Health boss defends hospital decisions (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Health boss defends hospital decisions

5:34pm Monday 19th February 2007

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THE region's health chief this week brushed off criticism about the closure of Harpenden Memorial Hospital.

Despite a wave of local protest and heavy campaigning, the hospital, known as the Red House, officially shut its doors last month.

Neil McKay, chief executive of the East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA), said if there was a problem with the closure, it was because of poor communication with the public.

He said: "I wasn't there so I can't comment, but I'm sure they (the public) weren't ignored.

"I might accept the rationale underpinning the decision may not have been fully explained by the PCT in the face of public opinion."

Mr McKay made the remarks while visiting Watford General Hospital on Tuesday to talk about healthcare in south west Hertfordshire.

During the visit he also said the Hatfield superhospital project, which was recently scrapped after years of planning "was out of date as a concept before it even got to the starting lines".

He said: "I understand it was sold as realistic, but I think it's the absolute right thing to park that scheme now.

"A lot's been said about the Hatfield scheme and I don't want to go over that again, but frankly it wasn't realistic.

"There's a massive move throughout the country, where large tranches of patient care are being moved out hospitals and into private homes and independent treatment centres.

"When Hatfield was being developed, these sorts of things were not even twinkles in people's eyes."

Mr McKay, who has been chief executive since November, promised the SHA would not allow local NHS trusts to put unrealistic healthcare options out to public consultation.

He said: "I can assure you the SHA won't allow a set of propositions to go out to public consultation unless we are convinced that all of them stand the test of deliverability."

He said the SHA, which covers Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, would make sure local trusts explain why changes to services are necessary.

He said: "The public view that the status quo should prevail with regard to hospitals isn't realistic.

"We will make sure anything that is put forward for consultation looks as if it will be deliverable.

"We need to recognise the benefits of being able to bring together scarce resources on a single site."

He added: "Believe me, we will make sure people in the NHS listen to consultations.

"If somebody during a consultation comes up with a good argument as to why part of the strategy should be adjusted, we will listen to that carefully.

"Part of our job is to explain the trade-offs faced in different parts of Hertfordshire. Even then, some people will still disagree, but the NHS has the responsibility to make tough decisions.

"Where the decision is in the face of public opinion we owe it to the public to explain that decision."

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