Hospital closure proposal is "rotten to the core" (South West Surrey Liberal Democrats)

South West Surrey Liberal Democrats <info@swsurreylibdems.org.uk>

Hospital closure proposal is "rotten to the core"

September 9, 2004 10:15 PM

Months of silence from the Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust (PCT) about the future of Milford Hospital was broken this afternoon (Thursday September 9th) when the trust's Professional Executive Committee (PEC) decided to formally recommend the closure of the hospital to the PCT Board Meeting scheduled for next week, Thursday September 16th.

Simon Cordon, who led the campaign to save the hospital from closure in 2001, immediately described the new plan as "rotten to the core".

The PCT will be claiming that the rehabilitation service provided by Milford Hospital can be replaced by relocating beds between the Royal Surrey and Farnham Hospital.

Simon immediately responded to the closure plan: "We now have a legal right to at least 12 weeks formal consultation. I shall be insisting that we have at least 12 weeks but ideally more, as 12 weeks falls just before Christmas. We saved the hospital three year ago. We were right then and we are right now to be determined to save it again. This closure plan is rotten to the core and we must challenge every part of it", he said.

Simon claimed that the PCT "completely miss the point about Milford Hospital". "Splitting the service up, is like taking away its very heart. Its excellence is based on the team working together in one environment along with the out-patient physios, community nurses and day hospital teams".

Simon says he will study every aspect of the bed relocation proposal. "I fear the PCT will be double-counting beds, using beds at the RSCH and Farnham that already have another use. I remember when Oak Ward was relocated to the Royal Surrey, from Milford, to continue as a rehab ward. That's what they said but it is used for completely different purposes now. The same will happen if the 60 beds at Milford are so-called relocated".

"I am desperately disappointed that the PCT are being so short-sighted. Many people will be disappointed too. My message is do not give up heart. Please keep backing the hospital and our campaign. Now is the time to declare war on these proposals not give in. We will prove that they are clinically and financially flawed. We did this three years ago and we can do it again. As far as I am concerned this is the start of a fight not the end".