BBAG is for all of the communities of East Suffolk served by Heath Road Hospital, Ipswich, including all of Suffolk Coastal District, Mid Suffolk District, Ipswich Borough & Babergh District.

The House of Commons Health Select Committee Report published on 13th December 2006 titled ‘Failure in NHS Financial Management’ identified the funding formula, poor central management and poor local management as the main causes for health economy failures. It further warned against short term measures being taken by indebted PCTs, which are against the long-term interests of the NHS and the communities they serve.

The ill-advised truncated disposal of the Bartlet site must surely fall into this category and we seek your support to rescue the Bartlet and return it to the purpose for which Dr John Henry Bartlet donated his personal wealth.

The Bartlet Bequest Action Group (BBAG) was formed in 2007 to protect the interest of the 500 000 people resident in East Suffolk and North Essex, the inheritors, eligible to use this facility under the terms of Doctor Bartlet’s will. It will be necessary to take legal action against the Suffolk Primary Care Trust who intend to sell the site to a Manchester based developer.

Doctor Bartlet was determined to provide post-operative provision of professional rehabilitation in a therapeutic setting. The High Court chose the seaside location and the convalescent home was opened by the “Bartlet Trustees”, until the NHS, having agreed to the protective conditions, took over.

The NHS locally, is in a dire financial position, due to Department of Health underfunding, poor central and local management and continuous restructuring which initially created a PCT too small to cope, and now, has one too large to care.

To retain choice in rehabilitation and possibly respite and other health provision for yourself, your family and friends, ACT TODAY and become a Bartlet Bequest Action Group Supporter.

PLEASE GIVE YOUR SUPPORT TO THE FIGHT TO RECLAIM DOCTOR BARTLET’S INVALUABLE GIFT

Lend your support to our campaign - email savethebartlet@yahoo.com
A form for pledges of support can be printed out - click here for pdf file and click on Print - and sent to:
Bartlet Bequest Action Group, c/o Cygnus House, Orion Court, Great Blakenham, Suffolk, IP6 0RL.
For a Bartlet Care Supporter form click here for pdf file and click on ‘Print’ and return to the address on the form.

Frequently Asked Questions about BBAG and the Bartlet can be found in the ‘About BBAG’ section.

Suffolk NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT), with the full backing of the Government, has now closed the Bartlet, pending a planning application which is expected to be submitted by the PCT's preferred development partner for the site, Manchester based developers PJ Livesey Group. The Bartlet is likely to be turned into luxury flats, if permission is granted.

Questions continue to be asked by members of the Bartlet Bequest Action Group...
- What will happen to those patients for whom rehabilitative care at home by travelling carers is not suitable or possible?
- Will bed blocking, hospital readmissions and super bugs continue to increase, and will 16 beds be enough for Felixstowe and Trimley’s population of 31,000 people, with the country’s largest container port and only one road out of the town?
- Was Suffolk PCT’s process for the sale of the Bartlet publicised for long enough, have they looked carefully at all possible options for any medical and community uses for the Bartlet site, and have they fully considered the implications of planning restrictions (including affordable housing requirements) on the site when trying to achieve best value for the sale?
- When they were told of the raft of hospital closures planned by the PCT in 2005 (barely a few months after the Felixstowe General and the Bartlet were promised a secure future, as the PCT admitted the community “needed them both”), were campaigners wrongly led to believe that fighting to save the Bartlet could jeopardise the General Hospital, leaving the town with neither? When did the PCT and / or the Government know that the refurbishment of the General would not depend on a loan from the Strategic Health Authority - which would later be paid off through the sale of the Bartlet - but would instead be covered by the Government’s community hospital fund?
- What happened to the Bartlet Trust money, which is thought now to be worth millions of pounds?
- Should the NHS even be selling the Bartlet which was given to the local community through Dr John Henry Bartlet’s bequest?

December 2007: Bartlet Campaign Update from Michael Ninnmey

Text news stories on Felixstowe TV:
17/01/08: Goodbye Bartlet
07/01/08: No. 10 Says No To Bartlet Petition
21/12/07: NHS Bed Numbers Plummet
22/11/07: Bed Shortage At Ipswich Hospital

News articles on Evening Star website:
16/01/08: Sad farewell to Bartlet
07/01/08: Petition not enough to save hospital
03/01/08: Campaigners claim hospital bid ignored
28/12/07: Renewed criticism over sale of Bartlet

The Bartlet Bequest Action Group (BBAG) would like to inform the East Suffolk community that the articles in yesterday’s (31/01/08) East Anglian Daily Times and Evening Star were nothing to do with BBAG.

BBAG has been fighting for the Bartlet Convalescent Home to be returned to this community, where it rightly belongs, and will continue to do so.

Some of our members were demonstrating outside of the refurbished Felixstowe Community (General) Hospital this morning to make the Suffolk Primary Care Trust and The Right Honourable John Gummer (who refused to support us in this fight) aware that BBAG has not given up the fight. The battle continues.

The 1st AGM of the Bartlet Bequest Action Group (BBAG) supporters was held on Wednesday 23rd April 2008 at Broadway House, Felixstowe. The meeting thanked the outgoing committee for all its hard work throughout the past year and expressed its continuing confidence in the committee by re-electing all of its members. A number of new supporters offered to give their time as members of the committee.

The meeting was informed that details of a Social Enterprise were being explored as a way forward for the Bartlet.

The suggestion, by a Felixstowe Town Council conservative member, that we should cower with him and a dead horse behind the barricades whilst Suffolk Primary Care Trust’s (SPCT) jackboot crushes the health service in this community, was dismissed with the contempt it deserved. The question was asked “Why are the Felixstowe Town Councillors not taking a lead in fighting to retain the Bartlet for this community?” The chairman agreed it was a good question which only the Town Council could answer. The chairman’s view was, they, as well as John Gummer MP, were content to accept a less than adequate community hospital than continue to fight for the real needs of this community.

The report, by Age Concern, which names Suffolk as the 4th worst area in the country to live if you are a sick pensioner was discussed. Only 3 other areas in the country are worse than Suffolk for providing care, under the NHS, to sick and vulnerable pensioners; another reason for keeping the Bartlet for what it was originally intended.

The transfer of Head & Neck Cancer treatment to Norwich Hospital was also discussed. It was agreed that this was another of SPCT’s incomprehensible proposals which will be forced upon this community (we all know consultation is a joke - SPCT makes its mind up and then tries to convince the community that it’s a good idea). Having read their consultation document, I think Carol Taylor-Brown (SPCT’s CEO and chair of the Anglian Cancer Network - who made this decision) could teach a Carrousel how to spin.

Finally the committee would wish to thank all our supporters for their generosity and interest over the past year and together we can achieve our goal in the near future.

The meeting closed at 8-30pm when refreshments were served and the discussion continued.

Barry Farr, Hon. Chair

The meeting was called to report back, to supporters, on the work done by the committee. The meeting was well attended; reflecting the continued concerns of the community over the fate of the Bartlet and care in East Suffolk.
We were hoping to have Jacqui Martin, the Chief Executive Officer of Suffolk Family Carers, as one of our speakers, but unfortunately she was unwell. She did send a statement, which was read by Dr Janet Massey, re: the current position with family carers, the increasing pressures they are under and the increasing demand for respite care, now and in the future. Respite care is an essential and growing need. The Chairman told the meeting that the provision of respite care was one of the priority elements of BBAG’s plan for the use of the Bartlet.
Peter Mellor then gave his view of the future of Care for theEast Suffolk community, based on his attendance at many NHS Suffolk and County Council Scrutiny Committee meetings. This was followed by Dr Janet Massey with a local GPs view of the care needs in East Suffolk. Concern for the future adequate and appropriate care provision, for this community, was expressed by both speakers.
A power point presentation, which showed the envisioned care and community use the Bartlet could be put to, was given by the chair of BBAG Barry Farr. He highlighted that the present need for recuperative care in this community is just as prevalent today as when Dr John Bartlet gave his fortune for the building and its on-going upkeep.BBAG’s vision is for a Community Health Village, owned by, run by and run for the East Suffolk community. BBAG believes it is essential that the whole of the East Suffolk community accepts this as their project.
At the end of the presentation questions were taken from the floor. Discussion took place on funding, the business plan, the geographical coverage, and types of occupancy. The chair then put to the meeting the following questions:
1. If it became necessary to negotiate with NHS Suffolk to purchase the Bartlet, would those present be prepared to go out into the community and raise financial pledges? - and -
2. Does the meeting agree with the vision, presented by the chair, of the Bartlet becoming a Community Health Village?
Both of these questions were answered, in the affirmative, unanimously.
The meeting closed with the committee’s reaffirmation to continue to try to return the Bartlet to the community of East Suffolk, for the benefit of the community. Barry Farr - Chair