Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
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Lewes Victoria Hospital becoming no longer for Lewes people, warns local MP
The ethos of Lewes Victoria Hospital as a facility for Lewes residents is being seriously eroded by the East Sussex Primary Care Trust, according to a warning today issued by the town’s MP Norman Baker.
The hospital has already seen Meadow Lodge reallocated to take patients from the coastal towns. Now the PCT has produced a proposal that will close all beds at the community hospital in Uckfield, and redirect to Lewes many of those who would otherwise have used Uckfield.
The proposal, which has been slipped out in the holiday month of August and which has been subject to no consultation, identifies a start date of October 1st, just six weeks away.
Norman Baker says: “This is yet another cost-savings exercise, dressed up as something else. In the small paper of the paper, a copy of which has been passed to me, though not by the PCT, it suggests there will be savings of between £75,000 and £100,000.
"If implemented, this will further erode the link between Lewes residents and the Victoria hospital, and further weaken the say in the running of the hospital by the town’s GPs. It will of course be devastating for Uckfield, which will be a real worry for my constituents in the Newick area, many of whom look to Uckfield for their services.
"We are very fortunate in Lewes that we have an excellent League of Friends who have supported the hospital magnificently over the years. You have to ask whether the same enthusiasm will be maintained in the future if the Victoria ends up as a facility where Lewes people are increasingly squeezed out."
The MP also expressed concern about the proposal that there should be one (RMO) in future to cover Lewes, Uckfield and Crowborough. At present, the RMO only looks after 25 patients in Lewes, but will henceforth have responsibility for 60+ patients over three spread-out sites.
He also criticised the lack of any meaningful consultation.
"The PCT is dressing this up as a six-month pilot, which conveniently means that they do not have to have a proper consultation exercise. But of course once arrangements are changed, it is highly unlikely they will be undone at the end of six months.
"The local GPs have not been involved in any meaningful way, despite their key role at the Victoria hospital. Nor, so far as I can tell, have any locally elected representatives been consulted, including myself.
"I am calling on the PCT to abandon this process immediately. I have significant doubts about what they are proposing, but if they want to plough on with it, they should approach the matter in a spirit of genuine and open consultation."