John has been ill recently but did manage to attend the inaugural meeting and speak there at, however he was unable to make the March 1st meeting. We hope John is on the mend and we look forward to seeing him at the next meeting.

Get well soon John.

The SDC Team

Dear Ernie,

As I have spent most of my time this year as a patient at St. John’s,
I had a conversation with a young junior Doctor and she told me that there is not one vacancy in the UK for a Junior Doctor and she is a bit worried for her career as her contract at St. John’s finishes in August.

Is it not a ridiculous situation as she said that she might have to go abroad to continue her career as a doctor and she is not the only one.

Last week I heard it stated that the UK is one of the richest countries in the world and yet we cannot build a school or a hospital without PFI funding?

Even today I read about “Tony Blair” stating about the NHS patients going into private hospitals so that they can be treated quicker. It is not just health boards that we are fighting but a Government which is gradually destroying what was an excellent “NHS”.
There is much more I could write but you know what we are up against, it is to get the message across to the general public.

I hope to be able to attend the meeting on 1st March, and I am with you all the way.

Yours sincerely
John Strachan

Posted 5th March 2007:

We have the chance on May 3 to sling the present Political bunch out. Perhaps people must be more politcally aware and vote sensibly and not to support one particular party because of an traditional or conditioned dislike, or even fear, of the other parties.

Posted 3rd March 2007:

It is with a mixture of anger and extreme disappointment I read the recent statement issued by our two most prominent local politicians Messrs Muldoon and Mulligan in which they were very critical about Ernie walker and the Stop the downgrade campaign group in which they accused the group of being anti labour and to be about benefiting the S.N.P.
I am appalled that these two so called people’s representatives as they are supposed to be can come out with such an accusation...

The facts of the matter are that Ernie Walker and Ellen Glass have spent a large amount of their working life dedicated to the care and welfare of the people of West Lothian and that is a lot more than can be said for our elected representatives, our politicians.

I personally have no political affiliation or interest other than to care about the community in which I live and belong to.
I was at the last meeting held by the support group and the meeting was very well organised and was in my opinion very rational and well presented. it was also attended by over 70 members of the public and this IS sure to increase with future meetings, The reason they were all there was because they all have a common purpose to save and preserve our hospital.

The facts of the matter are that for over 40 years this community has been well served by a fully functional and operational 24-7 hospital.
The facts do not lie and more and more very important services and facilities are being moved away from St John's and once something is removed it is oh so difficult to get this returned. This campaign is not a political campaign, it is about decent local people who care and deserve much better. I may suggest that we as a community are being treated with contempt, why should we have to travel out-with our area to receive key medical care?
Why should a woman like Elsie Boyd have to fight and get almost 19000 signatures before some albeit very poor transport would be provided?
The people deserve reasonable and decent facilities not facilities which are dictated by your post code...Health care should never be compromised and this campaign has to be supported. it is not a political campaign but a campaign to preserve the needs of our community, for our children and grandchildren, for young and old and for rich and poor.
It is appalling that this is being made out to be politically motivated.

The people have to be listened to and respected. West Lothian is a vibrant and expanding area, we a want a vibrant and fully functional hospital not a cottage hospital more befitting of a Rural community.

I urge everyone who cares about our health care and our community to get behind this campaign and I would ask our “elected representatives” to give everyone involved in this campaign the respect and acknowledgement they deserve.

B B
Seafield

Posted 2nd March 2007:

Hi

I enjoyed [the Stop the Downgrade Campaign meeting 1st March] tonight and will continue to back you as much as I can.

I have been involved in previous meetings during the consultations. I handed documents and bills (for travel, car parking, television and food costs for a weekend at ERI) to both Mary Mulligan and Brian Cavanagh and did not receive an appopriate reply, nor recompense. They fobbed me off.

I sent a letter to The courier and they did not publish it so it is like hitting your head off a brick wall - but would have nowhere to be treated locally.

I also have knowledge that they are moving the plastic's appointments to Edinburgh as I have been attending SJH but received a letter a few weeks ago to advise of the change.

Regards,

L M

Posted 23rd February 2007:

The 1997 mantra "things can only get better" does not obviously apply to health services in West Lothian. St. John's hospital, built to replace the old Bangour hospital, offered us, the people of this county, a state of the art facility which we all welcomed but now we find that services which we need are being moved many miles away without giving the "customers" the chance to air their greivances.

As I drive around the county I see much new house building taking place and wonder where these prospective patients, who are going to occupy these houses, will be treated if they are unfortunate enough to need hospital treatment.

As previous correspondents have pointed out the difficulties encountered travelling the route from West Lothian to Little France I should like to add the expense should the proposed road charging be introduced.

With the increasing tax burden the reduction in many of our services, not only health, and the refusal of the authorities to consult, I have come to the conclusion that this country is fast approaching the position of being a third world dictatorship

B.H.Livingston

Posted 18th February 2007:

Hope this campaign goes from strength to strength!! All those who have put
so much of their own time and effort into this campaign should be applauded
by all those in West Lothian!! On behalf of all of us THANK-YOU!!!!!

E D

Posted 13th February 2007:

I'm only in my 20's and in good health (touch wood!) but this has me concerned. What if the day comes that I'm in an accident or have a baby, where will I go to? I battle the Bypass & M8 traffic every day and often see ambulances struggling to get through. At least they've got the blue lights but what if you're taking someone by car, because as we've heard, you can't even rely on an ambulance nowadays.

I've read all the stories about people from West Lothian having to go to Wishaw and maybe even the proposed hospital in Larbert. Since when was it promoted to get care out with your county? West Lothian residents soon won't even get care in Edinburgh, they'll be going to Lanarkshire or Falkirk.

What's happened to this country? Surely it makes sense to keep acute services local? Leave the specialised care to the larger hospitals.

Suppose there's one good thing, you'll be less likely to catch MRSA – that's because there'll be no hospital to go to!

.

Posted 13th February 2007:

Thank you for informing the people of West Lothian that services are still being withdrawn from St John's, it's time that we stood up and were counted. Continue the good work.

JS Broxburn, West Lothian

Posted 10th February 2007:

I was a patient at the RIE in 2005. I was appalled at being transferred to the RIE when St John’s Hospital was only ten minutes away. I was also appalled at the lack of transport to the RIE and the ridiculous parking charges. These factors are a very real concern for those now forced to travel to RIE either as visitors or patients. Brian Cavanagh promised that transport would be provided when services were moved. One of many broken promises!

I presented a petition of 18,819 signatures to the Enterprise and Development Committee of WLC in November 2005 asking for funding for a direct bus service to the RIE from West Lothian. This pressure resulted in the Healthlink dial-a-bus service which started in April 06. This service has been very welcome with over 1100 people using it so far. But it is a very limited service (the cheapest option) and really leaves a lot to be desired.

In August 06 I invited Politicians, Councillors and NHS Lothian to experience the 5½-hour return journey between Bathgate and RIE using public transport. The purpose of this trip was to bring home the difficulties people are facing getting to hospital. I hoped that the experience would encourage improvements to the service. The entire Labour group declined, (only 5 had the courtesy to respond) as did Brian Cavanagh. The service has seen little improvement and the lack of advertising and support suggests that the decision-makers are not as committed as they could be. I have even found myself distributing timetables, since they are not being made readily available to the public.

This service will only continue beyond March 07 if WLC and the NHS provide funding.

The requirement for transport is the simple side effect of removing services from St Johns. What is really required is for these services to be returned to where they are needed and where they should be!

I had hoped to join the West Lothian Campaign Group but on every occasion I asked about meetings I was told by the Secretary (a Labour Councilor) that he was too busy to arrange meetings! Too busy to arrange meetings to save our Hospital!?!

I have now joined the new Stop the Downgrade Campaign, I believe Ernie Walker will tell people the truth about what is happening with none of the cover up we have had in the past.

I wish Ernie well with the Campaign and encourage you to give it your support.

E B Blackburn W.L.
Retired Nurse

Posted 3rd February 2007:

Dear Mr Walker
It was with some disappointment and concern that I read the following
comment on your website. "The obstetricians are being discouraged by the
Health Board to permit mothers from giving birth at St John's!". My wife
gave birth at St. John's last week and at no time did either the midwife or
the consultant suggest that the birth should be anywhere but at St. John's!
What you are saying to the poeple of West Lothian is a lie and you should
stop.

Indeed, in the bay (out of 4) there were 2 mothers from Edinburgh and the
ward was extremely busy. This does not chime with the suggestion that
expectant mothers are being pushed toward the Royal.

People like you should stop talking the NHS and its staff down. Maybe morale
would be better if people stopped suggesting things that are simply not
backed up by the factual position.

The staff at St. John's who cared for my wife and son were first rate in
every way and, in fact, were cheerful in everything they did. I think we
should talk up St. John's and not talk it down - as you are determined to
do.

J D
Westfield

Reply to Mr D's comments posted 7th February 2007

Dear Mr D,

Your letter raises an important point and I wanted time to reflect upon my answer. You are not the first to level this charge. The Health Board and the local Labour politicians have said much the same thing!
Let me state clearly that I and the Stop the Downgrade Campaign fully support the workforce at St John's. They strive hard to provide an invaluable service to their patients.
The difficulty is that the Health Board is WITHDRAWING services and personnel in the mistaken belief that centralisation to Edinburgh will save money and reduce a multimillion pound deficit due in part to the spiralling costs of the private finance initiative.
What you are not being told is that St John's is being changed from a fully-fledged acute general hospital to one which provides non-emergency services on a nine to five basis. The loss of acute surgery and orthopaedics in 2004 was the start of the downgrading process which is ongoing at a hidden level.
The reason you do not know about this process is that the staff have been threatened with disciplinary action. Many have written to me in confidence expressing fears for their individual departments. Doctors and nurses are not being replaced, operating theatres are underutilised, training budgets have been slashed and even simple things like ordering office supplies have become impossible.On January 1st, there was not enough fresh food for patients in some parts of the hospital and linen was almost exhausted.

The Chief Executive of the hospital should be addressing these issues but he too has been seconded to Edinburgh to try and cut the huge budget deficit. All these steps are being taken by Lothian Health in a desperate attempt to make savings before the end of this financial year. And it will be worse next year!

I am pleased that your wife got first rate care at St John's. I would expect no less. We as members of the public have a duty to support our local hospital and its staff by making widely known what they as individuals cannot tell us. St John's is dying by a thousand cuts and shortly after 2009 (when Europe forces a further reduction in working hours) there will be little or no emergency service left. If you become acutely ill in west Lothian you will have to travel to the Royal.

I hope you will join me and many others across the country who will say no to the financial disaster of PFI, no to the downgrading of several hospitals across Scotland and yes to one of the founding principles of the NHS that health care should be delivered locally.

Yours truly,

Ernie.

Posted 1st February 2007:

When the Edinburgh Evening News reported on the news that the ‘Stop the Downgrade’ Campaign was to be started, it was reported that Labour councillor Morrice, Leader of West Lothian Council, commented "It's sad and disappointing that an individual member of the campaign group has decided to set up his own personal campaign group."

If this reflects the views of the Labour controlled West Lothian Council then THAT is 'sad and disappointing'.
I'm sure that this is not a 'personal' campaign group but a Public one that will attract massive support when people on the street get to know what is really happening with our NHS in West Lothian.

Personal experience of regular 60 mile round trips from West Lothian to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary is the stark reality resulting from Labour NHS policies.
Patients, shuttling from West Lothian to Edinburgh by minibus, having to endure 8 or 9 hour days, 3 days a week just because the capacity or expertise for treatment is in an Edinburgh Hospital and not in West Lothian's St John's hospital shows complete disregard for patients’ well being.

Perhaps Labour Councillor Morrice should pay a visit to the real world and show support for a campaign which is striving to ensure that the people of West Lothian get a decent level of medical care AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL instead of having to travel huge distances just to support a lame duck Edinburgh hospital which seems to be financially out of control.

And what about the Government's 'green' policy? That's laughable considering the huge amount of extra travel (and expense) incurred by patients and visitors in travelling to distant hospitals.

Good luck to Mr. Walker and the Campaign to stop the downgrading of St John's Hospital. Hopefully the West Lothian Community will get behind this worthwhile campaign and support it all the way to the polling booths.

BG West Lothian

Posted 31st January 2007:

"The people of West Lothian have to come together and fight for their hospital before it's too late and they discover that when they need it St. John's is no longer there".

MM Blackridge, West Lothian