Extortion is a form of theft that occurs when the offender obtains money or property from someone using coercion. To constitute coercion, a threat of violence, destruction of property or improper government action has to be committed. (Blackmail Law UK – Criminal Defence | Bloomsbury Law UK)
(For a simple kind of extortion, the punishment is imprisonment up to 3 years or a fine or both. When fear of injury is involved in any extortion, the minimum punishment is 5 years imprisonment which may extend up to 14 years or a fine or both.)
26B) East Kent hospitals trust ordered to pay back funding after maternity safety ‘scores’ downgraded
East Kent Hospitals Trust ordered to pay back funding after maternity safety ‘scores’ downgraded
“East Kent Hospitals Trust has had to repay £2.1million after its claim of reaching 10/10 for maternity service safety measures over two years was downgraded to 6/10 – although the Trust says year two was later regraded at 8/10 – by NHS regulators”.
“The claim of a perfect score was made two years running for April 2017 – March 2018 and then April 2018-March 2019. The 10/10 assessment resulted in payments from an NHS incentive scheme”.
“The Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) was launched by NHS Resolution to secure 10 key safety areas in maternity”.
“A financial incentive is offered through the scheme which takes maternity pricing payments from Trusts but repays this, and a share of any unallocated funds, if they can demonstrate they have achieved all ten of the required safety actions.”
“In Year 1 East Kent Hospitals received £1.5 million and in Year 2 £866,000 was received. But Derek Richford, the grandfather of baby Harry Richford who died at Margate’s QEQM Hospital in 2017 after a series of errors, filed a complaint over the 10/10 claim.”
26C) RESIGN -CALL TO CEO OF EKHOSP TRUST- S.ACOTT TO NOW RESIGN
“In response chef executive Susan Acott said the assessment was correct. NHSR also wrote to the Trust to ask them to check their claim of 10/10. The Trust responded to say they were totally compliant.”
“But NHS Resolution audited the Trust results in year two of the scheme and found 6/10 actions -later regraded to 8/10- reached not 10/10. NHS Resolution then looked back at year 1 and found that this was only 6/10, falling in the lowest 6% of Trusts for this measure. The Trust were told to repay the money”.
26D) POSTCODE LOTTERY CONTINUES
((26A as above )) “A financial incentive is offered through the scheme which takes maternity pricing payments from Trusts but repays this, and a share of any unallocated funds, if they can demonstrate they have achieved all ten of the required safety actions. Mr Richford (pictured) said: “There is no doubt that this Trust needs more money for maternity safety, however, claiming 100% when only 60% is true is not the way to go about it.”
“The real danger here is that by telling the world and indeed themselves that they are perfect in this measure, it masked what was really going on and as a result, patients were harmed.”
County Councillor Karen Constantine said:……………
“It is often counterproductive to align funding opportunities to incentives. NHS funding should be aligned to need. The health outcomes in Thanet are lower than elsewhere in Kent. The NHS is only too well aware of the cost of meeting these needs. Good health care is costly. The Government need to fund our NHS properly. Schemes such as this should not be needed to optimise a women’s safety during pregnancy or her experience of birth.
“We can see how chasing funds has created problems and has failed to deliver the improvements it’s was designed to mitigate.
“The family of baby Harry Richford and others have been very badly let down. Going forward full funding must be in place as a norm. The only way we are going to improve Maternity services and outcomes for women and babies is by solid dependable investment.”
EVERGLOW THE REBECCA KRUZA FOUNDATION CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN ASKING FOR THIS FUNDING SINCE 2018 TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, AND TO HAVE OUR VOICE HEARD. WE HAVE YET TO BE ALLOWED INCLUSION IN THE RELEVANT MEETINGS. IN THE ABSENCE OF THIS, I ( LYN RICHARDSON) HAVE NOW REQUESTED AN APPLICATION FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE VACANT GOVERNOR POSITION FOR DOVER, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE FOLLOWING PROMISES ARE KEPT, BECAUSE SINCE 2007 THEY HAVE NOT .
Excerpt 13th December 2018 my letter to coroner Alan blunsdon
“The East Kent CCCG have made endless promises this year (I have emails July 2018 and Aug. Sept 2018) of meetings which never transpired, which I found disheartening, worrying and felt a sense of betrayal. Having protested and since I mentioned my communications with yourself and my M.P. we are now negotiating a contact, which is a shame since this : http://positivepracticemhdirectory.org/archive/mother-infant-mental-health-service-mimhs/ proposes the Snowden model of trust, diversity, mindfulness, inter-relatedness and varied interaction. Also use of ‘patient experience’ data collection and local champions for co-production. It would be reassuring if in this case, they would show willing and practice what they preach”.