George: Out of sight, out of mind environment – Health Service now at breaking point

West Cornwall MP, Andrew George, has commented on reports that six months after the decision was taken to permanently close Poltair Hospital, it was announced by the ‘Poltair Next Steps’ stakeholder event last week that its ten NHS beds will not be provided elsewhere.

Mr George, who is a member of the Health Select Committee previously expressed fears that the decision to close Poltair Hospital could place vulnerable patients in an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ limbo and with an ongoing uncertainty.

Mr George said, “Health chiefs will be forced to review this decision if, as I suspect, community health services struggle to fill the gap.

“I appreciate that budgets are tight, but we should be ambitious to improve and expand in-patient beds and services. Our population is increasing. The needs of the elderly are accelerating, not decreasing.

“Shutting core and valued services in the hope that private care homes will pick up the pieces is a plan based on hope and uncertainty.”