11/20/2006

Fakenham PCT meeting tonight - Real consultation or an exercise in PR ?

I am attending the Primary Care Trust meeting in Fakenham this evening to hear about the cuts there are going to have to make to services across North Norfolk, but I go with a particular interest in cuts to be made at Cranmer House, Fakenham.

The question for me is whether this is real consultation from the PCT and are they going to listen ?

I know the PCT finds itself in a very awkward position. It's funds were cut last year, and since merging with neighbouring PCT's, its budget has been cut again, meaning that they have to make some awkward decisions which will not be popular.

I know I wouldn't want to be the one making such awful decisions, but these people on the PCT have chosen to be there and wanted to be PCT board members, so they have got to face the music.

Personally, I'd like to see the resign "en-masse", to put pressure on the government and to cause as much embarrassment as possible in oder to get this issue further up the political agenda.

I won't be doing the political bandstanding that can rather spoil such meetings, but I do hope there will be some listening on both sides as a three hour meeting to tell us what they are going to do which does not involve them listening too will be a waste of time for everyone and will cause much anger.

I'll report back

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Their hands are pretty much tied by cash restraints - did they bring it on themselves by mismanagement, or have they been short-changed? Who knows, I shall read about it in tomorrow's EDP, I expect it will be gloomy news.

Nich Starling said...

Cuts to PCT budgets in 2005 caught a lot of them out. It is difficult to slash costs in one year when that means closing a hospital when the following year you may get the funds to re-open it, but then the cost of re-opening a hospital and rehiring staff makes opening the hospital a complete waste of time and money.

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