Banbury
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Campaigners fear new Horton threat
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| Tony Baldry |
HOSPITAL campaigners have pledged to keep a close eye on planned NHS cutbacks - mere weeks after services at Banbury's Horton Hospital were saved.
The Government is planning a new nationwide shake-up of health services, but Horton supporters have said the hospital should be safeguarded because an independent review panel has already ruled against downgrading services in Banbury.
Plans revealed last week by health minister Lord Darzi indicate the Government is planning a mass programme of service closures at local hospitals across the country.
Prime targets for the cull would be maternity and children's departments, which would be transferred from smaller hospitals to large regional hospitals.
The Horton's maternity and paediatric services would have been moved to Oxford if a campaign to prevent the changes had failed.
George Parish, who led the campaign to save maternity and children's services at the Horton, said: "The Government said it would listen, but this is another step back.
"I can not see the Horton being under threat again so soon, but it is something we must keep a close eye on."
Lord Darzi has promised patients will be involved in decisions and specialist services would only be moved into larger regional centres if there was evidence that the move would provide better care.
But in many cases the changes could lead to services provided by district hospitals, such as the Horton, being moved to larger hospitals such as the John Radcliffe in Oxford.
Lord Darzi also said contested cutbacks could go to independent arbitrators for a decision.
The Horton's cutbacks were referred to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, which ruled the proposed changes did not offer a better service.
Banbury MP Tony Baldry said the recent campaign to save maternity and children's services at the Horton might have been won at the right time.
He said: "The bottom line is that this is all about further NHS reorganisation, though those affected will have their chance to have their say and offer their contributions.
"Strategic Health Authorities are to publish their plans - and in this area, the South Central Authority will publish its Strategic Vision on Monday.
"What the SHA says then will be of great importance, and we will have to see how, if at all, it impacts on the Horton.
"It may well turn out that the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust has done us a favour.
"Bringing forward its proposed changes when it did enabled us to get them through the IRP's machinery and to give some degree of protection to Horton services until after the Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust has completed its work - some time after the next General Election."
10:13am Wednesday 14th May 2008
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