Bed Numbers: Health Trust "Spinning the truth" (South West Surrey Liberal Democrats)

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

Bed Numbers: Health Trust "Spinning the truth"

November 10, 2004 6:12 PM

A return to large-scale bed blocking, possible trolley waits and cancelled in-patient appointments is on the cards if the Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust (PCT) push ahead with plans to close Milford Hospital.

The claim comes from Simon Cordon, Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for SW Surrey. Simon says that bed occupancy figures finally published by the PCT prove that closing Milford Hospital should be a "non-starter for any rational person".

The PCT's plan would see the loss of 60 beds at Milford with a new ward of 28 beds built at the Royal Surrey County Hospital (RSCH), a "net loss" of 32 beds. For the proposal to make sense it means that there must be at least 32 beds not used at other hospitals, including the RSCH itself, Haslemere, Cranleigh and Farnham.

The PCT has published figures claiming that 52 beds are free. Simon says this is untrue and he has accused the PCT of "spinning the truth". He also points out that the PCT are using figures for the recent Summer period of July to September and are only looking at the position at RSCH.

Simon says that without Milford Hospital, bed occupancy in the area would reach 100.2%. His analysis is based on a full year set of figures, April 2003 to March 2004. "You have to look at a full year because of the effect of seasonality. Any first-term GCSE student would tell you that, but the PCT are looking just at selected figures in the summer months. Did they really think we wouldn't pick this up?"

Simon also pointed out that the PCT's published figures exclude key factors, such as the Frimley Park health community who also have access to Farnham Hospital beds and the new demands that will placed upon the RSCH when it becomes a regional specialist centre for cancer treatment.

Simon said: "The PCT are spinning the truth over bed numbers. The reality is that any sensible assessment of the published figures leads to the conclusion that taking Milford's beds out of the system will push matters to breaking point. We will see a return to large-scale bed-blocking, possible trolley waits and cancelled in-patient appointments. We need the Milford beds. The PCT's own figures prove so".