HOSPITAL REVIEW SHAM & SCAM

After an enquiry that started in 2000 into the future of West Cornwall Hospital the final report is at last making its way into the public domain. West Cornwall HealthWatch is appalled at the implications for the County as a whole and by the callous deviousness of health service managers. 

Earlier this week it issued the following statement: "The entire Review process has been a sham from the start. We have been told that since 2000 both clinicians and health service managers -

• have been examining in detail the best way forward . . .
• have spent thousands of hours thoroughly reviewing every conceivable option that could improve the NHS in Cornwall. . .
• have done so, in an open and transparent manner, consulting the public at each stage . . .
• have had a high regard for patient needs at every stage....

HealthWatch is now able to reveal that the Review was simply an expensive paper exercise, the result having been determined in advance by local health service managers.

FACT No 1 In June 2000 Gina Brocklehurst Chief Executive West of Cornwall Primary Care Trust made the following statement behind a closed door meeting of the West Cornwall Generall Practitioners Council "Emergency admissions at West Cornwall Hospital will cease by April 2002"

FACT No 2 The Review Manager is Ms Jo Yelland. Ms Yelland formerly held the post of Chief Officer of Cornwall Community Health Council, which is the statutory body appointed by the Secretary of State for Health to look after the patients interests. Yet while Ms Yelland was still Chief Officer with the Community Health Council, she stated on 19 September 2000 "Acute and surgical emergency admissions at West Cornwall Hospital will stop".

" Not too surprisingly only three months later she was appointed as Review Manager. We understand that she was the only person interviewed for the job - a clear case of ensuring that only like-minded people would be in charge of the supposed review."

FACT No 3 As public concern mounted over the lack of information emerging about the review process, a local clinician requested a visit from the Royal College of Physicians.

Even the result of this visit was determined in advance. The head of the delegation - Professor Sir George Alberti - writing in response to the invitation, suggested that such a visit could "take the pressure off the local doctors such as yourself" and that it would be necessary to explain to people the necessity of travelling further for treatment.

FACT No 4 At the start of the supposed Review, Ms Yelland stated "significant capital investment for additional buildings is not an option" Further statements indicated that certain options had been ruled out before the review process had run its course."

A spokesman for West Cornwall HealthWatch, Joe McKenna, summed up by saying:" This entire scandalous exercise has been revealed as a complete scam, a total misuse of perhaps £1/2 million of public funds and an absolute waste of public employees time.

As announced last week we have called upon Cornwall County Council to set up an wholly independent inquiry to clearly identify patient health needs for all residents in Cornwall and to establish how these can best be met in full. The entire process has been tarnished from the very start. A totally independent review and a fresh NHS managemeent team are now pre-essentials for the way forward."

West Cornwall HealthWatch have to date pointed out that:

• Cornwall will be the only county with one A&E Dept
• Tour operators are threateneing to go elsewhere
• The review was pre-determined before its start

This is why we now need an independent review.

Co-ordinator: Marna Blundy, 4 Botallack Moor, St Just, PENZANCE, Cornwall TR19 7QH
Tel / Fax 01736 788107
Email: westcornwallhealthwatch@yahoo.co.uk