News story

13th February 2004

MP Hits Out Over "Misleading" Consultation Over Local Hospitals
 

Northavon MP Steve Webb has condemned consultation leaflets being circulated by the “Bristol Health Services Plan” for giving a misleading impression of the plans for local hospital services.  The “have your say” consultation process involves leaflets, videos, CDs and public meetings designed to “engage” with residents about possible changes to local NHS services. The main information leaflet describes plans to consult on a new £25  million community hospital in South Bristol and then says:

“we will also be discussing with you our ideas for:

* a new community-based hospital in South Gloucestershire  [……]
* Improved services on the Thornbury Hospital site and in Yate”

This gives the impression that in addition to improving services at Thornbury and Yate, the area will gain a new hospital in the way that South Bristol will do. But when MP Steve Webb contacted the Bristol Health Services Plan to ask where a new community- based hospital in South Gloucestershire might be, he was told, in a letter from Hugh Ross, that this could be on the Frenchay site instead of the existing general hospital.

Steve Webb said:

“It is outrageous that local health chiefs are trying to dress up the closure of Frenchay as a general hospital with full Accident & Emergency facilities as giving us a “new community-based hospital”. The public should be trusted to make mature comments on the shape of hospital services that they want to see rather than getting “spin” of this sort.

Unlike the survey of local residents that I recently undertook, this consultation leaflet does not ask people straight questions about what they want to see—because health chiefs know the answer that they would get. Local people want Frenchay hospital improved, not downgraded, and this should be the basis for future planning”.

Whilst a separate section of the leaflet does go on to talk about having only one major hospital site in North Bristol / South Glos., and about adding community hospitals “to one or both of these sites”, the overall impression given is confusing, especially to those who have not been involved in the long-running discussions on this issue.


Note to editors:

The full text of the consultation leaflet can be viewed on the BHSP web site:
http://www.avon.nhs.uk/bhsp/Leaflets/have_your_say.pdf.

A copy of the letter from Hugh Ross to Steve Webb is available on request.