SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

From this morning's YEP:http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... 43396Plans to sell off the oldest parts of Leeds General Infirmary have been unveiled.The proposals were revealed in a £155m five-year plan for major reorganisations at the city’s hospitals.Selling some of the most outdated buildings at LGI and Seacroft Hospital – which include the LGI’s Brotherton Wing and the Grade I listed building on Great George Street – could raise £7.5m.Full article at the above link.I must admit that articles like this leave me feeling uneasy. These are some of the finest public buildings in Leeds, paid for by the good people of this city and they are now apparently set to be sold off and potentially have public access denied forever.The architecture of the Great George Street building in particular is simply stunning, equally so the interior in the public areas. This is truly a gem and yet it will shortly be behind locked doors if these plans proceed. We won't realise what we had until it's gone.Maybe the arguement that some of the buildings aren't suitable for modern healthcare might hold more water if the alternative wasn't expensive PFI funded steel framed concrete buildings with a 25 year service life.I'm also not impressed that the YEP have effectively printed exactly what the PR department at Leeds NHS have told them...    

raveydavey wrote: I'm also noy impressed that the YEP have effectively prined exactly what the PR department at Leeds NHS have told them... I agree with all you say about your unease. As these buildings are both listed, they should be safe (esp the Great George St main building). I visited the Brotherton Suite recently and it was great to finally get out on to one of balconies - an iconic building.Your comment about the gullibility of the YEP journalist is all too typical of journalism these days - and not just in the local media. The national dailies and even the BBC are liable to trot out the latest press releases without even a modicum of analysis or thought.

7.5m is not a lot of money in NHS terms. It's a shame that hospitals like seacroft, Chapel Allerton, Otley and others are gone or going. As the City becomes more congested, travelling for health care will become more difficult. We'll needs district hospitals more than ever in the future. The LGI serves the people of Leeds well so we should spend whatever needs to be spent to modernise it.

book wrote: 7.5m is not a lot of money in NHS terms. It's a shame that hospitals like seacroft, Chapel Allerton, Otley and others are gone or going. As the City becomes more congested, travelling for health care will become more difficult. We'll needs district hospitals more than ever in the future. The LGI serves the people of Leeds well so we should spend whatever needs to be spent to modernise it. Some people would sell their own mothers off if it meant short term "gain"....what next....jimmy's....civic hall,town hall ???

I simply can't agree with the sale.Reasons given previously (and deliberately not stated in this press release, IMHO) are the black hole in the finances that the incompetent management of the trust have run up and the current public services management fetish for everything being new and shiny, whether they can afford to staff it or not (Pontefract Hospital A&E department, for example).When my late dad was ill, he received some of the finest care in the "decrepit, not fit for modern healthcare" listed Great George Street part of the LGI. He also received truly shabby treatment that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy whilst in the newer 1960's/70's bit that sits between the new and old parts of the hospital. So the surroundings are irrelevant.For some illnesses it's about the care people receive, not the shiny new surroundings, or the number of boxes some manager gets to tick.

raveydavey wrote: I simply can't agree with the sale.Reasons given previously (and deliberately not stated in this press release, IMHO) are the black hole in the finances that the incompetent management of the trust have run up and the current public services management fetish for everything being new and shiny, whether they can afford to staff it or not (Pontefract Hospital A&E department, for example).When my late dad was ill, he received some of the finest care in the "decrepit, not fit for modern healthcare" listed Great George Street part of the LGI. He also received truly shabby treatment that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy whilst in the newer 1960's/70's bit that sits between the new and old parts of the hospital. So the surroundings are irrelevant.For some illnesses it's about the care people receive, not the shiny new surroundings, or the number of boxes some manager gets to tick. I can agree with that mate.Our old man struggled last 14yrs of his life 'n was in LGI many times.Know the wards inside out and all u say rings true.It's about the care of the individuals 'n the pride and dedication,leadership of individual wards......sad to say.Not the building tho......can't agree more.

They've been on about selling off the old parts of the L.G.I for getting on 20 years that I am aware of.Plans mooted usually centre around a 'desirable office opportunity'As for the 'debt'. Let me guess, this will be in the neighbourhood of £5 million, perhaps this fictitious figure has been raised a little to ensure it still seems to be a meaningful figure.This 'debt' was used to justify sell off assets, profit making assets, assets that were making a cash return of better then £1.5 million, and that privatisation is one of the reasons I don't work there any more, I left and increased my wage by over 30%.In retrospect being part of that transfer to private industry would not have been a bad option, but you have to make life decisions based on the information you have at the time.That £5 million debt was used year on year to ensure that various pay initiatives were scuppered , and was used to increase the car parking charges, around 200% in the last few years.The 'black hole' is merely a toll to justify doing, or not doing things that are necessary.

All the failings,inefficiencies and waste start at the top and that IS WHERE THE BUCK SHOULD STOP.....never mind sacking front line staff.About time some of the dinosaurs in middle and senior management got the chop(so to speak).Agree that NHS does need some form of change/modification but not along the lines of Mr.Cameron and his poodles.Perhaps he should set the example and investigate the" goings on" at senior management level.I am a regulat attendee(patient) at Jimmy's,LGI and Seacroft and in last 2 years we have seen a change of tourniquet(for blood tests) on 3 occasions...each one alledgedly cheaper than the last.....yet each one inferior in quality to its predecessor.Result=more snap/break and get chucked thus increasing cost.I could go on but it makes my blood boil and that would be no good would it ?