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

PRESS STATEMENT: 8TH NOVEMBER 2004

CONTINUED ANXIETIES ABOUT SERVICES AT WEST CORNWALL HOSPITAL

Recently every household has received through the letterbox a copy of "Your Guide to Local Health Services" produced by the West of Cornwall Primary Care Trust. However, the information about Casualty at West Cornwall Hospital has set alarm bells ringing - again - for members of West Cornwall HealthWatch. The booklet tells us that "the 24-hour casualty service has doctors present during the day and is staffed by specially trained nurses from 11pm to 9am". This, though, is at variance with what was promised in the services changes agreed earlier in the Autumn. An undertaking was given to provide a 24-hour doctor-led Emergency Department - one key campaigning issue for the 20,000 residents who marched in support of the hospital 2½ years ago. Spokesperson Marna Blundy said this week: "It would seem from this booklet that we are no nearer having doctors 24/7 than we ever were."

Further evidence that the announced plans for West Cornwall Hospital are in trouble is evidenced by the fact that the two additional senior surgeons - who were due to start work on 1st September - are apparently still not in place. On top of that we have the situation where the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust is totally ignoring a key recommendation from the Royal College of Surgeons that emergency surgery should be offered seven days a week at West Cornwall. Instead the service is now only available between 9am - 7pm Monday to Friday, with all other emergencies going automatically to Treliske, including all weekends and Bank Holidays.

Mrs Blundy continues:
It seems that this is another example where the management of the RCHT has made a series of sweeping statements and promises before working out the fine detail necessary before any plans could be implemented. Promises made have not been kept, and we have little faith that they ever will be. At the same time, however, this same management has been content to ignore key recommendations from the Royal College of Surgeons. West Cornwall HealthWatch will therefore be writing to the Department of Health on this matter. We will be requesting an explanation as to why their local NHS management have briefed both hospital staff and the general public about decisions made for the future, when these have been neither fully thought through, nor discussed and agreed with those meant to implement them. Quite frankly, we deserve better than this."