Lib Dems Slam PCTs on Urgent Care Centre Cancellations at St Albans and Bishops Stortford
March 27, 2010 5:15 PM
County Cllr Nick Hollinghurst has expressed "dismay and disappointment" at the recent announcement by the Hertfordshire PCTs of a review of the development of Urgent Care Centres for Bishops Stortford and St Albans.
He said, "The reconfiguration of healthcare in Hertfordshire has dragged on for almost a decade. This painful transition has been accompanied by more than its fair share of disappointment, confusion and reversal.
"For the people of Hemel Hempstead and Welwyn-Hatfield the downgrading of their District General Hospitals has been particularly bitter. The tantalising prospect of a new hospital in Hatfield was briefly introduced to sweeten the bitter pill, but soon proved to be a mirage.
"The PCT board members are reported as 'feeling' - without firm evidence being demonstrated - that two contradictory consequences could have arisen. On the one hand, easily accessible Urgent Care Centres would not stop people travelling significant distances to one of the two remaining A&E departments and, on the other hand, people would choose to start going to an Urgent Care Centre rather than to their local GP Surgery.
"The first seems very unlikely and the second, were it to happen, would surely indicate that something was greatly amiss with access to the neighbouring GP surgeries."
Nick Hollinghurst continued, "I am greatly dismayed that the board has taken this line. They appear no longer to support the Developing Quality Healthcare programme for Hertfordshire.
"While A&E departments were retained at Watford and the Lister General Hospitals, it was also planned that they too should be balanced by adjacent Urgent Care Centres. Patients could then be easily directed to the appropriate care facility, with waiting times reduced and specialist staff able to concentrate better on the needs of those who are more seriously ill or injured.
Despite the financial difficulties I urge the PCT to remain committed to the eventual establishment of the full complement of 8 Urgent Care Centres across the county."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats