Eric Leach's Ealing Covid-19 Latest Update
The truth about Ealing Hospital's role and shocking care home death numbers
Ealing Hospital's Covid-19 Role March 2020 To Date Finally Comes to LighL
Formal reports on news, activities and services at Ealing Hospital began to deteriorate in 2014 when it lost its Trust status and effectively became the ‘child' to the Northwick Park Hospital ‘parent'. News about Ealing Hospital during Covid-19 has been sparse in the extreme from its managing Trust based in Harrow (LNWH). Now from patient experiences, clinical staff at the hospital and consistent questioning by Ealing Save Our NHS, the following would appear to be the truth.
When the pandemic struck in March 2020 the hospital was quickly overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients. By mid-April 2020 new guidance from NHS England (NHSE) was to concentrate serious Covid-19 patients at the larger NHS major hospitals. In Ealing's case this was Northwick Park Hospital (NWP). Intensive care beds, equipment and patients were and continue to be transferred to NWP. However since mid-April 2020 Ealing has consistently intubated seriously ill Covid-19 patients and as necessary transferred them to NWP. Some Covid-19 patients were and continue to be intubated at Ealing. Ealing residents with less serious Covid-19 infections were and are still being treated at Ealing Hospital.
All Ealing Hospital Wards Are Closed to Visitors – But There are Exceptions
These exceptions are:
+ A patient at end of life
+ One regular carer for a patient with additional needs, such as a patient with Dementia
+ One parent/guardian for a child
+ One birthing partner for a mother in labour
Visitors must wear face coverings at all times in the hospital.
130 Covid-19 Deaths at the 48 Ealing Care Homes
Shocking news is now emerging about up to 30 Covid-19 deaths at just one Ealing care home – The Grange Care Centre in Southall. However there's no data on where the other 100 Covid-19 care home deaths took place.
Ealing Council Cabinet papers published on 9 June 2020 finally shed some official light on these tragedies. There are pages and pages on how the Council has dispensed social care and tried to help care homes during the pandemic. On 29 May 2020 Ealing Council Chief Executive Paul Najsarek wrote two letters to Minister of State for Care Helen Whately MP. In these letters Mr Najsarek stated:
‘No single point of oversight for care home placements within Ealing'.
(I understand also that on 27 April 2020 Council Leader Julian Bell and Health & Adult Care Cabinet Member Binda Rai wrote to Health & Social Care Secretary of State Matt Hancock MP). I don't know whether this flurry of letter writing was in response to Government requests for information or quite simply cries for help. No clues yet if replies to these letters were received.
Figures are sparse across the 46 pages of Cabinet papers:
+ As of 27 May 2020, 1,249 care home residents and 1,237 care home staff had been tested for Covid-19. (Within these numbers were repeat tests and multiple testing)
+ The number of hospital patients suffering from Covid-19 who have been discharged from hospitals to Ealing care homes is missing
+ Apparently Ealing has the third highest number of care homes in London and a quarter of all care home beds in north west London. Apparently there are 1,600 care home beds in Ealing.
+ No published figures of Covid-19 cases or deaths at Ealing care homes. (The 130 deaths figure was reportedly quoted by Mr Najsarek at a recent virtual, public meeting in Southall).
On 2 April 2020 NHSE stated that negative tests (for Covid-19) are not required prior to transfer into care homes.
After the Grenfell Tower tragedy the identities of those who lost their lives became public knowledge. We were even told on which floor they lived. Similarly healthcare, social care and elderly activists in Ealing are now demanding of Ealing Council that, bearing in mind the sensitivity of personal data, they want to know:
+ Who was suffering from Covid-19 when discharged from hospitals to Ealing care homes and on what date?
+ Of these patients which of them subsequently died of Covid-19 in which care home and on what date?
+ What needs to be done to ensure that no more people die of Covid-19 or a subsequent viral pandemic in Ealing's care homes?
Covid-19 Response Small Business Grants: Apply Now
For those small businesses who pay their business rates indirectly as part of their rent, grants up to £10,000 are available from Ealing Council. This is part of the Government's Local Authority Discretionary Grants Scheme. The Council has set eligibility criteria. Grant applications must be submitted by 4 July 2020. Details at:
www.ealing.gov.uk/discretionarygrants
Elthorne Park High School Staff are Manufacturing Covid-19 PPE Masks, Scrubs and Visors
Using a £1,000 grant from CQRS, the Hanwell school staff purchased a 3D printer to manufacture visors. Pupil's parents also made generous financial donations. Free visors are available for care homes and medical centres. Contact:
Thank Goodness for All our Parks and Open Spaces
Ealing has 127 parks and open spaces. Residents have clearly made good use of them during Covid-19 lockdown. Let's hope after lockdown ends residents will continue to use and value these open spaces. But there are threats to some of these open spaces. It has taken seven years to wrestle back control of Warren Farm in Southall. Plans are well advanced to build on Metropolitan Open Land at Gurnell in West Ealing and Crossrail is still 'camped' on Haven Green and has been for a few years now.
In 2018 the Council made it clear a number of times that it lacked the cash to adequately maintain all its open spaces. In November 2018 it launched its Ealing Parks Foundation (EPF) initiative. EPF is to become a charity which will be an enabling vehicle for volunteers to fund raise and maintain their local open space/park. The Council hired South West London Environmental Network (SWLEN) to establish EPF and set up ‘Friends' groups for many of our open spaces/parks. At the launch of EPF the Council said a Board of Trustees would be appointed ‘early in 2019'.
So far EPF has not been registered with the Charity Commission, no Trustees have been appointed and no SWLEN inspired Friends groups have emerged.
YMCA West Ealing at 83 Broadway to Re-open on Friday 26 June 2020
More volunteers are needed to run the store. If you can help, contact:
Eric Leach
eric.alan.leach@gmail.com
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June 23, 2020
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