24.1.2000

"Hospital Trust should be broken up" Davey

Specialist Mental Health Trust is "logical conclusion" of Tolworth Inquiry

Kingston & Surbiton's MP, Edward Davey, has called for the break-up of the Kingston and District Community Trust, in the light of this week's report by the Fuchsia Ward Review Panel into poor nursing of the elderly mentally ill at Tolworth Hospital.

The Tolworth Hospital report is highly critical of staff, management and resource levels on the ward, and Mr. Davey believes its recommendations need to be implemented "in full, and fast".

Mr. Davey believes action over and above the report is needed. He believes that other tasks of the Trust, including its primary care functions, should be passed to the Kingston Primary Care Group, to ensure that management time is more focused on the special needs of the mentally ill.

Commenting after the publication of the report, Edward Davey said:
"This extremely serious report must lead to the eventual break-up of this Trust, so Kingston and Richmond have a specialist Mental Health Trust."

"We will only get the highest possible quality care of the mentally ill if local managers are fully focused on the special problems of these patients. I will be raising this issue with Ministers and London's top NHS manager to make it a priority."

"In the short term, I am determined that all the report's recommendations are not just accepted, but acted upon, and are seen to be acted upon."

"I have personally asked the Chairman of London's NHS Executive to provide external and independent monitoring of the Action Plan. If outside experts are not satisfied with the changes, frankly members of the Trust Board will then have to consider their positions."

"The report makes clear that more resources are needed: it is high time that the NHS stopped seeing mental health as a "Cinderella" service, and funded it properly. "

"Finally, I would like to stress that I have the highest regard for the vast majority of nurses, doctors and managers working at Tolworth Hospital."

"I believe most services at Tolworth are of high quality. I know this to be the view of many users and carers, because I've visited and talked to them, in confidence. But this has been a thorough and independent inquiry, raising serious issues, and it must acted upon. "