"We've got to carry on. That's what makes us Salfordians and not Mancs!" Terry, Project Manager
Shocked, saddened and amazed was my reaction to the scene at Lower Broughton Health Centre today...
Shocked by the amount of damage and destruction that the murky, muddy waters of the Irwell had visited upon the contents of the one storey 1980s multi-roomed building... Saddened to see so many patients, many of them elderly, trying to get their needs dealt with by a system that was not fit for purpose... And amazed to see the ten or so staff as they struggled to cope with the massive challenge confronting them in conditions that were...well, appalling... almost one week after the worst flooding to hit Lower Broughton in almost seventy years.
There was a steady stream of patients coming through the doors to be confronted by a makeshift table manned by the well clad staff sporting wellington boots, puffa coats and mountain hats. One might have been in Donetsk in Ukraine rather than Salford, England. The only thing that was missing was the sound of shells and small arms fire crackling away in the background.
The deluge had destroyed computers, phones, the boiler and the electricity system. Anything more than five or six electrical tools on at the same time and the system, plugged into the flat next door, was liable to trip. Most of the consulting rooms were still full of debris. Doctors were on hand for advice and non-invasive examinations, as the place was still waiting to be sprayed down by infection control.
In freezing and damp conditions, Alison, Justine, Sally, Carol and Shiney did their best, using paper and pens to take notes and issue emergency repeat prescriptions, while talking to patients on their own mobile phones advising them to visit pharmacists and walk-in centres in neighbouring Manchester and Prestwich (Salford's have all shut in the cuts).*
Secretary, Alison, told me that most people were understanding, especially those living near the centre who were able to witness the devastation... "We have been told we will get help but it needs to come quick, we can't go on like this" she shouted, struggling to make herself heard over the industrial gas blow heater creating more noise than warmth in the former waiting room of the practice.
Notwithstanding a devastating flood and the damage it brought, what on earth is happening, when, seven days after the event, 12,000 people, fifty per cent of them elderly, have no proper primary medical cover worthy of the name? That in 2016 the contingency is not in place to provide an alternative building where consultations can take place in hygienic and safe conditions, and computer files of patients are not readily accessible to medical staff on some centrally backed up server?
The staff dispensing advice at Lower Broughton today were nothing less than heroic, and I suspect the same stoic and supreme efforts must be taking place in areas like York, Carlisle, Whalley and Hebden Bridge where flood water did similar, if not worse damage than even here in Salford.
So much for the managers and planners, who take home considerably more in their pay packets than our staff in Broughton, for not providing the contingency planning, back up and utility that a community requires when confronted by acts of God or man.
It appears to me their oversight has left the most vulnerable in dire straits and only assisted by dedicated women in heavy coats and warm hats.
Advice for Patients at the Centre...
* For minor ailments like coughs, colds and some forms of rashes see local pharmacists
* If it's something more serious go to walk-in centres at Prestwich and Boots in Manchester.
* If it's an emergency but not enough to go to A&E contact the Centre
* If medication hasn't yet run out, try and wait a few days for a repeat prescription.
Staff on the State of the Centre...
"We're doing the best we can with the resources we have. We've done well I think to sustain some type of service; we've been seeing emergencies, doing repeat prescriptions and are liaising quite closely with the local chemists. We have another site at Energise, so we're seeing patients there as well. We haven't got computer access but it's warm, it's a better environment. It is unbelievable; most places would have closed and handed over to someone else..."
Debbie Regan, Health Centre Manager
"On the day after Boxing Day it was horrendous, all the cellar was flooded and because the boiler is in the cellar, we've got no heating and no electric. All the scanners, computers...everything is out. We've had to write prescriptions by hand but we don't know everyone's medications. People are phoning up and we don't know what dose they are on or anything because we can't check. We're asking them to bring the medication in so we know exactly what the doses are. It's a nightmare. "
Allison Lawler, secretary
"The majority of patients have been understanding, really good, and we've even had some fetching in hot water bottles for us. From the patients' point of view the most important thing is to get the computers working because it's delaying everything. If it's an emergency and patients have run out of medication we're dealing with that as a priority. We're just trying to keep going and inform the patients as they come in because we haven't got their phone numbers."
Carol Jones, receptionist
"I'm making sure everything's sanitised but it's a difficult job. The building was under water and even though it's been cleaned it's still coming through the floor because of the water table. We've got new pumps in the boiler house downstairs, which was under five feet of water, and we've got to keep sumping out all the time until the water table drops. But it's rising all the time, so every day you come in and go through the same process. The electrics were under water for two days, we've had to re-wire, then dry everything out and check it all individually. It's a major job. The water rose to over one foot inside and it's left all the silt which has been a nightmare. Everything has had to be stripped out of the building, carpets, furniture, the lot. But we've got to carry on. That's what makes us Salfordians and not Mancs!"
Terry Regan, Project Manager
Words and photos by Nigel Pivaro
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