Charity hospital snub "to impress Government"
2:58pm Wednesday 1st October 2008 in News By Hannah Williams
The front hospital block is set to be demolished
TWO volunteer-run shops in Wycombe Hospital reception are being forced out so managers can win coveted foundation status, a charity boss has claimed.
Dr John Preece, chairman of Wycombe Hospital League of Friends, said he thinks managers want his charity and the WRVS out to impress national NHS leaders.
The trust has told the League of Friends and the WRVS - which raise vital charity cash for the hospital - to leave the reception area by the end of the year to make way for a commercial restaurant firm.
Bosses said the move was needed as the basement restaurant cannot be accessed by disabled people, breaking new equality laws.
Yet Dr Preece said he believes a reason behind this is Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust’s bid to become a foundation trust, which managers say will give it greater independence.
Dr Preece, general manager at the hospital from 1985 to 1990, said he thought the move was “with a view to aiding the acquisition of foundation trust status”.
This has to be won from the Department of Health and regulator Monitor.
In a letter published today in the Bucks Free Press Dr Preece, a consultant haematologist at the hospital 1969 to 1992, said the charity was “dismayed that no solution other than that of closing the shop could be found”.
The trust had suggested the charity instead sell books from a trolley, he said.
Dr Preece said: “They suggested they didn’t mind us selling books which suggested someone did mind us selling consumables.“ The charity would lose about half its annual £30,000 spend when the shop closes, he warned. This is used to buy medical equipment and items for patients.
The move has also angered some as the block the reception sits is set to be demolished by 2012 and replaced by new buildings.
But Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman Jon Fisher said: “This duty is also a legal obligation under the Disability Discrimination Act, and addressing this would have been a priority for us regardless of our NHS foundation trust application.”
The new reception would provide a “modern and welcoming environment”. The restaurant is run by Medirest.
Mr Fisher added: “We value the contribution that voluntary groups have made over the years at the hospital, and we are confident that this relationship will continue in different and innovative ways in the future.
“We are committed to improving the experience for patients, staff and visitors in our hospitals.”
Foundation status would give the trust greater financial freedom, for example the ability to keep end-of-year surpluses, and involve patients more, bosses argue.
This would include about 12,000 residents and staff becoming trust “members”, giving them more of a say over how the trust is run.
The WRVS were not available for comment.
Buckinghamshire Hospital NHS Trust refused permission for the Bucks Free Press to take a photograph of the League of Friends shop.
Comments(5)
Slacker
says...
3:11pm Wed 1 Oct 08
Where is the extra money going to come from to pay for this private firm? We have wards closing, services cut and closed and they want to spend thousands paying for a private firm to come and do the work that the WRVS already do very well.
smiley cat
says...
3:24pm Wed 1 Oct 08
The food was unappetising, the staff did not have a good command of English and I did find it hard to communicate what I wanted.
Compare this to the wrvs cafe - the ladies are welcoming and friendly and the food and drink is reasonable in price and is at least palatable.
Ah well, I suppose they know what they are doing .......
DinkyGinge
says...
12:49am Thu 2 Oct 08
They simply cannot stand to see this shop continue to do it's good work for the hospital, and view it as some sort of competition. Ifail to see how as MediRest runs a restaurant which serves substandard food by staff who can barely speak english, can be compared to a volunteer run shop, where you can buy confectionary and second hand book. Perhaps someone can figure it out and explain it to me!!
It simply beggars belief that the Bucks NHS Trust is showing it's true appreciation for all the fund raising these groups have done, in this terrible way.
The entire block is set to be demolished in 5 years - why spend all this money, and why try to fix something which isnt broken?
Do the patients, staff and visitors of the hospital not get a say in this? After all we are the ones who would be using this expensive new refurbished area. I think those up in their ivory towers should take their heads out of the clouds, and see common sense. Can we not organise some sort of petition against this ridiculous plan? We need to do something!!
smiley cat
says...
8:11am Thu 2 Oct 08
I understand that there is an issue with disabled access - it is true , you could not get a wheelchair to the restaurant as there are too many steps. Even if you get a lift to the basement, you still need to go up and down 2 small flights of steps.
The solution - Get a ramp there instead - got to be cheaper surely.
Townman
says...
11:34am Thu 19 Feb 09
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