HASLEMERE'S MP has slammed the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority (SHA) for spending millions on trying to close the Royal Surrey Hospital. South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt is furious the SHA is spending money on restructuring itself and trying to close the Guildford hospital, while talking of the need to reduce costs. Mr Hunt claims recently discovered figures show that the cost of running the 'Fit for the Future' campaign – which is looking at reducing acute services in Surrey – is costing the taxpayer £250,000 a month. He went on to say the figures also reveal that the South East Coast SHA has spent £7 million in management costs that went on redundancy payments following the move to combine strategic health authorities. Jeremy said: "The SHA appear to be spending £250,000 a month trying to close down our local NHS services at the Royal Surrey – I would rather they spent that money trying to keep the Royal Surrey open. "It is outrageous that the SHA is spending huge sums of taxpayer's money on a sham PR exercise which no one believes anyway. Instead of spending money on spin, they should be investing in the services people need". In a statement the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority said: "Achieving better, quicker treatment for patients and longer, healthier lives for people in Surrey, requires proper investment to enable the NHS to call upon the best expertise and have a thorough discussion with staff, patient representatives and stakeholders, ahead of full public consultation about any changes to services. "There is ongoing discussion among clinicians, expert patient groups and other health and social care staff about how health services could change so that patients get better, quicker care and benefit fully from advances in treatment and technology. "NHS South East Coast invested £250,000 a month during 2006/07, to enable this debate to take place and bring in specialist skills, expertise and knowledge when required. "The aim is to ensure that patient care for the future is based on the very best, latest thinking. "Not a single penny has been spent 'trying to close the Royal Surrey County Hospital' and it is absolutely wrong to suggest it has. "Money spent by NHS South East Coast strategic health authority is entirely separate from the money devoted to patient care in Surrey and the one-off costs of merging the two strategic health authorities will be more than offset by the £21m savings from reducing management and administrative costs that will be made annually from 2008 onwards."
