East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust challenged on future of services at the Royal Victoria

Shepway Lib Dems Chair Tim Prater has written to the Chair of East Kent Hospitals Trust asking for an urgent statement on where the trust plan to locate services currently located in the main building at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Folkestone.

A statement issued by the Trust last week said:

"The hospital's new buildings, which house the walk-in centre and outpatients department, are not being considered for sale, and, should the sale go ahead, the few remaining outpatient services currently provided in the building would be re-housed."

Tim Prater said:

"The Trust's statement leaves real fear for the future of the services currently located in the main building of the Royal Victoria. There is no promise that those services would be kept in Folkestone - just 'rehoused'.

"I have written to George Jenkins, the Chair of the East Kent Hospital NHS Trust, to ask for their immediate guarantee that under any circumstances, they will retain ALL services currently provided at the Royal Victoria in Folkestone, and not transfer them to Ashford or elsewhere."

Tim's letter said:

"I also note that the hospitals own web site currently lists the services at the Royal Victoria Hospital as: Audiology clinic, Cardiology, Cataract, Chaplaincy, Colorectal, Dermatology, Diabetes, Dietetics and Nutrition, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Endocrinology, Extended Scope Practitioners-Spinal, Falls and Osteoporosis Service, Walk-in Centre, Wheelchair Service, Gastroenterology, General Medicine, General surgery, Geriatric Medicine, Glaucoma, Gynaecology, Haematology, Haematuria, Nephrology (Renal), Occupational Therapy, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic, Orthoptic service, Outpatient and diagnostics, Paediatrics, Physiotherapy, Psychological services, Rehabilitation, Rheumatology, Services for older people, Speech and language therapy, Subfertility, Therapy services, Thoracic Medicine, Urogynaecology, Urology Diagnostic Triage Service, Urology, Women's Health Services.

"Please can you confirm, in writing, that under any circumstances (building sale or otherwise) those services will remain located in Folkestone, and not be 'relocated' to other hospitals outside Folkestone? If you cannot offer such assurance, why not?"