I had to take someone to the hospital today and I saw no fewer the 9 staff cars parked in disabled parking bays one outside out paitents and a doctors car was parked in a disabled parking bay from at least 8am till at least 2pm with a note in the window saying the doctor was on duty, so much for Jo Cubbon doing something about it.
Hello,
I have been following your website with interest for the last couple of
months .
I worked at Burnley General Hospital but I resigned. I will not go
into specific details only to say that patients are suffering and will
continue to do so. The hospital is so badly managed and under funded that I
was unable to do my job, this is true of many members of staff who just go
off on long-term sick leave with stress, but I do not feel that this is an
option for me, yes I have been so stressed and frustrated by the lack of
acknowledgement of the problems I face, but long-term sick leave just
benefits no-one.
Please do not tar all staff with the same brush, some of us do have a
conscience and I feel that I cannot work in a place that treats staff and
patients so terribly, it is a disgrace the way that place is run.
Understandably, I would rather not be identified at this moment in time and
I cannot go into specific details because of patient confidentiality but if
only the public knew the truth about the administration of that
hospital!!!!!!!!
If anybody wants a letter putting on the site, you details will remain confidential unless you state otherwise (Steve)
25th October 2005
letter to Jo Cubbon
As the owner of www.ascandal.com , I am writing to inform you that,
following your threat of legal action against Steve Allen, his site has
been placed on our restricted list.
This is not, as you might think, to restrict his operation of the site
in any way, but to restrict the ability of others to silence. Judges in
the UK are notorious for making orders to "gag" websites, although they
have usually been unsuccessful where people outside of their
jurisdiction have taken an interest in spreading the site.
Placing his site on our restricted list means that the site will now be
directly mirrored on our server and no instruction from Mr. Allen to
remove his site will be followed. In addition, although he may edit and
amend his site as before, any amendment which dilutes the message of his
site will be removed and the previous wording reinstated.
This is to prevent you from successfully silencing his claims as both
the ascandal.com server and the owners are outside of UK jurisdiction
and in a jurisdicition where you will find it impossible to obtain a
removal order.
I might add that nobody has yet successfully managed to have one of the
ascandal.com pages removed without first satisfying ascandal.com that
the issue or issues have been satisfactorily resolved.
His site can now only be removed at his request, when he satisfies me
that he is not making that request under a court order or because of
actual or pending legal action.
In the internet age trying to gag someone nearly always backfires, as
you are about to learn.
Rather than trying to prevent his exposing problems in your hospital,
you would be wiser to actually address the problems.
Admin
www.ascandal.com
Again I am being threatened by Jo Cubbon the Chief Executive with legal action, because of my website, also as she puts it harassment, because I am asking questions she does not want to answer, regarding patient safety.
She is also threatening legal action against me for taking photos of staff abusing disabled parking bays; I think this could be because of me passing the photos on to the Disability Rights Commission, which they will use in legal action against the hospital.
Jo Cubbon will still not answer my question of what she intends to do to ensure patient safety from doctors prescribing drugs that they don't know about also about doctors not reading the patients notes to ensure that the patient is able to take the prescribed drug safely.
She has also threatened to have my removed by security if I go in to the hospital, (me thinks Jo Cubbon has something to hide)
HEALTH bosses were today slammed as "crazy" over a plan to strip crucial medical back-up from one of East Lancashire 's two main hospitals.
Trust chiefs are considering moving the intensive care and high dependency units from either Blackburn 's Queen's Park or Burnley General Hospital - forcing some patients to travel further.
Health chiefs today said placing the units in one hospital would improve patient care by bringing together expert staff.
And a health boss said it is unlikely any beds will be lost if the transfer took place.
Today the plans were attacked as a loss of service for East Lancashire which raised questions about patient safety.
Peter Dales, chairman of the Blackburn branch of Unison, said: "The people of Blackburn and Burnley will want their facilities available for immediate treatment. I don't think either options are viable.
"We have to be concerned about patient care. It would have to be demonstrated in no uncertain terms that patients are not going to suffer. If somebody died in transit there would be hell to pay."
The plans have been put forward by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, which was formed from two trusts covering Blackburn and Burnley in 2003. It is trying to save £7.5million by April.
The options around intensive care and high dependency will create what health chiefs are calling a two-tier "hot" and "cold" site for East Lancashire , effectively downgrading one of the hospitals.
This would see more simple, pre-booked surgery at the "cold" site and more complex surgery and serious A&E admissions at the "hot" site.
The "hot" and "cold" site plan is one of four options which will go out to public consultation in January.
The options are:
oDo nothing
oBuild a new major hospital between the Queen's Park and Burnley General sites
oTake away the intensive care unit from one of the hospitals
oTake away the intensive care unit and high dependency unit from one of the hospitals.
The option of building a new hospital would see Queen's Park and Burnley General either closed or scaled down - although a health boss said a new hospital was looking unlikely considering the huge cost involved.
Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "These proposals are crazy. For an area as large as ours, to diminish the service would be a great mistake.
"People find it difficult to get to the hospitals as they are. To reduce the level of services so people have to travel further would be a huge imposition on people."
A spokesman for the Lancashire branch of the Ambulance Service Union said: "This will impact on patient safety and the best place a patient can be is a hospital bed and not the back of an ambulance. It would take time away from the ambulance being available for frontline emergencies."
Burnley MP Kitty Ussher said she would look in detail at the plans but said: "I will not tolerate anything that leads to a reduction in service for Burnley people."
Blackburn MP Jack Straw said he had yet to see the options which he would "read with care".
John Amos, vice chairman of the trust's Patient and Public Involvement, which represents patients, said: "There is a possibility that particular services might be better if delivered from one site rather than from two as at present but it will be hard to find anyone who is engaged in delivering them who will agree."
Val Bertenshaw, who is leading the project for the Trust, said: "If you had no intensive care and high dependency then it would not be sensible for blue light ambulances to go to that hospital.
"Clinically, if you have got a road traffic collision or a heart attack or an emergency you really need to go to a full blown A&E as that has high dependency and intensive care back up."
Making sure a patient's condition does not deteriorate during the ambulance journey to hospital and assessing whether some would develop serious complications during routine surgery, requiring specialist care, were key issues, she said.
How Long before Burney General Hospital becomes a cottage hospital?
It seems more and more services are being moved from the Burnley General Hospital to minor hospitals and health centers.
Various clinics have been moved more to health centers, the pain clinic was moved to Rosendale Hospital, which means people on the outskirts of Pendle have to travel over a 50 mile round trip, also the stupid thing was you was seen at a office at the outpatients department at Burnley General, but now it takes a full ward to do the same job.
Now they want to move Intensive care and high dependency wards to Blackburn , so now if you need these services, while in Burnley you will have to travel all those miles to Blackburn , which is putting lives at risk.
All this is to come about to save money, so why don't the East Lancs NHS trust get rid of some of the less needed managers, give the very well paid managers a cut in wages.
Get rid of staff who are a danger to the patients, which is the causes of many a negligence claims, thus again saving money on massive payouts.
The NHS is supposed to be a caring profession but you don't see this with the modern NHS manager, it's more of money than of care.
Keep the services in Burnley for the Burnley people and stop playing with our lives.
Through popular demand soon you will be able to have your say, shortly the site will updated by a professional company.
On the new site there will be a forum where you can have your say, perhaps ask hospital management questions you want answering publicly. (That's if they have the guts to reply)
I will give you notice of the change before it happens with the new site address.
I had a meeting with Dr Burke on the 3 rd of August 2005 (the doctor who did not know about Tramadol even though it's a drug he will dealt with) he gave me his word that he would put in my notes that the pain I was suffering was caused by Tramadol, not has he first insinuated (that it was in my head) could I point out that I had proven to Dr Burke it was Tramadol that caused the pain.
I have found out today that Dr Burke has not written anything in my notes, thus putting me at risk if I need treatment, as medical staff will automatically assume the problem is in my head.
So beware this doctor not only does not know about the drugs he prescribes, but also lies.
Still staff park in disabled parking bays Staff BMW, parked in a disabled bay near what is called the cabin, another car outside Physiotherapy department. (Photos taken this morning).
Evening Telegraph report on skips in disabled parking bays see the report
The Evening Telegraph has reported that the Hospital are being investigated by the Disability Rights Commission, see a copy of the story
On Friday the 23rd I had to take my wife for an ECG, within 20 minutes I saw 7 secretaries, 2 porters, 5 or 6 nurses not wearing ID Badges, there were several more with their ID Badges turned round so they could not be seen, this shows either that management does not tell staff the rules, staff just ignores the rules or management can't manage their staff.
I also saw a nurse park in a disabled parking bay, she appeared to be going on duty this was around 12 noon, I asked if she knew it was a disabled parking bay her answer was yes but there is nothing will be done (she did not have a staff parking permit)
So much for the Memo working, this proves my point about how little anyone cares about the memo.
All this evidence of abuse will be forward to the gentleman at the DRC who is dealing with the case.
Delivery girl told a disabled parking bay at the Mackenzie Medical Centre was kept clear for her to deliver her catering produce to the staff, see discrimination for full details. Also staff use hospital headed paper to abuse disabled parking bays
Just a quick note to say yesterday I have passed on to the Disability Rights Commission, letters and records regarding the problems of staff using the disabled parking bays.
I have also proven to them the lack of action from the management to really do something to prevent staff parking in the disabled parking bays.
I was passing the hospital today, so I decided to drive round to check the disabled parking bays, would you believe it there were staff parked in disabled parking bays, Even though There were plenty of parking spaces for staff to , park in close by, None of the staff cars had parking tickets on them, so much for the Memo that was sent to staff
I would like say I am stepping down from the patient's forum, as I now feel I was asked to join because it would hold me back from telling you the truth as it happens?
By being in the patients forum I would have to have a meetinng, ask the pannel to look at the problems, which basicly could take a long time to get things done, also it would restrict what I can put on my site.
If I see a problem I feel it should be dealt with as quickly as possible, with the most effective method, not wait months for paper work to go back and forth.
Under the trust policy on Violence and aggression, there is now a section to protect patients/relatives from Violence and aggression from staff, (as this has happened in the past)
Now instead of staff being aggressive to the public and getting away with it, the member of staff may be dealt with using the hospital's Disciplinary Procedures.
28th may
As to date, not a lot has happened; the only thing that has happened is I have received a form to apply to go on to the patient's forum, but not a form for my wife (which seems silly that we have to apply as we were asked to join the forum).
I have heard nothing regarding of what Jo Cubbon is intending to do, or when she intends to improve things at the hospital.
I will write to Jo Cubbon during the week asking what is happening and let you know as soon as I get a reply.
14 th May
Just to let you know my wife and I had a meeting (Thursday the 12 th May) with Jo Cubbon Chief executive
I feel the meeting went well, everything on the Aims page was covered, and are being looked into with a view to improving parking, standards and care.
Mrs. Cubbon has promised she would write back shortly letting us know what she intends to do and within what time period.
As son as I get the letter I shall let everyone know what is going to happen.
I will be keeping this site on the net until the promises have been met and standards improved.
4th May 2005
Things are now looking up I have a meeting with Jo Cubbon at 10.am Thursday the 12 th may at 10.am, to discuss the problems outlined on this site.
I will let you know what has happened and what has been said.
In the mean time if you have anything you want to say to Mrs. Cubbon please email me and I will ensure that she is told of what you have to say.
2nd may 2005
I received a letter from Jo Cubbon (new chief executive) on the Friday the 29th April to say she is willing to meet me, if the meeting goes ahead I will let you know what happens.
20th April 2005
On the 18 th April I received a letter from the Legal Services telling me because my wife has claimed negligence against the hospital, it can't be dealt with through the complaints procedure, (why was we not told this when the complaint went in at first?)
No the hospital just ignored my wife's complaint, now this site is up and running and people are saying what's happened to them, legal services say that we have to go through protocol this can take over 4 months. Then they say if not sorted you can see a solicitor.
Another point of protocol you have to get a copy of your medical records to prove dates, this will cost you up to £10 + p&p yet another way to make money out of you. (Surely this is legal theft as the complaint is about the hospital and they can check your medical records free for the information)
I tried to contact the acting Legal; Services Manager on this matter (Doe's this hospital just rely on acting managers?) perhaps nobody wants to be a manager? I phoned her office only to be told that the acting manager would ring me back within ½ hour, no call so I phoned back gave my mobile number, I was told the acting manager would phone me on that number. (You guessed it) she did not phone me.
The hospital doesn't have managers (or acting) they seem to employ ostriches who burry their heads to the problem goes away.
Guess what managers this problem will not go away till patient safety and standards are improved.
16th April 1005
Today I received a letter from Mr Gordon prentice with a copy of a letter from Mr Gildert, saying that I had refused to meet with Dr Burke (who has tried to fob me off and misdiagnosed me) and with A Pharmacologist who wants to talk about Tramadol (I have already spoke to the manufacturers who have told me everything).
What Mr Gildert has not told the Mp is that I have been trying to have a meeting with him since 28 th February 2005 , but Mr Gildert will not meet me .
Here is a short extract from the letter (28 th February 2005
You're Ref: RG/JP/MB
For the personal attention of
Richard Gildert
Acting Chief Executive
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS
Burnley General Hospital
Dear Mr Gildert
I wrote to you on the 15 th February 2005 again on the 22 nd February 2005 and yet I have still not received a reply.
Again I am asking you what you intend to do to protect myself and other patients from Dr Burke's misdiagnosis's of illnesses, lack of Pharmacology knowledge and pain management?
Due to the lack of trust I have gained in your staff I would be grateful if you would write to me personally that way, I will know that you have at least seen this letter.
I would also be interested to know if we could meet to discuses the many problems
Yours Faithfully
.Mr. S Allen)
If you are looking at this site Mr Gildert I am asking you once again if you wish to meet.
Also this afternoon I have been informed that a hospital document has been posted to me giving me some interesting information regarding the hospital.
I will put it on this page as soon as I get it.
Steve
15th April 2005
If the Hospital try to close down this site, it will backed up in another country and the address will be: http://www.burnleygeneralhospital.ascandal.com/ Also http://www.bgh.ascandal.com/
These links are now working.
13/4/05
I am just letting you know there will be a piece in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph within the next few days.
I have also heard today that the hospital are not happy with this website and are seeking legal advice on it.
Could I reassure you that I will not back down until the public get a better standards and service from hospital, at the end of the day we need to feel safe, secure and cared for professionally?
Once the Evening Telegraph has printed the story I shall put it on the site.
7/4/05
Today I received an email from the General Medical Council , informing me that they are trying to investigate Dr Burke, but the hospital are not replying to the GMC's letters.
This has been going since December of last year; the hospital management must think they are a law unto themselves.
6/4/ 05
So far I have contacted Mr Gildert (Acting Chief Executive) on several occasions asking for a meeting to sort out some the problems on the Aims page, For some reason two of the letters I faxed to Mr Gildert, stating that I had taken the advice of the Customer Services Manager, to get a Solicitor regarding my wife's case had gone missing.
Last week I received an email from Gordon Prentice MP to say he was contacting the hospital about this website. Today I received another fax from Mr Prentices office to say they had heard nothing from the hospital. I then emailed the Customer Services Manager (Jacqui Parnell) to find out why they have not replied to the MP's letter only to be told that they had not heard from Mr Prentice and that the letter may be missing or misplaced,
Doe's this fill you with trust???? Always check they have they have received your letter/fax/email.
Also on the 29th March I received a letter from Mr Gildert offering me a meeting with the Head Pharmacist to talk about Tramadol, somewhere the hospital have lost the plot, I have wrote back to Mr Gildert to say I would have a meeting him to discus the problems I have outlined in the aims section The reply from Mr Gildert could take sometime, as they appears to be dragging the problem out waiting for it to go away.
As I am talking about the customer Services Manager , could I please warn you that if the hospital has been negligent as they were with my wife, and you ring to tell them you are bringing the patient back for urgent treatment. You may be threatened by the Customer Services Manger of being removed from the hospital by security when you arrive. This is what happened when I said I was going to bring my wife back to the hospital because they were slowly killing her by, wrongly prescribing a drug to her with a chimical in that my wife was allergic to (This Warning was on the front cover of her notes)
Don't expect an apology from the Customer Services Manager if this happens to you, all she appears to care about is her job and her own back and I feel that the patients are at the bottom of her priorities.
