Just to draw everybody's attention to an excellent article by Libby P in yesterday's Times, publicising the lack of response from their PCT to the local community's solution to keep the beds at Aldeburgh Cottage Hospital open. Our problem is similar, if a few years down the line, to theirs: we also have received no support from our PCT to a local initiative several years ago (supported and encouraged at that time by the relevant NHS body) which came up with a similar 'solution', thereby saving the NHS from any capital expenditure. Our 'solution' involved a private nursing home provider rather than a charitable trust providing and staffing a wing for inpatient intermediate care/rehabilitation. Fat lot of good it did us! To the range of excuses and erroneous 'reasons' (which we have demolished) produced to 'justify' their lack of support, the PCT now claim that, as the facility is not 'one of theirs' (ie they don't own the bricks and mortar) they cannot support it. With hind sight our mistake was in not getting a long term commitment from the NHS - but would any PCT be prepared to enter into such an agreement in the present climate?
Lets hope that Libby's article is the start of a higher profile for this issue - perhaps we should join in the debate in the Times!
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