“Very many thanks to everybody who contributed to Foodbank in the Church porch around the time of the Harvest Service. You have all been very generous indeed and I have had a full car load to deliver to Foodbank this week.
It is much needed and I am sure much appreciated.
Thank you very much
David Wood and Alice Hill”
A big thank you to all those who made the amazingly creative scarecrows, which were very much enjoyed by everyone who followed the harvest trail. Look out for an article in the Rutland Mercury this weekend and we hope to do it all again at some point in the future.
For those who missed the event or would like to enjoy them again, here are all the scarecrows. I’ll be in touch shortly with the children who entered the quiz.
Click on the photos to see them in all their glory.
Press Release: 7th October 2020
£450 million for our Hospitals. Have your say
Public to be consulted on multi-million pound hospital proposals
Rutland’s population is changing. There are more people, and they are living longer. Which means that the acute hospital and maternity services designed for Rutland in earlier times also need to change to make modern treatments, imaging, and medical technologies available. University Hospitals Leicester (UHL) is therefore proposing a £450 million development called Building Better Hospitals for the Future which is designed to improve patient care, achieve better patient outcomes, and get staff working in the best place to make this happen.
As part of the project, UHL is running a public consultation exercise until 21st December 2020 so that the people of Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland can say what they think about what is being planned. Not just the lobby groups, doctors, councillors and officials. UHL wants to hear from members of the general public, they are after all the ones for whom the new services are intended.
To make sure this happens, UHL is contacting Rutland’s sports clubs, music groups, churches, social clubs, neighbourhood groups and pubs – everywhere and anywhere local people can be found – to tell them about the consultation, and help and encourage them to get involved by going to the Better Hospitals website, watching the videos, reading the information and filling in the survey form.
A video about what is being planned and why is here: Introduction to Better Hospitals or with subtitles here: Introduction to Better Hospitals (sub titles).To read about the consultation in more detail, download all the documents and background information, and complete the survey, look here: https://www.bettercareleicester.nhs.uk/
info@rutlandcommunityventures.uk http://www.rutlandcommmunityventures.uk
Notes to editors.
info@rutlandcommunityventures.uk http://www.rutlandcommmunityventures.uk
Dear Friends
You will doubtless be aware of the ongoing consultation on the Draft Local Plan for Rutland, if only from receipt of a postcard from RCC. The consultation is a statutory exercise (‘Regulation 19’) which, although nominally open to public participation, is in fact highly technical in terms of the representations that are formally permissible. We are drafting a response that will be considered and (we hope) formally adopted by Wing Parish Council at the end of this month (the recently extended deadline for all responses is 6 November). Our representations will take account of information provided by specialist consultants (commissioned by the Fight 4 Rutland campaign, and paid for in part by Wing Parish Council) who have examined the Local Plan for potential weaknesses. The representations will focus especially on the implications of the Local Plan for future housing growth and traffic flow in and around Wing, arising from the Council’s proposals to build a new town of 2300 houses on the St George’s Barracks site between Edith Weston and North Luffenham. We are not wholly against some development of the SGB site, but that development must be appropriate in nature and scale to the rural location, and sympathetic to the effects on the county as a whole.
We have two requests to put to you:
First, might you be willing personally to endorse and add weight to the representations which we hope will be adopted by the Parish Council? You can either take these on trust by immediate reply to kennethsiddle@gmail.com, or have sight of them once approved by the Council (in which case please let us know how to communicate urgently with you in the first few days of November). You are of course free to make your own representations directly should you wish to do so.
Second, will you consider making a donation to the Fight 4 Rutland campaign? The campaign is already incurring very considerable costs in engaging consultants, and these will escalate further if as seems likely the matter goes to judicial review.
You will find more information on the F4R website here
Or you can donate directly to
Account name: Fight 4 Rutland Ltd; Sort Code: 01-06-34; Account number: 50649914
You might also be interested to look at material that has been circulated in Edith Weston and North Luffenham, the two villages most closely affected by the proposed development of the St George’s Barracks site.
https://www.edithweston.com/news.html
(follow link to download representations-guide-edith-weston)
(follow link to download Reg-19-leaflet-v2)
We hope we can count on your support in fighting for what is best for Wing and for Rutland.
Best wishes
Ken Siddle, John DeJardin and David Seviour
PS Please share this message with your friends!
Dear Rutland Resident
Every household in Rutland will receive a brochure from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) urging us to agree to the closure of acute and obstetric services at Leicester General Hospital, and the Birthing Centre at Melton Mowbray. It is important that you reply with your own views, but please read the following carefully before you finally decide how to reply, otherwise Rutland may lose a great deal because of a lack of public informaKon.
We are concerned by key proposals which could disadvantage Rutland: –
LOSING ACCESS TO BEDS – HUGE CLOSURES ARE PLANNED. New plans issued on 1st September propose removal of approximately 500 acute and maternity beds from Leicester General Hospital and Melton Birthing Centre. Future services and beds to replace those removed will be based at Glenfield Hospital and the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI). The plans admit that 100% of Rutlanders will be disadvantaged by these proposals because of reduced accessibility. Travel times will be increased, public transport and parking may be more difficult. They also say that they are planning to reduce their acute workload by 20%, so if Rutlanders go elsewhere that is helpful. This could mean going to Cambridge or Oxford for specialist treatment.
LOSING SIGHT of RUTLAND’S NEEDS. These plans only look two years ahead, yet were prepared over a period of seven years. However, this did not involve enough people who understand Rutland’s distinct needs. There is substantial housing development and our population is growing. The proportion of elderly and the very elderly is growing much more rapidly than elsewhere reaching 35% of our population by 2035. Also the plans take no account of rural poverty.
LOSS of NATIONAL POLICY APPLICABLE TO RUTLAND. National and local policy is to move services closer to home and many Rutlanders can support that. CCGs know that hospital and community services are interdependent and a national requirement exists, that alternative provision must be offered before they close beds. None has been offered so far. CCGs have a duty (under S.14T of the Health and Social Care Act 2012) to reduce health inequalities for communiKes. They have to improve access to services and health outcomes achieved. These current proposals appear to fly in the face of these duKes. They can be seen as a conscious decision to reduce services for Rutlanders.
Rutlanders need local services and beds to prevent unnecessary admissions to LRI and Glenfield as well as local beds to enable speedy discharge from major hospitals back to local services. Local services can include out-paKent services such as diagnostics, dialysis, chemo, urgent care, which can all be based successfully in the community. Many Rutlanders support services focused on a hub, preferably based upon Rutland Memorial Hospital or an equivalent provision. If this were cut, it would be a serious loss to existing provision. The information that is available makes it clear that the success of the proposals on offer are dependent on undertaking more care in the community yet the current consultation is silent on community services and the future use of Rutland Memorial Hospital. Until we understand what services will be available to us here in Rutland we are unable to support the reconfiguration of Leicester Hospitals.
LOSS of INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING. This consultation document has been issued after proposals for acute and maternity services, which disadvantage Rutland, are already well advanced. However planning started in 2013 to develop a community strategy that is not yet finished. Some Rutland people were so frustrated at their lack of involvement that 100 of them took the bull by the horns in 2019 and prepared a Rutland Health Plan. It was received favourably by the CCG CEO and an official Rutland Health Plan was promised for January 2020. We are still waiting. The current consultation document contains proposals for developing community services for Leicester City on the vacated LGH site. There is absolutely no reason why Rutland cannot be treated in the same way. It has more to lose than any other community across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland if the current plans remain unmodified.
LOSS of QUALITY, CAPACITY, ACCESSIBILITY and OUR LOCAL HOSPITAL? Strong rumours continue that Rutland Memorial’s future is uncertain and nothing clear has been said. If all acute and maternity beds at Leicester General and Melton are closed without local alternatives being offered in advance of a decision to close Leicester General, then Rutland could become a ‘Health Desert’. It is not surprising, therefore, that people are very concerned there is an unstated hidden agenda to close Rutland Memorial as well as to take away access to acute and specialist services. The local hospital at Ashby was closed 6 years ago but the promised alternative services were still not in place at the beginning of this year and we fear Rutland could experience similar gaps in services.
What can we do?
Questionnaire Please do not agree to the closure of Leicester General until you are satisfied the proposals for some alternative services and/or compensations for losses in Rutland are acceptable. CCGs are required to demonstrate they have ‘engaged’ with our local community, and have listened. This is in order to propose changes shaped to meet local needs and avoid negative impacts, most particularly on the most vulnerable. Without this in place, we Rutlanders, especially the elderly and people on low incomes, will be losers.
It is an important Tme to make your views known – Our MP (Alicia Kearns), County & Parish Councillors and the Press will receive information from the CCGs, so it is important that they understand our expectations of healthcare in Rutland, please make your views known. We will be saying that we want a package of integrated health services as developed by over 100 Rutlanders in September 2019 and written up as “A Health Plan for Rutland”. We will stress that we cannot accept closure of acute services until the alternatives are set out and clear costings are presented.
What is the Rutland Health & Social Care Policy Consortium?
We are a group of local residents, knowledgeable about Health and Social Care both as consumers and professionally. We are very concerned for the future Health and Social Care provision for Rutlanders, especially as our community ages. We study NatIonal Health Policy and how it is applied locally. We are particularly worried by what we identify as repeated breaches of legal and policy requirements.
The views expressed here also reflect and present the views of a group of 100 Rutlanders who attended a consultation event in September 2019 which informed the report ‘A Health Plan for Rutland’. Our thanks are due to those people for coming to the event and for their valuable input.
Our members are:-
Jennifer Fenelon (Chair), ChrisKne Stanesby, Janet Seden, Kathy Reynolds, Judy Worthington and Miles Williamson-Noble. The core membership is advised by specialist contributors and expert consultants.
We can be contacted at rhscpc@icloud.com
The ‘Health Plan for Rutland’ can also be obtained by emailing rhscpc@icloud.com
Information for the parish of Wing
Carriageway patching and road closure is scheduled along Top Street in Wing on Monday 12th October 2020. Therefore, the Centrebus RF1 service will not be able to operate through Wing and we advise that passengers should reconsider or make alternative travel arrangements for that day. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause. Notices will be displayed at the appropriate locations and will be on our website. If you have any way of also communicating this message we would be extremely grateful.
Thank you.
Kind Regards.
Karen Newman l Rural Transport Officer
Rutland County Council
Catmose, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6HP
t: 01572 758138 l e: knewman@rutland.gov.uk
OPEN LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF RUTLAND FROM THE RUTLAND CONSORTIUM Tuesday, 29 September 2020
Dear Rutland Resident
Every household in Rutland will receive a brochure from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) urging us to agree to the closure of acute and obstetric services at Leicester General Hospital, and the Birthing Centre at Melton Mowbray. It is important that you reply with your own views, but please read the following carefully before you finally decide how to reply, otherwise Rutland may lose a great deal because of a lack of public information.
We are concerned by key proposals which could disadvantage Rutland: –
OPEN LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF RUTLAND FROM THE RUTLAND CONSORTIUM
New plans issued on 1st September propose removal of approximately 500 acute and maternity beds from Leicester General Hospital and Melton Birthing Centre. Future services and beds to replace those removed will be based at Glenfield Hospital and the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI).
The plans admit that 100% of Rutlanders will be disadvantaged by these proposals because of reduced accessibility.
Travel times will be increased, public transport and parking may be more difficult. They also say that they are planning to reduce their acute workload by 20%, so if Rutlanders go elsewhere that is helpful.
This could mean going to Cambridge or Oxford for specialist treatment.
LOSING SIGHT of RUTLAND’S NEEDS.
These plans only look two years ahead, yet were prepared over a period of seven years. However, this did not involve enough people who understand Rutland’s distinct needs. There is substantial housing development and our population is growing. The proportion of elderly and the very elderly is growing much more rapidly than elsewhere reaching 35% of our population by 2035.Also the plans take no account of rural poverty.
LOSS of NATIONAL POLICY APPLICABLE TO RUTLAND.
National and local policy is to move services closer to home and many Rutlanders can support that. CCGs know that hospital and community services are interdependent and a national requirement exists, that alternative provision must be offered before they close beds. None has been offered so far. CCGs have a duty (under S.14T of the Health and Social Care Act 2012) to reduce health inequalities for communities. They have to improve access to services and health outcomes achieved. These current proposals appear to fly in the face of these duties. They can be seen as a conscious decision to reduce services for Rutlanders. Rutlanders need local services and beds to prevent unnecessary admissions to LRI and Glenfield as well as local beds to enable speedy discharge from major hospitals back to local services. Local services can include out-patient services such as diagnostics, dialysis, chemo, urgent care, which can all be based successfully in the community. Many Rutlanders support services focused on a hub, preferably based upon Rutland Memorial Hospital or an equivalent provision. If this were cut, it would be a serious loss to existing provision. The information that is available makes it clear that the success of the proposals on offer are dependent on undertaking more care in the community yet the current consultation is silent on community services and the future use of Rutland Memorial Hospital. Until we understand what services will be available to us here in Rutland we are unable to support the reconfiguration of Leicester Hospitals.
LOSS of INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING.
This consultation document has been issued after proposals for acute and maternity services, which disadvantage Rutland, are already well advanced. However planning started in 2013 to develop a community strategy that is not yet finished. Some Rutland people were so frustrated at their lack of involvement that 100 of them took the bull by the horns in 2019 and prepared a Rutland Health Plan. It was received favourably by the CCG CEO and an official Rutland Health Plan was promised for January 2020. We are still waiting. The current consultation document contains proposals for developing community services for Leicester City on the vacated LGH site. There is absolutely no reason why Rutland cannot be treated in the same way. It has more to lose than any other community across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland if the current plans remain unmodified.
LOSS of QUALITY, CAPACITY, ACCESSIBILITY and OUR LOCAL HOSPITAL?
Strong rumours continue that Rutland Memorial’s future is uncertain and nothing clear has been said. If all acute and maternity beds at Leicester General and Melton are closed without local alternatives being offered in advance of a decision to close Leicester General, then Rutland could become a ‘Health Desert’. It is not surprising, therefore, that people are very concerned there is an unstated hidden agenda to close Rutland Memorial as well as to take away access to acute and specialist services. The local hospital at Ashby was closed 6 years ago but the promised alternative services were still not in place at the beginning of this year and we fear Rutland could experience similar gaps in services. What can we do?
Questionnaire
Please do not agree to the closure of Leicester General until you are satisfied the proposals for some alternative services and/or compensations for losses in Rutland are acceptable. CCGs are required to demonstrate they have ‘engaged’ with our local community, and have listened. This is in order to propose changes shaped to meet local needs and avoid negative impacts, most particularly on the most vulnerable. Without this in place, we Rutlanders, especially the elderly and people on low incomes, will be losers. It is an important time to make your views known – Our MP (Alicia Kearns) , County & Parish Councillors and the Press will receive information from the CCGs, so it is important that they understand our expectations of healthcare in Rutland, please make your views known. We will be saying that we want a package of integrated health services as developed by over 100 Rutlanders in September 2019 and written up as “A Health Plan for Rutland”. We will stress that we cannot accept closure of acute services until the alternatives are set out and clear costings are presented.
What is the Rutland Health & Social Care Consortium? We are a group of local residents, knowledgeable about Health and Social Care both as consumers and professionally. We are very concerned for the future Health and Social Care provision for Rutlanders, especially as our community ages. We study National Health Policy and how it is applied locally. We are particularly worried by what we identify as repeated breaches of legal and policy requirements. The views expressed here also reflect and present the views of a group of 100 Rutlanders who attended a consultation event in September 2019 which informed the report ‘A Health Plan for Rutland’. Our thanks are due to those people for coming to the event and for their valuable input. Our members are:- Jennifer Fenelon (Chair), Christine Stanesby, Janet Seden, Kathy Reynolds, Judy Worthington and Miles Williamson-Noble. The core membership is advised by specialist contributors and National Healthcare consultants We can be contacted at rhscpc@icloud.com The ‘Health Plan for Rutland’ can also be obtained by emailing rhscpc@icloud.com
Many PCs in the vicinity of the proposed development at St George’s Barracks set up a committee of councillors representing each council.
A huge amount of time and effort from each representative has been spent on this and now have to bring in various consultants that covers all areas of the development.
The cost of this will be many £1000s and the Parish councils have each given a contribution depending on their finances. Many Rutland residents have already contributed and it is hoped many more of you will do so in order to fight RCC.
By going to this website you will find further information on what has been achieved so far and how to donate.
https://fight4rutland.org/
This is the action page:
