TMSTH Area Forum Meeting - 19th October 2017

Chair: Ray O’Luby

Minutes Conor O’Luby

Attending: Cllrs Clarke, Borthwick, Weinhonig, Adams, Trickett (apologies from Anne Rey)

Louise Bate from HealthWatch (HW)

Thanks for inviting me. How many people have heard of HealthWatch? A couple of people. HW is a government initiative. HW is a charity tasked with finding out what people think about health and care services e.g. maternity, mental health, A&E.

We work on projects to help improve services in the area. We have c450 volunteers in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset. Please join us. During our 'Mystery shopping' project, volunteers rang up GPs to find out about how to register. HW then wrote a report to compare appointment waiting times etc. How long do people think it usually takes to get a GP appointment? One-two weeks?

We found differences between surgeries and gathered together good practice. All the findings are on the HW website. Some surgeries have made changes based on the results.

'Be yourself: everyone else is taken' worked with young people across Bournemouth. We asked children across schools, youth centres about their experiences of health care. We worked with about 600 young people, children drawing pictures to give an indication as to how they felt about services.

We are currently working with Bournemouth Hospital. HW have set up 3 focus groups to look how the hospital might change the entrance to the operating theatre to make it better.

Q. What does HW think about beds closures and Bournemouth & Poole amalgamation?

A. Don't have a statement to make about the decision, rather about how the decision makers have taken people's views into account. My manager thinks that there are winners and losers in the process. In some areas, people power has worked. None of the changes are going to happen overnight, and we still have the opportunity to give input.

Cllr Adams: I was on the Bournemouth and Poole Hospitals Board; 4 years ago the idea was to encourage people to be better cared for at home.

Q. People visited at home by staff for 15 minutes, sometimes by people who don't speak English.

Cllr Weinhonig: What powers do HW have?

A. HW is written into legislation, can look at services, make recommendations, to ask for extra information, to escalate to other bodies e.g. Scrutiny and Overview Panels. We give free advice, please get in touch.

Q. Do you have any powers to do anything within Bournemouth Hospital? Particularly as regards bay-based nurses and elderly patients falling. I took a case to the Ombudsman who upheld my complaint. I feel that Spottiswood (Royal Bournemouth CEO) is paying lip-service to requirements e.g. if bay-based nurses go off to do other things, what’s the point?

A. Why don't we talk afterwards?

Q. Last year, I had a 6 and half hour op. I live alone and am considered disabled. I rang the GP after op to ask for someone to visit, but no one came and weeks later I had to go to A&E to get dressings changed.

A. There is a service in Bournemouth called 'Reablement' to offer service to help people after they come out of hospital. We can help promote this service further to local GPs. People may end up having to go back into hospital.

Cllr Weinhonig: communication problems between GP and Hospital?

Q. With the amalgamations of surgeries, will it impact on services?

A. We will see more GP surgeries banding together. They should focus on treatment in these transitional periods.

Q. Can local councillors stop the closure of Poole A&E?

Cllr Weinhonig: we can't stop it but we can lobby to get the best possible services.

A. The Clinical Commissioning Group has made their decision but it is important to keep lobbying.

Cllr Adams: I understood that when people were released from hospital they were very focused on after care, but given this evening's comments there are obviously serious concerns.

Cllr Trickett: I know someone that wasn’t given final antibiotic after op. The person lives far out in the countryside and couldn't just pop back in to pick up the treatment, so the Hospital (Poole) sent it by taxi. Surely a waste of money?

A. Services can always be improved, some are complaints, some mixed picture.

Cllr Weinhonig: spoke on Bournemouth in Bloom and showed a video of gardens visited

Ray: Postcode lottery has awarded £12000 for a community allotment in Birch Drive. Volunteers needed for set-up day.

Beryl: went to Gatwick when Bournemouth was entered into Britain in Bloom, south and south east areas. The workers collected the awards. We won 23 golds. Many silver gilts. Please join Bournemouth in Bloom. We're making the area nicer to live in, bringing children on board, growing and cooking vegetables. Strict rules for Britain in Bloom. Last year did many of the back roads, this year we did the coast.

Q. Does this include the wildflower borders? They’re wonderful.

A. Yes

Cllr Weinhonig: There's a lot of work going on at Throop Rd, Swansbury Drive. Much of it is Dave Shephard’s work, with Joan Richards and Alan Dalley.

Q. It's a shame that glyphosate is used to prepare ground for next year. Why can’t the ground be prepared without chemicals?

Cllr Trickett: we shouldn’t use chemicals.

Cllr Weinhonig: the paper on glycosphates damage been withdrawn.

Ray: we can look into this further. Perhaps ask Stuart Clarke?

People should respond to this by the 10th November. The material can be seen at www.bournemouth.gov.uk/

Cllr Weinhoing: certain elements of the local plan very topical. Protection of the Green Belt is very important, please write into the Review to comment, write to MPs. I am on Local Development Framework panel.

Cllr Weinhonig: Planning application set to go in mid-November. Lots of 'false news' comments (when asked about what he meant he referred to 'some local residents').

Q. Is Blackwater junction part of this?

Cllr Trickett: Dorset LEP oversees all of these schemes. Infrastructure is allowed in Green Belt.

Cllr Adams: very concerned about the numbers of cars coming to the new development. Very worrying situation. The MP can call in the development.

Ray: mentions increased traffic along Castle Lane West and Iford due to the development. There are not any businesses we know about lined up to go into Wessex Fields.

Q. What about the play park near to the development?

Q. Where are the cars going to park from the new Wessex Fields development? Can’t JP Morgan use the land they have to put in extra car parks?

Ray: JP Morgan have a Green Transport plan, they're trying to get people to use other forms of transport.

Cllr Weinhonig: As regards car parking, we need to encourage people to take non-car forms of transport.

Q. Civic Society point of view. There are 45 acres of garden at JP Morgan but there are a lot of cars on site already.

Ray: Cllrs have achieved some good things round Townsend re parking. What’s been done is very good, not finished.

Cllr Trickett: Escalating problems with parking. Last week I saw a car park in the service road on Castle Lane West, took a bike out of the car and cycled along towards Cooper Dean.

Cllr Weinhoing: we took a difficult decision to put a 2 hour waiting time outside Jewell Academy, which has affected people working at the Children's Centre.

Cllr Trickett: some people are parking outside the One Stop shop all day. We might risk losing the Post Office if delivery vans can’t get in. The Jewell Academy is very successful and this brings problems re parking. I asked whether two spaces be kept for health care visitors, but was told that there are no spaces available. The school staff have been very good re explaining parking rights for parents. If we put further lines in it just pushes the problem elsewhere. Recently, buses not able to get along the road because of parked cars. We might lose bus services if they can’t get through. Commuter cars are double parking along Jewell Road.

We have a thriving community but there aren't enough places to park.

Q. How many vehicles along Throop Road in a week? 19,000 (and that was March). Car parks filling up.

Cllr Trickett: The number of cars has massively increased over previous decades.

Ray: I'm on the Cycle Forum. We're trying our best to encourage people to take other means of getting about.

Q. Aldi store at Mallard Road will be opening soon. This will increase traffic problems.

Cllr Trickett: local light schemes are all interlinked and haven't been changed for years.

Cllr Clarke: can't see how council are going to deal with the growing gridlock.

Q. Can't the Council deal with the problem?

Cllr Borthwick: it's everyone's fault, when we insist on having two or three cars.

Cllr Weinhoinig: let's look at both sides of the argument, increased traffic, but increased footfall in business. Would you prefer to have no trading estate?

Cllr Adams: the busiest weekend for shopping at Castle point is the last week of November.

Ray: What about the Muscliffe area?

Cllr Borthwick: people have done an excellent job with the old church there. Fantastic.

Ray: And the bridge at Wessex Water, Berry Hill Farm taking away the trucks from Throop Road?

Cllr Borthwick: was hoping to hear from Stuart Lewis (Wessex Water), but things have slipped as far as finishing it apparently. Not to be used by cyclists and walkers.

Ray: Hick's Farm?

Cllr Borthwick: next to the farm, there is a new path to allow for disabled access. Can't say about the hedgerows near weir.

Q. I live next door to the path, someone committed suicide there, a very vulnerable person. The area floods very quickly. There are no dog litter bins. What happens when there is an emergency? Hick's Farm has been falling down for ages, why has it been left so long like this?

Cllr Borthwick: we have no money, massive cuts from central government.

Q. We're not going to deal with the problems at Hicks Farm why don't we sell it to someone that will renovate it?

Q. The neglect of Hick's Farm is a scandal. Why has the vegetation been allowed to grow all over it?

Cllr Borthwick: Council took over the Farm 5 years ago. Please send me an email about this.

Q. The department has never sent anyone along to deal with the basic stuff.

Ray: I spoke to S Clarke (Parks Department) who confirmed the money.

Cllr Clarke: Throop Mill car park is going to be improved over the winter (fill pot holes, add signage). Kingfisher Barn is a great success. Open every day. The new petanque field is ready.

Q. Ask about using the Hicks Farm to rent out.

Cllr Borthwick: We need to do it up first, but good idea. Will ask. Also re the Mill, there is something possibly in the offing, but can't say more.

Q. Look into the weir and mill together. Need to work with Christchurch.

Cllrs Borthwick and Clarke: Christchurch not really interested, but maybe after merging?

Q. Stour Valley Nature Park. What's the difference between the plan presently in the public domain and what was announced at the environment and transport scrutiny panel meeting?

Cllrs: Don't know, Cllr Trickett will find out.

Meeting ended 9pm