54000DOCTORS.org

In February 2017, the South London Critical Care Operation Network conducted a peer review into the Woolwich Intensive Care Unit at the centre of the Dr Chris Day whistleblowing case. It comments  on several of the issues raised by Dr Day in his whistleblowing disclosures in 2013-14.

Context of the Woolwich Intensive Care Unit
The Peer Review report introduces the context that the Queen Elizabeth Elizabeth has found itself in following the reorganisation of local services by the Secretary of State for Health and a Private Finance Initiative deal.

“In April 2009, the hospital was part of a merger with Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust and Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust to form South London Healthcare NHS Trust. In July 2012, Andrew Lansley, Secretary of State for Health, announced that the South London Healthcare Trust, formed in 2009 was to go into special measures due its financial difficulties. On 1 October 2013, QEH merged with Lewisham announced Healthcare NHS Trust to form Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust in the confidence that the new Trust will be better able to meet the challenges as part of a larger organization."

"The Critical Care Unit at QEH had 8 beds when it opened in 2001. As a result of the mergers, and associated increased workload, it has expanded into adjacent ward areas and now runs 18 beds and an additional 19th bed as part of an escalation area. ““The unit has grown from 8 beds in 2001, to the 19 it has today, without any significant increase in resources over the time period.”

“The perception on the unit was that there had been a significant increase in activity in recent years and subsequent increase in workload for medical team. This was felt to be a serious issue by review team as there did not appear to be a plan to address the consultant shortfall.”

Download full report (PDF)

Download full report (PDF)