Hospital Closure Plan "Falling Apart" (South West Surrey Liberal Democrats)

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

Hospital Closure Plan "Falling Apart"

October 31, 2004 8:58 PM

The Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust (PCT) is licking its wounds after an embarrassing gruelling at a hearing of the Surrey Health Scrutiny Committee on Friday October 29th.

That's the view of Simon Cordon, Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate, who sat through the four and half examination of the PCT's plan to close Milford Hospital.

Simon says that the PCT's case "fell further apart with every question they were incapable of answering, which in fact, was every question put to them".

Simon has consistently said any plan to close Milford Hospital would prove to be "financially and clinically flawed". After the Scrutiny Committee hearing he said he felt "vindicated". Simon has argued that services should be expanded at Milford Hospital as a way of making better use of money and providing better health care closer to home.

During September Simon sent out 10,000 letters urging people to lobby the Surrey Health Scrutiny Committee.

"I want to thank everyone who has written letters to the Scrutiny Committee", said Simon. "It is clear that they have heard our points and when they put them to the PCT, the PCT had nothing to say. Campaigning and lobbying works".

The PCT were unable to provide any financial information to support the closure plan. Similarly they had no clear idea about the impact on Farnham Hospital of transferring 22 Milford Hospital beds and could give no assurances about the transfer of 38 beds to the Royal Surrey. "They also gave no answers about the future of the Day Hospital or the x-ray", said Simon.

The PCT announced during the hearing that they would have to come back to the Scrutiny Committee with three options for the future of services run from Milford Hospital, not just the one option currently on the table.

"The PCT hasn't got a clue. They say they will re-provide the services currently at Milford but cannot tell us how. Listening to PCT directors at the hearing confirmed my view that they are unable to produce a single piece of evidence to support the closure of Milford Hospital. Their plan is falling part. It's made of straw and has been built on shifting sand", said the LibDem campaigner.