The South Glos Post

The NHS has announced today that Stephen Harrison has been appointed chairman of the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust cluster.

The PCT cluster is the executive and governance function of the three PCTs for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, who collectively commission £1.5 billion worth of health services for their populations of around one million people. Mr Harrison was previously chair of NHS North Somerset, the local Primary Care Trust for North Somerset.

Deborah Evans, chief executive of the cluster said:

“I am delighted to welcome Stephen as chair for our cluster. He has already been doing an excellent job as interim chair and helping the three primary care trusts come together to work smoothly.”

“Stephen brings his wealth of experience from being chair at North Somerset and his previous council roles and I am glad to have him on board as we carry on the important work to get ready to hand over a well run health service to the Clinical Commissioning Groups in 2013. I would also like to thank the former chairs of NHS Bristol, Richard Weatherhead, and NHS South Gloucestershire, Melanie Gibbs, for all their much valued work and continued support during our transition into a cluster of PCTs.”

More: New boss was previously Chair of NHS North Somerset »

Source: NHS South Gloucestershire

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Press release by the Conservative Group on SGC

A vote forcing a local NHS U-turn on the new Frenchay community hospital has been narrowly defeated.

Labour councillors tabled a motion at last night’s South Gloucestershire Council meeting calling on the local North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) to overturn its decision to involve an independent provider, such as St Monica’s Trust, in the new Frenchay Community Hospital – similar to the previous Labour government’s Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) at nearby Emersons Green.

Before the meeting, NBT’s Projects Directorate had warned councillors that if this happened then the scheme’s timetable would be “compromised and we will not have the new facilities in place to coincide with opening of the new Hospital at Southmead … if we are not able to progress our proposed procurement strategy, the project is very much at risk.”

When it came to the vote, only the Conservatives voted as a whole group in favour of NBT’s plans, which was enough to defeat the motion.

Read on for reaction from Tory councillors after the vote »

Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council

Press release by the Conservative Group on SGC

The new Frenchay Community Hospital is at risk because of Labour politicking, according to health campaigners.

The criticism of Labour councillors follows their decision to table a motion at tonight’s South Gloucestershire Council meeting calling on the local NHS to overturn its decision to involve an independent provider in the new Frenchay Community Hospital – similar to the previous Labour government’s Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) at nearby Emersons Green.

But – in advance of the meeting – the local North Bristol NHS Trust has warned councillors that if this happens then the scheme’s timetable will be “compromised and we will not have the new facilities in place to coincide with opening of the new Hospital at Southmead … if we are not able to progress our proposed procurement strategy, the project is very much at risk.”

Although contracts to downgrade Frenchay Hospital and stripping it of its acute services were signed by the previous Labour government shortly before the 2010 General Election, local Conservatives have been campaigning for the maximum possible health facilities to remain at Frenchay.

As a result, the range of services now envisaged for Frenchay is greater than that proposed in the original Bristol Health Services Plan drawn up by the previous Labour government in 2005 – and this has been acknowledged by the group overseeing the community hospital project.

New community hospital “at risk” claims Tory councillor »

Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council

Labour’s leader in South Gloucestershire will challenge the other political parties to join him in asking the local NHS to overturn a decision to hand nursing care at the new Frenchay community hospital over to the private sector. Bosses from the North Bristol NHS Trust told councillors last month that they do not see themselves as running the new community hospital when it opens in 2014, and that the running of the new hospital and the nursing staff would instead be provided by an external company.

Now Labour’s leader, Councillor Andy Perkins (Labour, Woodstock), has tabled a motion for debate when South Gloucestershire Council meets on Wednesday 19th October. The motion will call on the Council to lobby the Trust to rethink and overturn this decision. It also asks the district’s three MPs to add their pressure to retain an all-NHS facility at Frenchay.

Commenting on the move, Cllr Perkins said:

“Most local patients will be shocked to learn that the Frenchay community hospital will not be an all-NHS facility when it opens in 2014. This part-privatisation was never part of the original plans for redeveloping Frenchay. It is a worrying and unwelcome development which I fear is a sign of what the Tory-led government plans to do with our public services. Political dogma and the Tories’ love of the market must not be put before patient care and staff conditions.”

Emersons Green ISTC a different matter, says councillor »

Source: Labour Councillors on South Gloucestershire Council