I invited then Health Minister, Steve Barclay MP, to visit Townlands Memorial Hospital in Henley last Thursday. Townlands is an exmplar of how the NHS can organise its services across discsipline and not in silos. The level of integration with Social Services and changes in attitudes of clinicians is impressive. It was important to show these to the Minister.
The Minister met with several people including Steve McManus, Chief Executive of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and Pete McGrane, Clinical Director for Community Services, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. Following initial discussion the Minister toured the unit talking with staff in the Outpatients Clinic, the Minor Injuries Unit, the Rapid Access Care Unit, and the Care Home. The Minister was keen to hear from staff about how things worked and what feedback they would like him to take back to the Department of Health. It was particularly good to show him the beds in the Care Home at the side of the hospital.
