THE proposed closure of accident and emergency services at the Royal Surrey Hospital would leave a "black hole in emergency care in South West Surrey", according to campaigners. "Save the Royal Surrey" campaigners have sent The Herald new exclusive maps drawn up by an accident and emergency consultant, which they claim show how lives will be put at risk. Campaigners told The Herald the maps show the "devastating impact" closing the accident and emergency at the Royal Surrey in Guildford would have on accident and emergency cover - particularly in Haslemere. And they claim the maps show the 'black hole' in emergency care affecting the area of Surrey south of Guildford, including Haslemere, Cranleigh and Godalming – as well as large parts of West Sussex and parts of Hampshire. They believe the maps demonstrate how ambulances would be forced to make longer journeys, contradicting government efforts to reduce emissions and the carbon footprint of public services. The graphics prepared by an specialist working in Surrey, demonstrate for the first time the extent of the area which will be left more than 10 miles from the nearest accident and emergency if health bosses push ahead with plans to close the service in Guildford, say protestors. Health chiefs maintained this week that no such plans exist. In a statment the SRSH campaigners said: "Guildford itself is the hub of a network of transport links and several major roads run south through the area in question raising fears over a lack of cover in the event of a major incident on regional roads and rail links". Alternative possiblities for the reorganisation of health services have also been researched by the specialist. However, unlike the closure of the Royal Surrey accident and emergency, closing units at St Peter's in Chertsey or at Frimley Park would make little difference in cover for Haslemere residents as a number of alternative accident and emergency departments would still be within easy reach. Professor Chris Marks, chairman of the Save the Royal Surrey campaign, said: "These maps show clearly the unacceptable impact the loss of the accident and emergency in Guildford would have on emergency cover for local people. "We oppose the closure of any of the accident and emergency units currently under threat, but there is just not a good case for closing the Royal Surrey accident and emergency when it is the major provider of services to Surrey, West Sussex and parts of Hampshire. "Every second counts when dealing with emergency medical cases. Closing the accident and emergency at the Royal Surrey leaves a huge hole in emergency coverage, and will put lives at risk." The independent Save the Royal Surrey campaign was launched in October 2006 and is supported by politicians from all parties. In response Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT) released the following statement: "Surrey PCT has never announced plans to close the Royal Surrey County Hospital. "We would like to make it clear that no decisions have been made and that any proposed changes to health services in Surrey will be subject to a full public consultation. "Several weeks ago the PCT published a clinical options report which draws on advice given by west Surrey hospital clinicians on a number of possible future scenarios. "These include networking services across the three west Surrey hospitals – Ashford and St Peter's, Frimley Park Hospital and the Royal Surrey County Hospital – and two further models which might see two hospital sites with full accident and emergency, and a third with an urgent care centre. None of these describe hospital closures. "Although further work needs to be done, the report suggests that it would be advantageous for very specialist cancer services to remain at the Royal Surrey County hospital and be developed into a world-class facility, with clear links to Surrey University. "Further work is already well-underway to test these models to see if they are viable in terms of accessibility, future patient flows, clinical safety and quality and financial viability. "It is important to stress that for any life threatening emergencies patients should always call 999. "As outlined in a report by the College of Surgeons of England and the British Orthopaedic Association it is vital that patients get the right treatment and the ambulance service will take patients to the most appropriate hospital, which will not necessarily be the nearest. "It is also important to understand that rather than simply transporting patients, nowadays ambulance crews are highly-skilled which means they can start treating people as soon as they reach them. "We want to bring as many services as possible closer to the local community and although we cannot give any specific details at this stage, we are continuing to work closely with the ambulance trust on local travel times both to acute and community settings. "We want to make sure that everyone in Surrey has access to the health services they need, when they need them, in the place that is most appropriate to their needs. "Making sure people have access to high-quality emergency care services, including ambulance services, will be a key part of our planning."
