07:07 Friday 3rd February 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
BBC PAUL STAINTON: Patients are having to wait hours in A&E, appointments and operations cancelled, and people being booked to see the wrong consultant. Just some of the horror stories we’ve heard at Peterborough City Hospital. Unions say the problems being faced by hospitals are also down to a lack of money. .. We’ve also heard reports of staff being used from Stamford, brought across to plug a staffing shortfall at PCH. They get there, and then they’re not needed. There’s a lack of communication by the sounds of it.
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MARY COOKE PETERBOROUGH PENSIONERS’ ASSOCIATION: A slight touch of chaos, I reckon. That’s how nurses would view it. It’s demoralising for staff. That’s no good to anybody.
BBC PAUL STAINTON: We heard from the nursing unions yesterday that morale is rock bottom, despite what Andrew Lansley said on this show.
MARY COOKE PETERBOROUGH PENSIONERS’ ASSOCIATION: I heard him the other day. It would worry you to death. You don’t attack the reporter who’s simply asking a few questions on behalf of the public. What sort of a stance is that?Everybody is worried about the National Health Service. Everybody.
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BBC PAUL STAINTON: Mary Cooke, from the Peterborough Pensioners’ Association, very worried about the National Health Service, very worried about Peterborough City Hospital. We did ask somebody from the Hospital to come on, but they couldn’t. They sent us this statement, which reads as follows:
” The winter season puts incredible pressure on the NHS, and Peterborough & Stamford Hospitals are no exception when it comes to dealing with those pressures. At times of increased demand on our services, we ask our staff to work more flexibly where possible. This will affect staff working at both our hospital sites, and this practice ensures we continue to meet the needs of our patients.
In the first few weeks of January, the Trust had to cancel routine operations due to an exceptionally high number of medical admissions. However we are working hard to ensure those patients who had their surgery delayed are given a new date as soon as possible.
We apologise to those patients who have contacted BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, after not having a good experience with us.“