18 January 2017
Against the backdrop of growing disquiet about the ability of the NHS in England to cope, local campaigners are questioning Enfield's health commissioning body about its plans to cut back on the types of surgical procedures that will be available from the NHS.
While attention nationally has been focused on accident and emergency departments that are struggling to meet demand, Defend Enfield NHS this week has been concerned with proposals to reduce NHS provision of non-emergency (so-called.......
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21 December 2016
The Department of Health is carrying out a survey into the experiences of dementia patients and their families and carers. The deadline for responses is 31 January 2017.
Dementia: care, support and awareness
The Government’s aim is for England to be the best place in the world for people with dementia, their families and carers to live and the best place to undertake research into dementia.
We want to hear first-hand from people with dementia, their families and carers if we are.......
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21 December 2016
Journalists from BBC Inside Out are looking for people who live in Enfield and who have been refused or waited a long time for a cataract operation for a current affairs programme to be shown on BBC 1 regarding the restriction of NHS services.
If you think you would be interested in being interviewed please contact Emma Wass on 0191 2441294 or 07738.......
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07 November 2016
A booklet has been published under the title Stay Well in Enfield and Haringey This Winter.
The introduction reads as follows:
"With increasing pressures on Accident and Emergency (A&E), particularly in winter, it is important to know what service to choose to best treat your symptoms when you or your family are unwell. Not only can you get faster and better treatment by choosing the right NHS service, but you will help us reduce the pressure on emergency services, so they can help those.......
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02 November 2016
Healthwatch Enfield is running an online survey to gauge the level of satisfaction with opening hours at GP surgeries.
Online.......
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02 November 2016
Joan Ryan, MP for Enfield North, has launched an online petition calling on the Government to take immediate action to ensure that we have the number of GPs we need in Enfield for the size of our population.
She is calling for a plan for at least 84 more GPs in Enfield by 2020, as recommended by the Royal College of General Practitioners.
The petition is online at joanryan.org.uk/moregpsforenfield.......
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27 October 2016
Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group is proposing to close the paediatric assessment unit at Chase Farm Hospital and instead introduce a "new model of care". Members of the public can give their views - the deadline for responses is 15 January 2017.
Paediatric assessment unit consultation
We want to hear your views about our proposed changes to the Paediatric Assessment Unit at Chase Farm Hospital
The Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) at Chase Farm Hospital is open from 9am-9pm, every.......
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26 October 2016
In defiance of instructions not to do so, two North London councils have published draft proposals for cost-cutting changes to NHS services in the five "North Central London" boroughs - Camden, Islington, Haringey, Enfield and Barnet.
"Lack of public, patient and political involvement"
Councillor Sarah Hayward, leader of Camden Council, took this step because of her "serious reservations" about the process used to draw up the proposals. In a statement published on her council's website.......
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and forum comments
18 October 2016
A newly formed group of concerned Enfield residents is monitoring changes to NHS services in the borough and plans to form a focus for resistance to further cuts and privatisation.
Members of "Defend Enfield NHS" are particularly concerned about the severe cost-cutting measures that are being forced upon the organisation that purchases all health services in the borough - the Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group (Enfield CCG).
"More difficult to qualify for treatment"
In response to demands.......
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05 September 2016
Information about plans currently being drawn up to make radical changes to NHS services in Enfield and four other north London boroughs will be made public at a meeting on 26th September.
Details of the meeting at the Dugdale Centre have appeared on the Healthwatch Enfield website (see the box at the bottom of this article).
The plan in question is one of the "Sustainability and Transformation Plans" (STPs) that are currently in development, each covering health and social care in one.......
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31 August 2016
The body that commissions and pays for NHS services in Enfield is being forced to make sharp reductions in expenditure over the next two years which will inevitably affect the availability of services.
In addition, over the next five years the NHS in the five "North Central London" boroughs will be required to reduce the level of annual expenditure by around £771 million, to be achieved through implementing "Sustainability & Transformation Plans". These savings are required.......
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20 August 2016
Information from the weekly newletter issued by London Councils.
Consultation on HIV prevention drugs
London Councils is calling on Londoners to respond to the NHS England online consultation on HIV prevention drugs, known as PrEP. The drugs can be prescribed to people at greatest risk of contracting HIV.
NHS England announced earlier this year that it does not have the power to commission PrEP, but a judicial review brought by the National Aids Trust determined that it could. NHS.......
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05 August 2016
A petition has been launched in support of a cross-party campaign demanding "Fairer Funding for Enfield".
The petition has been organised by the Enfield Over 50s Forum and has the strong support of both political parties represented on Enfield Council. Enfield residents of all ages are invited to sign - the effects of underfunding are felt across the generations.
FAIRER FUNDING FOR ENFIELD
A cross-political party Petition addressed to the Secretary of State, Department of.......
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04 August 2016
Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group is carrying out an online survey of residents' experience of local Paediatric Assessment Units.
There will be a focus group meeting on 23rd August.
Please tell us your experience of local Paediatric Assessment Units (PAUs)
Paediatric Assessment Units (PAU) provide specialist urgent care services to children aged 0-18. To access care at a PAU, children need to be referred by a health professional.
We would like to hear about your experiences of local.......
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25 July 2016
A recently published document provides a detailed timeline of the developing crisis in Accident & Emergency at the North Middlesex Hospital and of the actions taken to mitigate the situation.
The document, entitled Quality and Safety Concerns at North Middlesex UniversityHospital, was prepared for discussion at the July meeting of the Governing Body of Haringey Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)*. A summary on the front page reads as follows:
During the last 18 months, Haringey CCG.......
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06 July 2016
The Care Quality Commission carried out an inspection of the Emergency Department at the North Middlesex Hosptial last week and has today issued the following press release.
The specialist website NHE has published an article based on the press release with a small amount of comment and additional reporting.
CQC inspectors find emergency care at North Middlesex University Hospital to be Inadequate
Published: 6 July 2016Service: North Middlesex University HospitalProvider: North Middlesex.......
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03 July 2016
The "watchdog" organisation Healthwatch Enfield has issued its Annual Report for 2015/16.
Healthwatch defines its role as follows:
Healthwatch Enfield is the independent consumer champion for health and social care in the borough.
We’re here to amplify the voices of local people and to help them find the health and social care services that they need.
Everything we say and do is informed by our connections to local people. Our sole focus is on understanding the needs, positive.......
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15 June 2016
An article in the Guardian has revealed that there is a serious risk that the Accident & Emergency Department at the North Middlesex Hospital may be forced to close in the near future because an acute shortage of doctors means that it is unable to provide a sufficient level of patient safety.
North Mid has one of the busiest A&E departments in the country, treating up to 500 cases per day.
Though it has been clear for some time that there were serious problems with the North Mid's.......
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and forum comments
11 June 2016
Do you have questions about GPs in your local area? Want to give us some feedback on your local practice?
Healthwatch Enfield will be holding a twitter Question and Answer session next Friday on GPs in Enfield. Staff will be on hand to answer any questions you have about GPs in your local area and to listen to your feedback.
To take part simply tweet using the hashtag #myGP on Friday 17th June between 11.30am and 2pm.
Our twitter feed is.......
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24 May 2016
Despite increases in the borough's population, the organisation that pays for NHS services in Enfield is being asked to cut its expenditure by nearly five per cent this year.
The scale of savings being required was revealed at the 11th May meeting of the governing body of Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). At the meeting it was confirmed that the CCG has been ordered to institute a Recovery Plan in order to clear its deficit, totalling £33.4 million. This figure equates to nearly.......
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