Handed a poisoned chalice? Steve Moore

CANCER charities and volunteers were left perplexed by the presentation of the Local Health Board’s plans for the future of cancer services in Pembrokeshire.

The meeting, held on Monday (Feb 23) morning at Withybush Hospital’s Postgraduate Centre, was intended by the Health Board to be a discussion of fundraising plans for the often-promised new Cancer Day Unit and new inpatient cancer unit. However, it developed into a thorough and critical examination of the board’s occasionally difficult relationship between charitable fundraisers and the board.

The sailing was not all through difficult waters. There was genuine and touching warmth between many of the people present directed towards those who had treated them.

The goodwill in the room extended to new Chief Executive, Steve Moore, whose efforts to meet with the public and listen to them had evidently been appreciated.

Sue Lewis, the County Director for the board, acknowledged past problems. With regard to the general medical admissions being made to Ward 10, she said that the pressures upon hospital beds over the winter months had meant that those admissions were unavoidable; however, she said that a new Ward 10 would definitely be a cancer ward. Sue Lewis was at pains to say that the discussions on Monday were for the provision of cancer services in Pembrokeshire only.

The good news given by the board was that enough money had been raised to build the new day unit in the location of the current Ward 10. Charities were told that the former Ward 14, as previously revealed by The Herald, would house paediatric care beds. However, the good news was tempered by the Health Board confirming that it had not secured any funding for the ‘new’ Ward 10 to be sited in the location of the present Ward 9.

Plans had been drawn for the new inpatient unit. But money to build it was there none.

And so the board asked the charities to help them.

The challenge put to the charities was stark. In terms, the board said: “You have raised so much money over the last eleven years. Please raise the same again, but in a very short period of time.”

Responding for Adam’s Bucketful of Hope, Chris Evans-Thomas told the meeting: “After all the fundraising charities have done, we need something tangible in return.” She sympathised with new Chief Executive Steve Moore, who had, she said been ‘handed a poisoned chalice’. Directing her fire at the Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay, she made it plain that she expected it to pay up.

Margaret Bond, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Withybush Hospital Cancer Day Unit Appeal, highlighted the reliance of the charities themselves on the goodwill of the public, while trying to turn pennies and pounds into the type of sums that can fund equipment purchases for patient care.

Sophie Thomas gave an overview of the work of The Paul Sartori Foundation in end of life care, while the representative of Shalom House Palliative Care Centre drew attention to the struggles faced by small charities in continuing to provide services complementary to those provided by the NHS.

Responding, Sue Lewis stated that while the board would look to the Welsh Government to pitch in, and ask for generous help from larger national charities, there would, nevertheless, be a significant demand upon the goodwill of local charities.

Paul Hawkins, the Operations Manager for the Board, was at pains to spell out that in order to begin work on phase two of the plans – reconstructing an inpatient unit to replace that removed – he would need ‘a clear sight’ that the £1m target for the new unit was on track.

Quite what that meant if the target was not in ‘clear sight’ after the completion of the Cancer Day Unit was not spelled out.

The issue of trust was raised by more than one representative of a charity. Mr Hawkins was told point blank that at least one of the charities represented did not trust the board to deliver. The Herald understands that, in light of the trust issues, charities are very likely to place significant strings on any other money they hand over to the board.

The charities also expressed grave concerns about the displacement of money from their central charitable activities towards the building of a new Ward 10. Sophie Thomas, from The Paul Sartori Foundation, expressed particular concerns about the finite amount of money available for charitable giving in Pembrokeshire and the way in which third party resources, on which patients depend, might be adversely affected.

Lyn Neville of Pembrokeshire Cancer Support was not at the meeting but he has repeatedly raised questions about where the extra money will come from. He told The Herald that he was worried about the path the board had taken: “The original plans were always to build the Day Unit last. I am very concerned that we might have a new Day Unit but no dedicated cancer ward. I am also concerned that – even if the money is found for a new ward – there will be difficulties in sustainably staffing it.”

One charity campaigner, who did not want to be identified, told us that they were concerned that the board turned to charities to raise money for this specific capital project but not others, saying: “Refurbishment should be part of a rolling programme for all areas of the hospital, paid for out of core funding.”

The Health Board was due to provide a press release following the meeting. At the time of going to press, the board has confirmed that a press release is now scheduled for next week.