Why must there be public consultation on the closure of Hemel Hospital?
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There must be proper formal consultation on the proposed closure of Hemel Hempstead Hospital and its replacement by a Health Campus or Hub on the Market Square in the town’s Marlowes
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Consultation offers the public a range of legal safeguards -people’s voices must be heard and their views taken into account thoroughly and fairly
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The final closure of the Hospital would be a substantial change – a trigger for formal consultation
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There would be no beds in the proposed Hub – so it would definitely no longer be a hospital – again a substantial change
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At a recent meeting, a representative of the NHS said that ‘most services’ would move from the current Hospital to the Hub – there would be a loss of services
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The West Herts NHS Trust has been reducing services at Hemel Hospital for years – this stealthy and dishonest process could carry on if we do not have a proper consultation
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The NHS ‘engagement’ sessions planned for next month focus completely on the plans for the Hub, with no mention of developing the current site. This is blatantly prejudiced and misleading.
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And the Prime Minister has promised ‘public consultation’. If the NHS ignores this formal pledge and closes Hemel Hospital without consultation, that would be a betrayal of trust.