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Trust wants surgery units to remain in place
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| Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust board says the planned surgery unit at Orpington Hospital should stay |
Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust has responded to consultation to change the way health care is provided in the borough.
Under the proposals, called A Picture of Health, the planned surgery unit at Orpington Hospital and the Alan Cumming Day Surgery Unit at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough, would close.
Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals, believes the two units should remain where they are and not be transferred to Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup, as is proposed in the consultation.
In January, more than 700,000 consultation documents on proposed changes at hospitals in the area were distributed to homes in the boroughs of Bromley, Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham, as well as parts of Southwark and west Kent.
Consultation ends on April 11.
The planned surgery unit at Orpington Hospital opened in 2003 at a cost of £8.8 million.
It provides general and oral surgery and orthopaedic treatment.
Chairman of the trust, Huw Alderman, said in a letter to the A Picture of Health management: "To close this facility five years later would not, in the view of staff and members of the public, represent good value for money."
The Alan Cumming Day Surgery Unit, based at the PRU, has six operating theatres and provides services that includes ophthalmology, ears, nose and throat, urology, orthopaedics and general surgery.
Mr Alderman in his letter said: "The unit treats high volumes of patients quickly and efficiently and is able to undertake an
extensive range of surgery on a day case basis.
"To move it elsewhere would not meet the Government criteria of more patients treated closer to home and cost a significant amount to set up."
Susan Sulis, from the Community Care Protection Group, which campaigns on health care issues in the Bromley borough, welcomed the trust's response to the proposals.
She said: "We strongly support the proposals being brought forward by the trust.
"It has obviously been carefully researched by clinicians who have put a strong case with supporting evidence for these two excellent facilities to be retained.
"It shows the trust are responding to the clinicians' views and those of the public."
A Picture of Health spokesman said: "We fully anticipated they were going to submit their thoughts.
"We note what they say and the concerns they express in their response.
"It would be inappropriate to say any more."
Is keeping the two surgery units where they are the best way forward for health care in Bromley? Have your say below.
12:40pm Friday 28th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Mark, Bromley on 9:30am Sun 30 Mar 08
Please don't close the Orpington Hospital down. It best hospital that i ever been to when i having operation there and Most of Nusre and Doctor are nice service to us better than at PRU hospital where big is out of control and bad service. I wish PRU Hospital could like Orpington if we could turn around and be more Clean and Good Heath like Orpington Hospital.
Please don't close the Orpington Hospital down. It best hospital that i ever been to when i having operation there and Most of Nusre and Doctor are nice service to us better than at PRU hospital where big is out of control and bad service. I wish PRU Hospital could like Orpington if we could turn around and be more Clean and Good Heath like Orpington Hospital.
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