Southport CARES for children
From left to right: Margaret Brown (CARES), Leigh Griffin (PCT), Cath Regan (CARES), & Mark Bigley (CARES).
Agenda and PCT responses from meeting with Sefton Primary Care Trust (PCT) Chief
Executive, Leigh Griffin
Friday 12th January 2007 9.30am
Location: Ainsdale Centre for Health & Wellbeing, Sandbrook Road.
Questions asked by CARES and answers given by Leigh Griffin, Chief Executive of
the Sefton PCT
Q: Emergency register to be put together and regularly updated
A: Leigh Griffin has given the go ahead for this and it will now go ahead with
the support of Jonathan Parry and Matthew King from the NHS. This will include
all emergency numbers and contact points deemed necessary for the public.
Q: Current stage of NHS dental treatment in Southport
A: Positive steps are being taken to provide a new practice in Southport, there
is a help line for dentists. At present there are out of hours dental practices
at Litherland & Southport, currently Southport is only 1 week in 4.
Q: Midwife-led Unit-we still urgently need local maternity services. Could talks
be held once again to re-open the dialogue?
A: Mr Griffin is prepared to look again at the clinical & economic case of a
Midwife-led Unit and will get back to us on this issue.
Q: According to local press reports this week the medical out of hours
service is under investigation, what will be the short and long term future for
this provision?
A: Mr Griffin realises that we had a very good out of hours service and would
like to ensure the continuation of a locally based service working to high
standards. He is monitoring UC24 on a weekly basis.
Q: What is planned for the future in Southport? Bootle and Liverpool are well
catered for, but as yet we in Southport (not North Sefton) have nothing other
than our own doctors. Our visitors’ doctors may be 200 miles away, so
unavailable to them. Many come on public transport so do not have a car to their
disposal. This also applies to many of the elderly and those on low incomes.
What provision is to be made for these?
A: Mr Griffin would like to ensure that parents have a clear pathway of care. He sees a
potential need for some form of enhanced healthcare in Southport for children
and also wishes to raise the levels of communication with the public. Mr Griffin
believes that for children in Southport there may be a need for some form
of local service provision greater than is currently available, albeit short of
an A&E department.