Farnham Lib Dems call for hospital bed consultation to be deferred

Written by Mark Norris on Thu 2nd Feb 2006

At the 5th January meeting of Farnham Town Council local Liberal Democrats called on the Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust (PCT) to halt its consultation on the number of community hospital beds in Waverley.

The Town Council was responding to the PCT's 'Modernising Your Local Healthcare' consultation, which outlines proposals to reduce the number of community hospital beds in Waverley from 172 to between 137 and 140 beds.

There was a welcome for the objectives in the consultation of an expanded community care service, with more patients treated through community hospitals and improved home based care, and in particular for more outpatient appointments nearer to patients homes.

However Council Leader and Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Norris said he was deeply concerned to see that the options put forward by the PCT were as much driven by financial pressures as they were by clinical considerations. Mr Norris also pointed out that the contrary to its stated objectives the PCT's plans would increase the distances Waverley residents would have to travel to receive community care.

Mr Norris went on to say, "The Strategic Health Authority already has government backing to merge all the PCTs in Surrey into one county-wide organisation. This is designed to reduce local health service management and administrative costs by 15% and put £13 million back into frontline services in Surrey and Sussex. This new PCT could be in place by October 2006."

He continued, "The earliest any of the Guildford and Waverley PCT's options would come into effect is December 2006 with most taking longer than that. When the Guildford and Waverley PCT is likely to be abolished in the next year, it makes no sense for it to be consulting on options based on its own financial position. Any decision on community care provision in Farnham and Waverley at this stage is premature. This consultation should be one of the first things the new county-wide PCT undertakes, and not the dying-act of the Guildford and Waverley PCT."

Residents can obtain a copy of the consultation document by contacting the PCT on 01252 305700 or e-mailing them at consultation@gwpct.nhs.uk. Alternatively members of the public can view the document and make their comments online by visiting www.gwpct.nhs.uk. The consultation period ends on 28th February 2006.