Liberal Democrat Leader’s concerns about proposed NHS changes in Oldham

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and Leader of the Opposition, has written to the Chief Executive of Oldham Council, Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, to raise a number of concerns and questions about the proposals being taken forward in Oldham in the provision of GP and urgent care services.

Under the proposals, urgent care hubs will be created in five health centres around the borough, replacing the town centre walk-in centre which will close.  Patients are also promised greater access to their local GP and a single telephone number to call with enquiries.

In his email, Councillor Sykes is seeking reassurances that there will be in reality a better, more accessible service for patients, particularly those that he and his Liberal Democrat ward colleagues represent in Shaw and Crompton, and that there are firm plans to finally replace the existing aging Crompton Health Centre which Councillor Sykes describes ‘frankly far from fit-for-purpose’ and a source of ‘resentment’ when local patients see ‘the facilities provided daily to their neighbours in Royton’.

The email reads

From: Howard Sykes
Sent: 11 October 2018 16:26
To: Carolyn Wilkins <Carolyn.Wilkins@oldham.gov.uk>
Cc: howard.sykes@oldham.gov.uk
Subject: Questions re Proposed Urgent Care Changes

Dear Dr Wilkins,

I have several questions that I would like please to pose for you.

Will the single telephone number that is promised for patients to contact be an Oldham wide number?

My concern is that this will be overwhelmed by calls and staff will be unable to answer them promptly.

This has been the situation with the Police 101 number.

How will calls be managed – will they be answered centrally or will callers be automatically routed to their own GP surgery or their local ‘urgent care hub’?

Under current proposals, five new hubs will be designated as ‘Urgent Care Hubs’, each serving around 50,000 people.

Am I right in assuming that the Royton Health Centre will be one of the five new ‘urgent care hubs’?

Shaw and Crompton are paired with Royton.  Given that Royton has a new health centre and we do not, I am assuming this will lead to the Royton health centre being designated the hub also for Shaw and Crompton, despite the public transport links being poor or not existent?

Where does this then leave the prospects for the future replacement of Crompton Health Centre which frankly is far from fit-for-purpose?

The people of Shaw and Crompton continue to feel badly let down by the NHS and this Council because of their failure to replace this centre a long time ago and their resentment builds with every month that passes without action, especially when they see the facilities provided daily to their neighbours in Royton.

What guarantee will there be under current proposals that there will be an adequate after-hours service and that patients will have greater access to GPs, particularly outside the hours of 8-6 weekdays?

At present many of my constituents wait days or weeks before they can access a GP of their choosing at a time that suits them.  This leads them to present at the Walk in Centre or A+E.

Under current plans, the town centre LIFT walk-in centre will be closed when the new hubs are open.

As this must be one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the property portfolio of our local NHS, what plans are there to reuse part, or all, of the building and what will happen to the equipment and people that are in there.

Has an audit been carried out recently of all NHS properties in our Borough, whether owned or leased, to determine whether all buildings are used to the utmost for treatment or ancillary purposes or whether they can be sold off to generate capital to reinvest in remaining buildings and services?  If so can this information be shared with me?

After the Walk in Centre closure, what will prevent patients from simply presenting to A+E for urgent treatment, rather than waiting to be seen by a GP or at the hub?

Can you give a guarantee that with the establishment of the hub, the A+E Department at the Royal Oldham Hospital will not be closed or its services reduced or downgraded?

I shall look forward to receiving your responses.

Best wishes.

Liberal Democrat Leader’s Plea to help make Car Washes Slavery Free

On the eve of Anti-Slavery Day (18 October 2018), Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and Leader of the Opposition, is urging local drivers, and their passengers, to be vigilant for the presence of modern slavery when they use local car washes.

Councillor Sykes said: “We have recently debated at the Council the existence of modern slavery in British society, and politicians of all parties are determined to see an end to it.  Slavery in all of its forms is totally abhorrent, but it still exists even in Britain and it is often occurring right under our noses.”

The National Crime Agency has indicated that they are thousands of people being exploited in this way in the UK, often working long hours for little or no pay, in the most atrocious conditions and with scant regard for health and safety legislation.  Some of these individuals are being coerced to work with the threat of violence.

Councillor Sykes added: “Although we may think that such exploitation may be limited to unscrupulous gang-masters herding their workers to carry out endless, menial tasks in agriculture, modern slavery is on our streets and one of the places it can be seen is amongst the many thousands of on-street hand car washes that have been established in our communities.”

The Church of England has launched a Safe Car Wash app that can be downloaded by the general public to their smart phones and devices to help the police tackle the problem.  Users are asked to open the app and complete a short survey about the working conditions for staff that they observe whilst using the car wash.  The data is anonymised and then shared with the National Crime Agency and the Labour Abuse Authority.

Councillor Sykes concurs: “Put simply, the Safe Car Wash app is one way that each of us as individuals can make a real difference.  I would urge everyone to use Anti-Slavery Day to resolve to download this app and to complete the questionnaire every time they use a car wash to help to bring the scourge of modern slavery to an end.”

The app can be found at https://www.theclewerinitiative.org/safecarwash/

SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES AT TIPPING POINT WARN LOCAL LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

The Oldham Liberal Democrat Group has warned that patients could have to wait longer for sexual health services with visits to clinics up by 25 per cent in five years at the same time as funding for councils to provide vital public health services has been cut.

In 2016 there were 2,456,779 new attendances at sexual health clinics compared with 1,941,801 in 2012 across England. Local Liberal Democrats recognise that it is good news more people are taking responsibility for their sexual health, but warn this is placing a significant strain on councils’ resources.

Commenting, the Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE said: “While it is encouraging that more and more people are taking their own, and their partners’, sexual health seriously, we are concerned that this increase in demand is creating capacity and resource issues for councils.”

“We are concerned that this will see waiting times start to increase and patient experience deteriorate.  The current Government’s cuts to councils’ public health budgets of £531 million – a reduction of nearly 10 per cent – has left local authorities struggling to keep up with increased demand for sexual health services.”

While the number of new diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections fell by 4 per cent in 2016, councils are warning that it will be “extremely challenging” to maintain services at the current level.

Liberal Democrats are calling on government to recognise the importance of improving sexual health by reversing public health cuts.  The funding is desperately needed to meet the increasing demand, otherwise patients could face longer waiting times and a reduced quality of service.

Councillor Sykes added: “We are concerned that this will see waiting times start to increase and patient experience deteriorate.”

“The reduction in public health funding could also compound problems further and impact on councils’ ability to meet demand and respond to unforeseen outbreaks.  We cannot tackle this by stretching services even thinner.”

“It is obviously good news that diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections are down, but sexual health services are now reaching a tipping point where it will be extremely challenging to maintain this progress.

“Once again this is an example of councils inheriting the responsibility of public health when it was transferred from the NHS in 2013, but without the necessary resources to deliver services.”

Notes 

The Government reduced councils’ public health grant by £331 million from 2016/17 to 2020/21.  This followed a £200 million in-year reduction in 2015/16.

Councils spend approximately £600 million a year on sexual health services.  The overall public health budget for 2017/18 is £3.4 billion.

Save our Local Cash Points, say Shaw and Crompton Liberal Democrats

With the announcement that traditional banking services in Shaw and Crompton will come to an end in January 2019 with the closure of the local Royal Bank of Scotland Branch, Shaw Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, who is the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, has written to the Chairman and Head of Consumer Affairs at the LINK organisation seeking reassurances that residents and visitors will be able to access ready cash from a network of local ATM machines, especially during busy bank holiday and holiday weekends.

LINK is the UK’s largest cash machine (or ATM – Automated Teller Machine) network.  . Effectively every cash machine in the UK is connected to LINK, and LINK is the only way banks and building societies can offer their customers access to cash across the whole of the UK. All the UK’s main debit and ATM card issuers are LINK members.

Councillor Sykes commented:  “We have already lost cash machines at the Yorkshire and Barclays Banks, and at Martins Newsagents with the closure of these outlets.  Liberal Democrat Councillors have sought to put pressure on the Royal Bank of Scotland to retain the cash point at the old branch when it closes in the new-year, but they have only so far committed to maintain the machine outside the Tesco supermarket on Market Street.  We estimate that we have suffered a net loss of at least two machines, and with the Royal Bank of Scotland closure this will represent a third.

He added:  “An additional problem is that during busy bank holiday weekends, cash machines are only replenished, at the latest, the Friday before, and local people report real difficulty in accessing their cash as the weekend goes on as demand is so high. These machines are not refilled until the following Tuesday.  So not only will my constituents soon be unable to go into a high street bank, but they are more than likely to be unable to access cash from a high street cash point at the times when they most need it.”

Councillor Sykes has written to LINK senior staff seeking their assurance that efforts will be made to persuade the Royal Bank of Scotland to at least retain the cash machine at the branch once it closes and that LINK partners will replenish properly those local machines for which they are responsible in time for busy weekends.

He also has one more request:  “Crompton Ward has a high percentage of retired residents, and is poorly served by public transport in the evenings and weekends despite being some way from Shaw centre.   There is presently only one ATM machine in High Crompton at the Londis mini-market on Rochdale Road, but this store closes at 8.30pm at the latest.  I have also asked LINK if we can explore other possible sites for ATM machines in parts of Shaw and Crompton that are either currently poorly served, or not served at all so everyone, wherever they live, can easily access their own money.”

SCRAPPING OF THE COUNCIL BORROWING CAP FOR HOUSING

Oldham Liberal Democrats have welcomed the Prime Minister’s recent announcement that the borrowing cap which has prevented them investing in much needed social and affordable housing is to be lifted.

“The Prime Minister has finally yielded to the many voices speaking common sense in urging her to abandon the borrowing cap to enable new affordable homes to meet increasing need and those lost through Right to Buy.  This decision reflects the position of the Liberal Democrats and the Local Government Association, who have been seeking an end to the cap for many years. In their hey-day, councils were building 4 in every 10 of the nation’s homes, and we now need to see a Council house building revival”, said Crompton Councillor Diane Williamson, Shadow Cabinet member for Policing, Community Safety and Housing on Oldham Borough Council.

“All Parties and councils, regardless of whether they were Liberal Democrat, Labour or Conservative, have been calling on the Government to lift the borrowing cap, so councils can once more help deal with the significant problems people face in getting a home of their home.  While, as always, we will need to wait to see the detail behind the Government’s announcement, this is a good news day for local councils and more especially for people waiting to get onto the housing ladder.”

Councillor Williamson added: “I shall look forward to seeing whether Oldham’s Labour Council will now quickly rise to the challenge and look to take advance of the change of rules by building new affordable homes in our borough as soon as possible.”

Liberal Democrats Suggest New Measures to Address Speeding

Saddleworth North Councillor Garth Harkness has written, on behalf of his colleagues in the Oldham Council Liberal Democrat Group, to the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Arooj Shah, with some suggestions to help tackle speeding in the Borough.

Councillor Harkness said:

“Many residents contact me about speeding concerns. In Saddleworth myself and Derek Heffernan have arranged for a number of surveys across some of the Saddleworth villages and it is clear in a number of places there is a problem

“Speeding is one of those issues that every ward councillor receives complaints about on a regular basis.  At the last Council, several members representing different parts of the Borough raised their concerns about speeding. Like them, I too receive complaints about speeding in Saddleworth North, and as this is a non-party political issue I wanted to make some practical suggestions to the Labour Administration to help tackle this blight. I hope that they will be taken up.”

Councillor Harkness has put forward a number of suggestions:

  1. To purchase and deploy mobile speed cameras to catch offenders.  Such a measure will, I believe, pay for itself very quickly and will help change driver behaviour and improve road safety.
  2. That we look to work with community and residents’ group to establish Community Speed Watch schemes in the Borough https://www.communityspeedwatch.org/
  3. Other local authorities are introducing ‘bus gates’ outside schools to limit vehicular through traffic to cycles and local buses at the start and end of the school day, with a fixed penalty for transgressors. This would reduce the likelihood of other traffic speeding past schools when pupils are entering or exiting schools.
  4. Increase Community Concern speed enforcement sites.

DATE CHANGE TO 24 OCTOBER – Appeal of Planning  – Asda Supermarket, Greenfield Lane, Shaw, OL2 8QP (Application Number PA/339852/17) – Petrol filling station

Re: Appeal of Planning  – Asda Supermarket, Greenfield Lane, Shaw, OL2 8QP (Application Number PA/339852/17) – Petrol filling station 

  1. Change of use of land from car park to create a petrol filling station
  2. Erection of payment kiosk
  3. Associated works including CCTV

I wrote to local residents on the 18 April 2018 to advise you that an appeal has been logged by Asda following the refusal of the planning application described above.  I have now received confirmation the appeal will be considered at an informal hearing by an independent Planning Inspector and the date for this has now been set:

Appeal time: 10:00am
Appeal date: 24th October 2018
Venue: Lees Room A Tuesday, 23 October at 10.00am, Crompton Room A, Oldham Civic Centre

How to get to the venue

You can access the room from the Rochdale Road Entrance of the Civic Centre – follow the signs from the car park. (Please note, do not use the ‘One Stop Shop’ entrance on Cheapside). The room is fully wheelchair accessible.

Car parking, including disabled spaces, are available on the Civic Centre car park.  Alternatively the entrance is a short walk from Oldham Bus Station.  A map is available from the Council’s  website at www.oldham.gov.uk

What YOU can do on the day

You have a right to attend the Informal Hearing in person or appoint a representative to attend on your behalf.  If you wish to speak you must be in attendance at the opening of the appeal and this will also be at the discretion of the Inspector.

I would urge those that can to attend if only for part of the day – it can make a real difference.

Inspecting the appeal documents

A copy of the appellant’s (the person making the appeal) grounds of appeal along with their supporting documentation; and the Council’s questionnaire, plus supporting documentation, can be inspected at Civic Centre’s One Stop Shop on West Street, Oldham, by appointment.

Finding out about the appeal decision

If you wish to be notified of the outcome of the appeal, you must request a copy from the Planning Inspectorate from the following address:

The Planning Inspectorate, Room 304a, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN.  Tel: 0303444 5301  Email: Teamp15@pins.gsi.gov.uk  Twitter: @PINSgov  http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/planninginspectorate

Alternatively, when decisions are approved they are available on the Oldham Council website.

Want to know more?

Further information on the appeal process is available from at www.oldham.gov.uk (see ‘Quick Links’ – Planning).  You can also find out about the appeal proceedings by following this link http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/pins/taking-part_planning-hearing.pdf

In view of the detrimental effect this development will have on local residents and the surrounding area I strongly advise you to challenge the appeal and raise your concerns to ensure the decision to refuse the planning application is not overturned.

Your three local councillors will be doing what we can but it really does help the case if local residents, like with the planning application itself, attend and make sure their voices are heard.

I do hope this information is of use to you and if I, or my Shaw Ward colleagues Councillor Chris Gloster or Councillor Hazel Gloster, can be of any assistance with this or any other matter in the future, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Oldham Liberal Democrats say food premises should be required to display hygiene certificates by law

Recent revelations from the Food Standards Agency show that eleven food premises in Oldham were given a 1 rating for hygiene, yet over half of food business in England do not even display their food hygiene ratings certificates on their premises or online.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, who is the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, is giving the backing of his Group to the campaign by the Food Standards Agency and the Local Government Association for the Government to change the law so that all food businesses are obliged to display their ratings.

Council environmental health officers award a score of zero to five to food outlets, based on factors such as kitchen cleanliness, cooking methods and food safety management. The ratings are intended to inform customers when they are choosing to purchase a meal about the hygiene practices in that business, but only 49 percent of businesses in England display their rating.

Councillor Sykes, who is also the Leader of the Liberal Democrat councillors’ group on the Local Government Association, said: “We have all heard the horror stories about unhygienic food outlets with kitchens over run with vermin, filthy work surfaces and dirty cooking implements.  Sometimes inspectors are forced to immediately close food premises because their practices are so bad and in Oldham we are active in prosecuting offenders.  Customers need reassurances that any premises are safe for them to purchase food from.”

The Local Government Association is calling for the Government to change the law so that the display of hygiene ratings becomes mandatory on premises or on on-line apps, as it is in Wales and Northern Ireland, with offenders who fail to do so being prosecuted.

Councillor Sykes added: “Food hygiene inspections clearly help drive up standards and protect people from being served unsafe food.  Isn’t it common sense then to have the ratings that result from these inspections on display?  It is only right that customers can see these ratings as they enter a premises or order food online in order that they can make informed choices.  I would ask customers to question why a food business does not have its rating on display – I would never purchase food from an outlet which fails to do so.”

NOTES

According to the 2018 Food Standards Agency report, ‘Display of food hygiene ratings in England, Northern Ireland and Wales’, the rating is visible outside 49 per cent of premises in England, compared to 84 per cent in Wales and 82 per cent in Northern Ireland.

Under the food hygiene rating scheme, a business is given one of the six hygiene ratings from 0-5 as follows: 5 (very good); 4 (good); 3 (generally satisfactory); 2 (improvement necessary); 1 (major improvement necessary); 0 (urgent improvement necessary).

Mandatory display of food hygiene ratings is supported by The Food Standards Agency, consumer organisation Which? and the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health.

Environmental health officers can serve enforcement notices, prosecute and close food establishments where conditions are found to be poor.

Small cash grants for local groups and people

The grants have been made available through the Thriving Communities programme which focuses on building on the strengths, people and groups that already exist within our communities. It highlights how by using our community resources we can tackle problems earlier, rather than dealing with the symptoms later. It helps residents make better choices about their health and wellbeing by linking them to community groups and networks at a grass roots level.

Fast grants enable access to smaller amounts of funding for good ideas without the red tape.

Amounts available range from £50 – £500 and can be spent on:

  • Improving a local area
  • Running activities such as stay and play groups, and arts and craft groups
  • Developing local talent and skills
  • Encouraging the community to be fit and healthy

Fast Grants Flyer 2018 V7 NCM

These grants are designed to bring communities together and anyone with an idea which will have a benefit for Oldham residents can apply.

Applicants can apply for a Fast Grant by visiting www.oldhamcares.com/fast-grants or by emailing thriving.communities@oldhamcares.com