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Annual Review 2001-2002
A review of Bedfont Forum`s activities as presented to our Annual General Meeting on 2 December 2002.
The Committee have concentrated on improving our knowledge of important issues of the day. We started the year with a very informative talk by Edmund Ruddick on personal finance, taxes and investments. He gave advice on many of the problems we face today, but one that sticks in the mind is the need to earn 6.5% on your money to stay level with an inflation rate of 2.6%. So much for the wisdom of putting savings under the mattress!
Our next speaker was Avril Dalglish, the Head of Longford School, who astonished us by speaking for an hour without any notes on her successes, trials and tribulations. One of her successes was obtaining a sizeable grant for improving the environment of the school. Her problems were all too familiar to us, but we were impressed by her drive and enthusiasm for the job. We intend to keep in touch with developments at Longford.
Our last speakers for the year were Cath Attlee and Libby Simmons from Hounslow Primary Care Trust, who updated us on the extensive changes in our health provision as directed by the Government's "Modernisation of the NHS" proposals. We were surprised to find that most of the administration is still conducted from the old Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow headquarters at Ealing. Cath Attlee revealed that they are still learning and welcomed feed-back from community groups. This must give us some hope that we can influence the Trust to overcome the problems that we face in Bedfont and the west area of the Borough. The fact that the Borough geographical boundaries are precisely the same as the Trust's should concentrate the minds. It is argued that all these new plans are a forgone conclusion, or a "done deal" but I have been assured by John James, the Chief Executive of the PCT that this is not so. The coming months will determine the future of our health provision for decades to come. We should remember that the retaining of an Emergency Department at Ashford Hospital was announced at our public meeting in Bedfont before it was released to the public and press. A more recent example where public opinion has influenced the Trusts is the stated policy by Andrew Morris, the Chief Executive of Ashford and St. Peter's Trust [and architect of the Franchise Plan] that the status quo is not an option has been overturned by the Board and is now an alternative option. The remarkable fact is that none of the options had been costed, it was revealed in response to a question to the Board at their October meeting.
On the local environmental front, the Committee have also undertaken to revive those items that were left unfinished following the walkabout in Bedfont three years ago with Chris Langstaff from LBH. The often quoted reasons for not undertaking improvements is lack of funding. However, we feel if we promote and foster the will to make improvements a way will be found. What we cannot accept is the mis-appropriation of funding such as occurred when monies for the removal of the dead trees on the Staines Road was transferred to provide a pedestrian crossing at Bedfont Lakes which, in fact, has never been built. Similarly, when £1,400 was spent on the flower bed at the War Memorial and not maintained because the estate manager would not adopt has to be addressed. These facts came to light during a walkabout with Julian Knott of CIP. We had a separate walkabout more recently with Mark Gilks, Chief Executive of the Borough We have not yet received his report of the follow-ups with officers of the Council but we are hopeful that we gave a good impression and attracted his support. He certainly come across as being a "community" person.
There is the risk that all this hyperactivity on major local issues detracts from our everyday problems, but we have to address both and use our freedom of speech in the most appropriate way.
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Annual Review 2002-2003
The following review of the Forum's activities was approved at our AGM in October 2003.
The first meeting of the year was about the reconfiguration of health facilities and the options for change that this will involve. The speakers were John James for Hounslow Primary Care Trust and Andrew Morris and Clive Tompson of the Ashford and St. Peter's Hospital Trust. In all, seven directors attended from the Trusts, a sure sign of the increased reputation of the Forum. Both Trusts emphasised the principle that services were to be centred around the patient both in forms of need and choice. Both presenters re-assured members that the national standards set by the government would be the main drivers of change. Both Trusts had funding problems which would have to be addressed, but services to patients would be protected whenever possible. Members were able to ask very pertinent and constructive questions in discussion, a lively start to the year.
Our second meeting was addressed by Christine Pangbourne and Nicola Stevens of the youth offending service, which is a law-enforcing agency dealing with 10-17 year-old boys and girls who are in trouble with the law. They explained that custody is avoided if possible due to the re-offending rates being high. Instead work placements are used with some success, as are education parenting orders. Both speakers appealed for volunteer supervisors from the public and suggestions for reparation projects that the team could use.
Our third meeting had as joint speakers Julie Fuller of the Patient Advice and Liaison Services and Mike Bernstein, the older people's champion. PALS replaces the Community Health Council's function for advice and advocacy. The Older People's Champion is a new appointment yet to be really effective. Its role is to ensure that older people's needs are fully met by the various departments in the health Trusts. Patient advocacy will be replaced by patient forums in 2004, but Julie Fuller welcomes her department being a one-stop shop and looked upon as the patients' first port of call. Members asked many questions regarding discrimination, bed-blocking, shortage of GPs and domicilary care.
Our last meeting was with Dr. Gordana Djuric, Director of Public Health, a speaker who gave a very informative talk on her duties and responsibilities. She also presented graphs and illustrations on the major illnesses and health problems in the Borough. Details of this talk are being made available for members of the Forum.
The Forum was also involved with environmental matters, traffic issues, the future of Bedfont recreation ground, the third runway at Heathrow, St. Mary's Festival and vandalism amongst many others. Through necessity, much of our year was involved with health issues, but it is to be hoped that improving the appearance, attractiveness and environment of Bedfont should have our major attention in 2004/2005. It badly needs it.
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