Wealth of health change applauded

A DECADE of NHS Oldham came under the microscope at its last annual meeting before the body is disbanded.

Chairman Riaz Ahmad said he had witnessed massive changes, and it was with a huge amount of pride that he would hand over the commissioning process to what he described as a dedicated and ambitious team of clinicians.

Speaking at Hotel Smokies Park last night, Shauna Dixon, locality director of NHS Oldham, highlighted the tremendous achievements made since NHS Oldham was born in 2002 — from the town centre Integrated Care Centre and £17 million Christie radiotherapy centre at the Royal Oldham Hospital, to screening and immunisation services which led the national scene, and the 45 more dentists and 26 extra GPs brought to the borough over the last seven years.

She thanked “outstanding staff” and patients who had helped redesign and develop services, and Mr Ahmad applauded former chief executive Gail Richards, who was there to hear him say she had made Oldham a better place.

Almost 100 people who turned out to the event were reminded of massive investment over the years in building new health and primary care centres across Oldham, including those at Failsworth, Moorside, Glodwick and Royton. Public health director Alan Higgins said there had been “stunning achievements” including a 45 per cent reduction in premature deaths from circulatory disease, a 60 per cent reduction in teenage pregnancies and a new record of more than 95 per cent of children immunised against MMR by the age of two.

Many of the organisation’s leaders gave glowing reports of improvements made, and Dr Zuber Ahmed, said the last 10 years had seen “a committed body that has truly focused on Oldham and which is something to be proud of.”

He warned, however, that there were massive needs in Oldham, and there was “no way” they could all be met.

“Some things are more important, and we are having to deliver more for less money,” he said.

Steve Sutcliffe, locality director of finance, said the decade had seen a doubling of the money spent on local healthcare.

NHS Oldham last year spent £439 million, equating to £1,738 per head — with the biggest slice, £48 million, going on mental health, followed by £30 million on vascular disease, which includes heart disease and stroke, £26 million on respiratory care, and £28 million on cancer, which will be the next big area to come under scrutiny for improved performance.

e described last year as “extremely challenging,” and said Oldham NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) — the new organisation which will take over the purse strings, will have between £400 million and £500 million to spend each year, but warned the population was getting older and would demand more healthcare.

Chadderton GP, Ian Wilkinson, gave an outline of the CCG, promising patients would remain at the very heart of local health services.

With 34 years experience as a GP behind him, he heralded the way forward, saying: “GPs and healthcare professionals have a lot of contact with the people of Oldham.

“In my practice alone (Chadderton Town), we have more than 60,000 consultations a year with patients.

“That is 60,000 opportunities to talk to people, and we have a vast amount of knowledge at our disposal.”

“We all have this huge vested interest in that what we develop is right for the future of Oldham.”