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

PRESS STATEMENT
20TH SEPTEMBER 2004

CONCERNS CONTINUE OVER SERVICE PROVISION AT WEST CORNWALL HOSPITAL

Several weeks after the planned start date for the new emergency surgery arrangements, and only days before the planned start date for 24-hour doctor cover in Casualty, questions remain unanswered about how these facilities are to be manned. Members of West Cornwall HealthWatch are concerned in particular about:

1. The start date of 24-hour doctor-led Casualty, due to take place on 1st October. After this date, it had been proposed that local GPs would be responsible for providing the doctor cover in the Casualty Department. However, the latest word is that "discussions are still continuing with KernowDoc about the staffing of the Casualty Department, and the start date may slip". This suggests that the hospital may not, after all, have the 24 hour doctor-led Casualty service it was expecting.

2. The availability of the two additional senior surgeons who were to provide an enhanced surgical service for the hospital during office hours from 1st September. However, the RCHT has been unable as yet to confirm that any additional senior surgeons are in post.

3. The times at which emergency surgery will be available at West Cornwall Hospital. It is understood from their report following a visit earlier this year that the Royal College of Surgeons recommended that Saturday and Sunday morning emergency surgical sessions should be held in Penzance. However, as from 1st September, emergency surgery sessions are only taking place between 9am - 7pm Monday to Friday, with all other emergencies going automatically to Treliske, including all weekends and Bank Holidays.

Spokesperson Marna Blundy said this week: "We are very disappointed not to have received the assurances we were seeking on these points. It heightens our anxiety that the services we were all expecting might not in fact be in place when they should be. We feel that the public deserves better than this, and we shall continue to raise our voices whenever we have such justifiable concerns."