Unit closing caused this headache

Unfortunately we do not know the full facts so need to be cautious on this particular case, however it raises some important issues and questions. Most of the bed blocking is done by elderly/frail patients. Some Walsall folk will remember that about 12 years ago, the hospital trust, supported by the then Labour government as well as Labour MPs, like Mr Winnick, decided to close down Goscote Hospital, whose 100 beds catered for elderly and frail patients, who went there to recuperate from strokes and other age related ailments rather than blocking beds at the Manor Hospital.

Furthermore, the then Labour government, again supported by the local Labour MP, decided to allow the trust to ‘pay through the nose’ via a PFI deal to build a ‘new’ Manor Hospital with less not more beds than the old one. That decision, together with the decision to close Goscote Hospital, has resulted in an annual £12m bill that the trust needs to find to pay off the PFI debt for the next two decades at least, as well as the loss of Goscote Hospital and a severe reduction in the number of hospital beds available overall.

If they had kept Goscote Hospital going, there would be no bed blocking problem at the Manor Hospital!

I was a leading campaigner at the time to keep Goscote Hospital open – we lost the battle,thanks to having no support from a Labour government, local Labour councillors and no support from our local MP, David Winnick.

This case raises several questions and issues:

If there is ‘joined-up thinking’ between the council and the trust, did the council’s portfolio holder for social care know about this and what has she done in those 288 days?

If there is ‘joined-up thinking’ between the council and the trust, did the council’s portfolio holder for the health and wellbeing board know about this and what has he done in those 288 days?

Does the MP, David Winnick now regret failing to campaign to keep Goscote Hospital open rather than allow his government to close it over a decade ago?

His inaction, amongst other factors has played a part in increasing the bed blocking problem that used to be alleviated to a great extent with the presence of the former Goscote Hospital.

But as ever, the ‘powers that be’, the MP, David Winnick and council leader, Sean Coughlan, continue to ‘pass the buck’ and blame others.

Pete Smith, Blakenall ward resident and former councillor, former lead campaigner for Say No to the closure of Goscote Hospital (2005/6) and former Mayor of Walsall (2014/15)