THE board of the Guildford and Waverley Primary Care Trust (PCT) was derided in public last week regarding its decision to slash the number of hospital beds throughout Waverley. Should the proposed changes get the go-ahead, Farnham, Haslemere, Cranleigh and Milford hospitals look set to see varying degrees of bed closures. Under the umbrella, "Modernising Your Local Healthcare", health chiefs heard three-minute representations from interested parties at a public board meeting in Guildford. Few pulled any punches, with Jeremy Hunt, MP for South West Surrey remarking: "This decision is for short-term financial gain at the expense of the long-term health needs of the area." Quoting a government White Paper released in January, Mr Hunt further outlined his argument. He said the White Paper remarks: "We are clear that community hospitals should not be lost in response to short-term budgetary pressures that are not related to the viability of the community facility itself. "The need for change should be explained clearly and reconfiguration processes should be swift and effective. It is important that the local community feels a real sense of involvement in and ownership of the decision." Mr Hunt said: "I have three questions for each member of the board. "Can you put your hand on your heart and say that removing local beds is consistent with government policy? "Can you put your hand on your heart and say that removing local beds will actually save money in the long-term? "Can you put your hand on your heart and say that removing local beds is anything other than a short -term decision based on money rather than a long- term decision based on health? "If you can't, then the right decision is in your hands. Just vote against proceeding with this flawed consultation on April 28. It is better to take time and get this decision right, than rush into a decision we all know is wrong. Dr Nicky Lee, the chairman of the League of Friends of Haslemere Hospital, added weight to the argument, noting that a petition of 10,000 signatures had been collated alongside some 5,000 written responses. Calling the decision to slash bed numbers as "management vandalism," Dr Lee said: "Haslemere exactly fits government objectives already. "It is in the centre of its community providing care to a cross-border population of 40-50,000 people, who are far distant from the Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford. "It has diagnostics, minor injuries, a thriving outpatients [department] and, uniquely, a long tradition and expertise of on-site local GPs willingly providing in-patient care and running the minor injuries facilities. "It has a stable local staff and is an important provider of employment in the town. "To deprive Haslemere of its beds looks like an act of irresponsible madness and flies in the face of government policy," she added. Anne Milton, the MP for Guildford, was also vociferous in her opposition to the decision. "This exercise is all about saving money. It has been dressed up as 'Modernising Your Local Heathcare.' "I still am of the belief that this is about saving money and the Secretary of State has made it quite clear that short-term savings are not acceptable. "If you go ahead, I need to believe you can look yourself in the mirror and say this is in the best interests of people in the local community," she added. A final decision on the future of the hospital beds is now scheduled for the next public board meeting of the Guildford and Waverley PCT meeting on April 28.
