00:00Hi. So we're here outside Walsall Manor Hospital and we're with two ladies. Introduce yourselves ladies.
00:06I'm Lindsay. I'm Diane Betteridge. And what's your role, your working role?
00:11We work for stroke rehabilitation for the Walsall Whorrah and we're clinical support workers.
00:16So you're here today gathering names for a petition. Just fill us in on what the plans are for the stroke rehabilitation in Walsall
00:24and why you're not too happy about those plans.
00:27Because there won't be no beds for our stroke rehabilitation patients in Walsall, they will have to go to West Park.
00:32I know they say they're going to do it in community, but community is not going to work for them.
00:36No way will a patient last and have community in their home because it won't be fit enough.
00:42Yeah. So it was here at the hospital, then you got moved over to...
00:48So in 2000, when COVID come, they shipped us out to a unit called Polybank House.
00:53Yeah.
00:54And to present day now, all of a sudden, it's not for purpose, but it has been for six years nearly.
01:00Yeah.
01:01So, why?
01:02And they're on about moving you to West Park. Now West Park has been shuffled about a bit, hasn't it?
01:07At one point it was in, it was moved from West Park to Newcross, I understand.
01:11Last year.
01:11And then it wasn't doing too well in the new... So it's back at West Park.
01:15Yeah, which is an hospital environment, which is what they don't want patients to be in a hospital environment.
01:21Yeah.
01:21If it is an hospital environment.
01:22Yeah.
01:23And also in 2008, when they moved the acute side, we were told and we were promised that the rehabilitation would stop with Warsaw and the acute would go to Wolverhampton.
01:34And that's what we was understanding. What has Warsaw residents got to do to keep their bed spaces?
01:39We're using services left, right and centre.
01:41And there was a little report, we'll flash it up, where it was kind of like a grading, wasn't it, for Warsaw stroke rehabilitation, isn't it?
01:50So this is for the...
01:52This is what was on our internet.
01:55So we've got Warsaw coming in, access to services high performing, access to services walls coming in as above average, finance productivity, Wolverhampton low performing, Warsaw above average.
02:10So your kind of argument is, why mess with it? You know, you've had a report there.
02:17Why pay Warsaw stroke borough money into Wolverhampton? It's going into their community and they don't have a community service at the moment.
02:25So where the money is going, it's going. I understand there's got to be changes, and I understand that very well.
02:31But not changes of detriment to Warsaw residents.
02:34And what was your experience? Didn't you say you had a relative that had a stroke?
02:37I had... I've got two relatives that had a stroke.
02:39Yeah.
02:40My dad was a resident at Holybank at one point, and it was wonderful.
02:45Yeah.
02:45He learned to walk again.
02:47He's had a recent stroke this year and wasn't sent to Holybank, and he's struggling to walk.
02:53Yeah.
02:53So the difference in treatment, physio, therapy, everything has been completely the opposite to last time.
03:02Yeah.
03:02And it's showing.
03:03You've also got to look at the cost effective, because the cost of living to the way it is, to get from Aldridge to West Park, if you have to do that, is £25.
03:13Or nearly three hours on a bus.
03:17So is your...
03:17How can we afford that?
03:18Is your concern that if it gets moved to West Park, that people from Warsaw, not only will they have to travel further, but also West Park won't be able to provide the service that you've been providing here in Warsaw like?
03:33Well, I think our service is exemptional, and I do believe the way it's been put across, it's like we're not doing a very good job, but I think they need to come and talk to the residents that we have in Holybank, and speak to previous strokes that have been there.
03:47We are excellent, and I'll blow my own trumpet.
03:51Yeah, yeah.
03:52We have a fantastic team.
03:53We're not a hospital.
03:56We are a family.
03:57Yeah.
03:57And it's just talk us through, this is something you were saying, it's kind of, it's already been happening, you were saying, like the movement of services.
04:06Just give us some examples of that.
04:08Well, the bloods went to Wolverhampton.
04:10Yeah.
04:10Urology, as you've just heard from another lady who's just passed by, the urology services have gone.
04:16They're doing the very basics here.
04:18Yeah, she said all the admin and the running side, that's gone to Newcross, yeah.
04:22Gone to Newcross, payroll's at Newcross.
04:24Yeah.
04:24So, you know, what are we going to be left with when they're finished taking these services?
04:29Yeah.
04:29And you were on about...
04:30I know, we're supposed to be a joint one, but when you're joint, you share.
04:34Yeah.
04:35You don't just take.
04:36And you were on about, one of the other services they changed, and they said it was going to change to...
04:42Well, I'm under Gastro, and the Gastro team told me that Gastro's going across.
04:47Yeah.
04:48And some of the community service, like the night nurses and clinical nurses, they've got to join up with Wolverhampton now as well.
04:56So you, it's, what can, it feels like there's an, almost as a long-term plan agenda to shrink it, to shrink it down.
05:03For a few years, and I've seen it happen in an area where I used to live many years ago.
05:10I've seen it happen where I've turned it into a cottage hospital.
05:13Yeah.
05:13We've spent thousands on our INA, but it looks like we'll just have an INA and nothing else.
05:17That's how it's feeling.
05:19Madam, you're just signing the petition there.
05:21What's your name, Madam?
05:22Judith Holler.
05:23Judith, what's, um, did you know about the potential for the strokes services to be moved to Wolverhampton?
05:30No, no.
05:30And your thoughts on that, if that was to be the case?
05:33Uh, well, I never fancy going to Wolverhampton for anything, to be perfectly honest.
05:38No, definitely not.
05:40So if you or a loved one was in a situation of needing stroke rehabilitation, Wolverhampton's a bit far, you want to, you know.
05:47It's definitely, it's West Park.
05:49Yeah, yeah.
05:49Definitely.
05:50Technically the other side.
05:51Yeah, yeah, cool.
05:52So if you get.
05:52I've had three major operations here, and I think they're amazing.
05:56Yeah.
05:56So you've been pleased with the way they've looked after you so far, and you don't want them to mess about with it.
06:03Yeah, yeah, yeah.
06:05Thank you, Madam.
06:06Thank you for your thoughts.
06:06And would you, from your point of view, Holly Bank House, does it need money spending on it?
06:13Would you, are you happy being there?
06:14You know, if you had a magic wand, would you want to come back under the guise of this building, or are you happy where you are?
06:19Well, in the worst case scenario, if we had to, we'd come back to War 29, because War 29 was built specially for stroke rehabilitation.
06:28Okay.
06:28However, it's not in our remit to come back into this trust.
06:32Yeah.
06:32That's what they're saying.
06:33Yeah, yeah.
06:34But yes, we could stay at Holly Bank if Warsaw Council, and the trust would play the money in.
06:40Yeah, yeah.
06:41Yes, it's worked for six years, so why? Okay, we've had a couple of leaks, gas leaks. Don't everybody have problems?
06:48Yeah, yeah. Any age building can have a problem, can't it, really? Yeah.
06:52But, you know, if it's worked for six years, why can it not work for the next 60 years?
06:56Yeah.
06:57So you're here today to let the public know, because you mentioned a meeting, a public meeting, but it wasn't really publicised, you were saying.
07:05No, no, no. On the 25th of September, there was a public meeting with the scrutiny council at Worcester Town Hall.
07:10Only because I know the process, that I actually paid a visit to the town hall, and a lovely guy in there told me all about it, and he said, it's out to the public.
07:19So I was the only one who turned up that night.
07:21Yeah, yeah.
07:22None of the rest of us in the room.
07:22And nobody knew, that's why.
07:25Even though you're connected with it all, you weren't even, yeah.
07:28But on the 4th of December, everybody turned up at the town hall for the next meeting.
07:334th of December?
07:33At 6 o'clock at night.
07:35Okay.
07:35Ladies, you were saying that your staff, they'll kind of, working with patients, they'll take them home, they settle them back in their home, and, you know, that side of...
07:46And continue the rehab while they're in home, so they'll go in home and do the rehab.
07:49But if it's in West Park, can you imagine I'm trying to take a patient from West Park back to Boston, or change where else it's going to take, you know, a little journey.
07:57Yeah, it's, yeah, so it's, once you, yeah, once you chuck in that more, all that travelling time, that means they're getting to see, you know, maybe half as, doing half as much actual physical work, doesn't it?
08:08Well, there won't be, because, obviously, there won't, there won't see half, there'll probably see a quarter, because there's some distance in between it.
08:14Yeah, yeah, yeah, great stuff.
08:16And today you're here to just raise awareness of plans.
08:19We have a petition, it's online, it's on change.org, and also I've got papers, it's in Cav Shops, and if you can't find it, you'll find me on the internet.
08:28Yeah.
08:28Just call me, I'll go to you.
08:30Yeah.
08:31Well, thank you for keeping us informed, ladies.
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