Simon Cordon says, "We have proven that there is no alternative other than to keep Milford Hospital" as Health Trust climbs down (South West Surrey Liberal Democrats)

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

Simon Cordon says, "We have proven that there is no alternative other than to keep Milford Hospital" as Health Trust climbs down

March 1, 2005 6:18 PM

Simon Cordon and fellow Milford Hospital campaigner Cllr Joy Rayner campaigning before a Primary Care Trust meeting

In a dramatic u-turn the Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust (PCT) has rejected all four of its own alternatives designed to bring about the closure of Milford Hospital. Chief Executive Liz Slinn and Chairman Chris Grimes have announced that the extended consultation about the closure, planned for March, has been cancelled. A special PCT Board meeting to decide the hospital's fate, scheduled for June 30th, has also been scrapped.

Leading campaigner Simon Cordon has described the move as a "climbdown". He said: "We have proven that there is no alternative other than to keep Milford Hospital The PCT are admitting that all of the ideas they've come up with in their attempt to close Milford Hospital are non-starters. Splitting the service up, moving it to the Royal Surrey, sending it to Farnham - none of these would have worked and all would have been more expensive. That is what we have said for the past eleven months. Our evidence and arguments have won the day and the PCT has had to climbdown. Milford Hospital is a centre of excellence. We have shown that you can't pick it up and provide it elsewhere. What the PCT should work on now is expanding services at Milford to provide even better care, spread the overhead cost and make better use of money at the same time".

Simon thanked the "thousands of local people" who have backed the campaign to save Milford Hospital, but he warned that there was still work to do. "The PCT are saving face by saying they will revisit the future of Milford Hospital later in the year. This isn't good enough. The PCT must not let the uncertainty of the past year continue - they must end it. I shall push hard for a much firmer commitment. Closure is off the agenda for now, but I will not let complacency take its place. With this climbdown we are near the top of the mountain in saving the hospital. I shall use these coming weeks and months to achieve a permanent commitment to Milford's future. There is no other sensible solution", added Simon.

The PCT has said it wants to push ahead with the closure of ten orthopaedic beds at Milford. "I do not think any beds should go. With a growing elderly population, the sensible thing is to have more beds at Milford, so I shall keep fighting against the loss of these ten vital beds", said Simon.