If the medical managers painted
a cautiously optimistic picture of Bexley’s
GP services on Monday - a friend in Bexley village phoned to say his doctor is excellent - then the Director
of Adult Social Care, Stuart Rowbotham had a rather bleak message
for Councillors. If Stuart is an unfamiliar name around here that will be
because he has never merited a bad word on BiB. Seven mentions, all positive.
This time he didn’t beat around the bush.
• In 2022/23 there was £5·6 million of support for hospital discharge and
re-ablement and this year it is down to £1·9 million and even with
diversion of funding from elsewhere, money will run out by the end of November.
• There is no way to sensibly plan ahead with only one third of the money available.
• All four area hospitals are running below the level previously thought to be the
worst possible for discharge rate.
• Assistance has had to be sought from hospitals outside the local area.
• “Demand has not diminished and there is no way to get a quart into a pint pot.”
• The two hospital trusts have been formally notified that Bexley is about to run out of money.
• There is no funding available for ‘Care at Home’.
• ‘One to One’ Advanced Care will not be possible.
• There is “no solution to what happens come the end of November”.
• “In all previous years there has been a last minute announcement of more money.
We can only hope that that is what happens this year. There is no alternative plan.”
• It is a crisis across all London boroughs and acute hospital care
and the ambulance service will be seriously impacted.
• The Council Leader has been able to arrange a meeting with senior Civil Servants.
The foregoing is a summary of Mr. Rowbotham’s disturbing forecast and not verbatim except where indicated.
For those who wish to listen for themselves, the meeting Chairman invited Mr. Rowbotham to speak at
51 minutes and 50 seconds into the webcast.