Health chiefs quizzed on local services
West Cornwall MP, Andrew George, is urging local people to attend a public meeting this evening in order to have their say about major changes to health services.
Mr George is hosting the public meeting tonight, Friday 21st September 2012, and says it will be an opportunity for constituents to discuss the future of the NHS in West Cornwall.
He said: “This is a time of massive upheaval. Will our health services be recognisable in what is the biggest shake up since the NHS was established over 60 years ago?
“GPs are due to take over the running of the service. The Royal Cornwall Hospitals’ Trust plans to become a Foundation Trust next year. Our community hospitals have been transferred out of the NHS family this year to become a ‘Social Enterprise’. And the new Health Act (which I opposed) will introduce a mass of complex commissioning and competition rules. This Act represents the biggest upheaval of the NHS in its history at precisely the time it desperately needs stability and certainty. It runs the very high risk of producing an NHS which is driven more by private profit than by concern with patient care.”
Mr George’s public meeting will take place at St John’s Hall in Penzance starting at 7.30pm and will give local people the chance to have their say.
Mr George added: “With all of this going on, local people have a right to hear from those who will be responsible for driving change in the local NHS. That is why I have called another public meeting on the future of the NHS in West Cornwall. It is one of an ongoing series of meetings to ensure that local people hear about these changes and have a say.
“Some local NHS staff want to raise questions about RCHT’s decision to join a South West Health Trust ‘Consortium’ which they fear will result in local cuts to pay and conditions. Others want to know more about proposals to cut hospital beds.”
Mr George will chair the meeting and among the invited panel of speakers will be Kevin Baber, Chief Executive of Peninsula Community Health, Dr Neil Walden of the new Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group and the Chief Executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, Lezli Boswell.
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