Do we need more care in the community?

This would include GP-lead schemes to do things like monitor people with long term health conditions in their homes and education programmes to stop people misusing A&E.

Those behind the plans say it will ease pressure on Essex’s struggling hospitals.

The Echo spoke to councillors, doctors and residents from across south Essex to find out their opinions on this.

James Moyies, Southend councillor responsible for health and adult social care, said: “We need more work and funding spent on prevention of disease and illness. We also need more care for people in the community to provide care closer to people’s homes. The problem is there is no money set aside for this at the moment.

“Something does need to be done because the hospitals are already stretched. I am not sure whether taking money away for care in the community will affect hospitals badly, it’s difficult to say. Hospitals are under a lot of pressure as they don’t have enough money or enough money to pay more staff.

“There needs to be some big decisions soon about what can be done to improve the health service. We need more prevention and methods of preventing illness and or ill health this will mean less people will need to use hospitals. The government has announced more money to be allocated for the NHS but we need to make sure that money is spent on care in the community and prevention.”

Doctor Krishna Chaturvedi, from the Southbourne Grove Surgery, Westcliff, said: “I think that more care in the community is an extremely good idea. It will help the hospitals which are under a lot of pressure at the moment. We need more investment in community facilities such as GP surgeries and it is all about co-ordination between community care facilities such as GPs and nurses and the hospitals. I don’t think that this would take money from the hospitals at all, it is all about working with hospitals and helping hospitals. But we do need the funding and investment in the right place. The government needs invest in more community based care and community care schemes. I think that community care is essential to the health care system, and if we want to improve our NHS which is a first class service we need to ensure that the right money is funding the right things and that is community care which is essential.”

Terri Sargent, Basildon councillor responsible for environment and community, said: “I think something needs to be done to try and manage the amount of people going to hospital because hospitals are under so much pressure and hospital staff are so busy. It’s about prevention of ill health in the community such as more GP and nurses facilities on offer so that less people need to go to hospital. I think this should be tried and tested and we need pilot schemes because we won’t know if this will work until we try it out.

“I am all for doctors and surgeries going 24 hours and we then need to inform people that these community health facilities are available more and this will in turn help the pressure on hospital and hospital staff. I have to say I think our NHS is fantastic and the NHS staff do a great job but its just about looking at doing things in a different way.”

Andrew Buxton, Basildon Labour councillor for the St Martin’s ward, said: “I think it’s a bit of a catch 22 situation really. I think at a local level GPs and surgeries are in desperate need of funding but I think taking funding away from hospital A&E departments is a problem. I think it will have a negative impact on A&E departments which are already struggling as it is. I think that taking that money away will increase the pressure on hospital A&E departments because it will mean that A&E departments have less money which could mean less staff to deal with the people that need the A&E services. I don’t really think it’s a good idea at the moment especially as so many hospitals and A&E departments are so busy because it is winter. Also some hospitals such as Southend Hospital are on critical alert, I don’t think that taking funding away from hospitals is a good idea.”

Jacqui Smith, 47, from Lee Chapel North, said: “I think it’s a really difficult one really. Both A&E departments and community care facilities such as GPs and nurse surgeries are very important and they both do need the funding. I think in recent times we are becoming more aware of the need of care in the community and it does need improving because it’s not as good as it could be. I think in the long run people who are unwell do make more and better progress in their own home. I suppose the money to improve community care needs to come from somewhere and I think that A&E departments may suffer a bit with the loss of funding. I think it’s very tricky because both services are very important and one may lose out if finding is cut to provide more money for the other service.”

George Whatley, 74, of Limburg Road, Canvey said: “I think we are having far too many cuts and it’s getting worse. I think that community care is already stretched and this will just pile on the pressure when and where it is not needed. Social workers in the community are stretched and do as much as they can while home care workers are being limited to how much time they can spend with each patient or person they are caring for. It’s ridiculous. I think this is all about moving the pressure onto someone and somewhere else.

“I think the government needs to invest a lot more money and funding in the NHS. Instead of telling us that things aren’t getting better they should be revaluating their policies and find out why their policies aren’t working.”

Sheila Spooner, 69, of Kings Park, Creek Road, Canvey said: “Well I think it’s a good idea. I am lucky and haven’t had to go to A&E for myself but I have been with family members and when I have its terrible you have to wait sometimes hours to be seen. I am also lucky in that I don’t have to wait a long time for a doctors appointment but I knew people who do. When people have to wait weeks to see a doctor of course they are going to go to A&E if they feel really unwell and I can understand that. More funding and work on care in the community is a great idea if it works, my concern would be that doctors may not want to work extra hours. I don’t think that A&E departments would suffer if this is brought in, it may free some staff up to work in other departments of the health service.”

Tariq Musaji, 48, of London Road, Wickford, said: “I don’t use the health service very much. There are a lot of pros and cons, if this is done it has to be done properly. I think there should be a trial and pilot scheme before this is rolled out. I think this would benefit older people, and Essex has a high percentage of older people. I think this would also benefit people who are not able to leave their home or get to hospital easily.

“On the other side it could have a negative effect on A&E departments, it could mean that A&E need less staff would which would be a problem if there was a major incident or emergency and then the staff would be stretched. It is important to remember that this would be the public’s and tax payers money, so it is important that the money is spent in the right way and that it is done properly.”