West Cornwall Hospital ward closure – will it close every winter?

West Cornwall MP, Andrew George, spoke to clinicians, the Chief Exec of RCHT and local campaigners over the weekend following the Trust’s decision to close one of the only two remaining in-patient wards at West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance in view of anticipated ‘winter flu pressures’. Mr George said:

“News of the Ward closure will not help to restore lost confidence. The local community has become suspicious of the management of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals’ Trust, especially regarding the future acute status of West Cornwall Hospital.

“The Trust was recently fined for high levels of patient readmissions. This suggests the need to open and reopen more acute hospital beds, especially in the West.

“It is implausible and unsustainable for an acute hospital to continue with so few (30) inpatient beds.

“It has been suggested and suspected by campaigners that the decision to close the ward at West Cornwall Hospital has been taken on financial rather than clinical grounds and that RCHT has no intention to re-open the ward until the next financial year – i.e. April 2012.

“I have spoken to the Medical Director at West Cornwall Hospital and to the Chief Executive of Royal Cornwall Hospitals’ Trust about this decision and made clear my objection.

“I have asked a series of questions on which I would appreciate full answers; especially reassurance this will not happen again.

“As I pointed out, it’s claimed to be a clinical decision taken to close beds to respond to winter pressures. So I’ve asked why the Trust would not close a whole ward at West Cornwall Hospital every winter? The Trust has not yet come back to me with an answer to that question.”