THREATS to Farnham hospital beds have once again been put off with the news that the Milford Hospital closure consultation period has been extended for a second time. Health chiefs have allocated extra time for the consultation over the future of Milford, so they can carefully examine all possible options which may save the hospital. The consultation over the future of the rehabilitation hospital has already been extended once, but the Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust, which runs the hospital, has now extended it further until May 27. The trust has said that feedback from the consultation, which began on October 1, has provided it with an enormous amount of extremely useful information and feedback. The PCT originally planned to close Milford hospital and "relocate" its rehabilitation beds and services to Haslemere, Farnham, Royal Surrey and Cranleigh hospitals. This included its 50 rehabilitation beds and ten orthopaedic beds and there was a possibility that as many as 50 beds at Farnham hospital could be affected. The PCT says that during the consultation alternative proposals for re-providing the service have been put forward by campaigners and need to be given more consideration along with the original plan. A supplementary information document providing further details has also been produced. "We are very grateful for the wide range of views and ideas we have received," chief executive Liz Slinn said. "We have carefully considered the options which must now be fully appraised, and have decided to take some time to carry out a thorough analysis on each of them. "Following discussion with Surrey County Council's health scrutiny committee, we are now extending this consultation until the end of May 2005 in order to analyse the clinical and service implications of the alternative proposals, and undertake a full financial analysis." The PCT has said that the consultation will now have four distinct phases, the first two being discussion and gathering opinions which has already taken place. The third phase, from January to February, will be a full financial option appraisal, detailed discussions with clinical colleagues about the various options. The fourth and final phase will be from the end of February to May 27 when the PCT will carry out a consultation over its preferred option. An extraordinary PCT Board meeting will then be held in public on June 30 where the final decision will be taken. "Our consultation has also dealt with the particular issue of 10 orthopaedic rehabilitation beds which were opened at Milford Hospital as a temporary measure two years ago," the chief executive said. "There is a separate section in the supplementary information document on our recommendations for these beds. "This supplementary information document is for public consideration, and is intended to add to the original document with as much further information that we have from our non-financial option appraisal."
