Victory for Echo's blood test campaign (From Southend Standard)
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Victory for the Echo's blood test campaign
in Echo News Exclusive By Michelle Archard
Victory for the Echo blood test campaign
BLOOD testing is to stay local in south Essex after a long fought campaign.
Two hundred staff at the pathology department at Southend Hospital were given the news they’d been hoping for since it was announced in December that GP requested pathology services were to move 90 miles away.
Community Pathology Services (CPS) were named the preferred bidder to run analysis of blood, stool and other specimen samples.
This would have meant our tests being transported by road to Bedford but now the Echo has learned the service will remain at Southend and Basildon hospitals.
Neither hospital would comment until the paperwork is signed, but a senior pathologist at Southend said it was official enough to be announced to all 200 staff.
The consultant, who did not want to be named, said: “There is a verbal agreement to sub contract with CPS and the hospitals so that community pathology can continue to be provided locally in a three year contract from April 2014 to 2017.
The pathologist added: “The Echo did a fantastic job of bringing it to the public’s attention.”
It is understood Southend and Basildon will act as a south Essex non urgent hub like Bedford, Luton and Dunstable, West Herts Hospitals and Princess Alexandra in Harlow.
A spokeswoman for Southend Hospital said: "Nothing has been formally agreed yet and we are unable to comment until it has.”
Comments(20)
Doctorbaz
says...
9:07am Tue 19 Mar 13
When the new University College Hospital site opened, all pathology services were tendered out to a laboratory wihin half a mile. Samples were ferried to the lab by van - portering by foot was deemed too risky for personnel as they would have to cross busy roads.
The result was that the average time for even routine test results increased by nearly 2 hours.
Goodness knows what would have happened at Southend if this ludicrous idea of transporting blood samples to Bedford had been allowed to happen.
Great news.
the citizen
says...
9:10am Tue 19 Mar 13
Red Under Your Bed
says...
10:03am Tue 19 Mar 13
Nebs
says...
10:48am Tue 19 Mar 13
Saxonpride
says...
10:55am Tue 19 Mar 13
norfolkbroad
says...
12:08pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Red Under Your Bed
says...
12:14pm Tue 19 Mar 13
How is that a 'victory'? That dodgy CPS outfit still get the contract, and in three years we'll be back again seeing our local pathology services sent to Bedford.
fletch12107
says...
1:04pm Tue 19 Mar 13
heartbeat
says...
1:54pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Well done Echo, your campaigns against the best interests of the people of South Essex are the main reason I continue to support the paper by buying it!
heartbeat
says...
1:55pm Tue 19 Mar 13
heartbeat wrote:Or should that be "for" the best interests...oh whatever! Massive thank you and well done!
FANTASTIC NEWS!
Well done Echo, your campaigns against the best interests of the people of South Essex are the main reason I continue to support the paper by buying it!
Cockle
says...
2:44pm Tue 19 Mar 13
The blood tests are going to be carried out by the same people who are doing them now in the same place they are being done now so why is there a need to contract it out to CPS and then sub-contract it back?
Why not just give the contract directly to the Southend and Basildon labs rather than introduce another link into the chain?
CPS are being inserted as a 'middle man' and will no doubt be taking their profit out of this so where is their profit coming from?
Sorry but this just smacks of idealogical shenanigans to ensure that yet more NHS money finds its way into the pockets of private companies, in this case for doing nothing other than putting a couple of signatures on a couple of pieces of paper.
Quite clever really, a situation was created whereby everyone was worried that a stupid decision was going to be made and great anxiety caused to patients. When the decision is then made to keep the tests local everyone breathes a sigh of relief and waves flags while patting themselves on the back for 'saving' the blood testing service and keeping it local. Meanwhile, nearly, everyone is distracted from the fact that the tests have still been privatised and a private company is now taking a chunk of money out of the NHS.
More cash for the boys?
lucy10
says...
4:42pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Devils Advocate
says...
4:52pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Cockle wrote:Sadly, you appear to be right. There is a lot of money tied into the NHS and, wherever there is money, the old 10% brigade always want a free share! They, of course, call it investment, but whatever, they always get a lump of the sugar, pound of flesh whatever.
Good news that the tests are staying local, that's only common sense, however, can someone please explain something to me?
The blood tests are going to be carried out by the same people who are doing them now in the same place they are being done now so why is there a need to contract it out to CPS and then sub-contract it back?
Why not just give the contract directly to the Southend and Basildon labs rather than introduce another link into the chain?
CPS are being inserted as a 'middle man' and will no doubt be taking their profit out of this so where is their profit coming from?
Sorry but this just smacks of idealogical shenanigans to ensure that yet more NHS money finds its way into the pockets of private companies, in this case for doing nothing other than putting a couple of signatures on a couple of pieces of paper.
Quite clever really, a situation was created whereby everyone was worried that a stupid decision was going to be made and great anxiety caused to patients. When the decision is then made to keep the tests local everyone breathes a sigh of relief and waves flags while patting themselves on the back for 'saving' the blood testing service and keeping it local. Meanwhile, nearly, everyone is distracted from the fact that the tests have still been privatised and a private company is now taking a chunk of money out of the NHS.
More cash for the boys?
woolstone
says...
11:04pm Tue 19 Mar 13
psorias
says...
11:14pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Red Under Your Bed
says...
8:00am Wed 20 Mar 13
http://www.healthpro
fessionals4nhs.co.uk
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2012/01/How-the-Heal
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ill-2011-would-end-e
ntitlement-to-compre
hensive-health-care-
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2012.pdf
mike31043
says...
12:34pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Ellushion
says...
3:55pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Wickford Woman
says...
4:36pm Wed 20 Mar 13
SpeekinMyBranes says...
7:59am Tue 19 Mar 13
Now. Name and shame every local MP who refused to back this campaign.