Leader of Swindon Borough Council, David Renard will write to the secretary of state for health and social care about waiting times at accident and emergency at the Great Western Hospital and also urging him to publish a long-awaited green paper on the future funding of adult social care.
Councillors across the political divide in the chamber voted unanimously in favour of a motion put forward by Labour councillor Ray Ballman, and seconded by the Conservative cabinet member for adults' services Brian Ford.
It said: "The Great Western Hospital emergency department continues to fail to meet its four hour waiting time target and at the last GWH Trust report to the health overview and scrutiny committee the hospital was six per cent below its 95 per cent NHS target. Overcrowding in the emergency department remains the GWH Trust’s most
pressing challenge.
"Over 70 per cent, of all money raised from council tax payers is spent on supporting the most vulnerable who need social care. This council eagerly awaits publication of the government’s green paper on social care for adults."
Councillor Bob Wright told the meeting of his personal experience last year when his son was admitted with sepsis, but could not be seen by a doctor for what he called a critical first hour, because none was present on that side of the emergency department. Fortunately, he added, his son is fine now.
He said: "At overview we are used to asking whether the hospital is ready for winter - but it's all the year round now. The pressure in winter becomes the pressure in summer and just gets greater the next winter."
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