George Eliot Gets Thumbs Up From Shadow Secretary of State For Health

Conservative Shadow Minister for Health Andrew Lansley MP, a senior member of David Cameron's front bench team, this week visited the George Eliot Hospital accompanied by local Tory candidates Dan Byles and Marcus Jones.

They invited him to see for himself the superb job done by staff and management at the hospital in recent years, including a tour of the Special Care Baby Unit, and the innovative way in which staff are now dealing with suspected stroke patients.

Mr Lansley met with Chief Executive Sharon Beamish and Trust Chairman Stuart Annan as well as senior managers and nurses, and was given a tour of a number of key departments, including an explanation of an innovative new approach being trialled by the stroke unit.

The George Eliot has been piloting a new scheme to treat stoke patients. The service sees all patients arriving by ambulance between 9am-5pm, suffering from a suspected stroke, being taken directly on to the Felix Holt Stroke Unit rather than going through Accident and Emergency as was originally the case. This allows for intensive specialist support for these patients to start immediately leading to a better clinical outcome.

This initiative is currently in a pilot stage and if successful, the Trust will look to extend the service to cover patients arriving at the Trust with a suspected stroke at any time of the day or night.

Mr Lansley was impressed by the hard work done at the Trust, and praised staff for their efforts. Speaking after the visit, he said:

"I was glad to have the opportunity to visit the George Eliot Hospital.

"The NHS is a top priority for the Conservative Party. We know that we need to support hospitals like the George Eliot, which are seeking to maintain local access to good quality services.

"In particular I was very pleased to meet staff in the specialist baby unit and the stroke unity. Both demonstrated that high standards of care can be maintained in District General Hospitals."

Dan Byles and Marcus Jones, the Parliamentary Candidates for North Warwickshire & Bedworth and for Nuneaton, have strongly supported the George Eliot, and the principle of maintaining a local District General Hospital providing a full range of secondary care. Marcus Jones was recently appointed as the borough council's representative on the hospitals trust board.

Dan Byles, who serves on the Board of a West Midlands NHS Trust and whose wife once worked at the George Eliot as part of her medical training, said:

"I am delighted that Andrew could come to see for himself the innovative work being done at the George Eliot. The Trust has done a superb job in recent years in pulling back from what was a worrying financial situation just a few years ago.

"I gave the Trust a hard time then, and made it clear that I didn't want to see services cut as a result of the deficit. I am very pleased with the direction the Board has since taken the hospital, and it is clear that strong leadership and good management has succeeded in turning things around and ensuring that the George Eliot is now well placed to continue providing excellent services to local people. It is vital that we maintain the George Eliot as a fully functioning District General Hospital providing the full range of services."

Marcus Jones, who holds fond memories of the hospital where he witnessed the birth of his son Oliver, said:
 
"I was great to welcome Andrew to the Eliot, during our visit it was noticeable that he was impressed with the enthusiasm and depth of knowledge shown by the nursing staff who explained the vital work that they do on the special care baby and stroke units.

 
"The last few years have seen un-certain times at the hospital with the acute services review, infection rates and budget deficit. I am pleased to see that under the leadership of the current management team the hospital is improving well. The improvement must be maintained, the hospital must keep evolving and improving and I was very pleased to hear Andrew Lansley reaffirm the Conservatives commitment to district general hospitals which can only be positive for our hospital should the conservatives win the next election"