The latest news about Edward Hain Community hospital in St Ives was given to the Cornwall Council Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny committee on Tues July 26th 2016. NHS Property services, the landlord, are ready to commence remedial works to address fire safety issues but the Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust (CPFT) who run the hospital have thrown up new issues and are now asking for further work at the hospital. Issues include the inability to evacuate a bedridden patient as the beds will not fit through the doors, and the outside area is not far enough away from the hospital for a safe place to park the bed. So the brakes have been applied on the original work and no assurance could be given on when all of the work could be complete. The CEO of CPFT said they were also taking the opportunity to talk to staff about how the available space could be re-configured to the benefit of staff working at EHH. In view of this he could not say how many in-patient beds could be re-opened.

We find this a very worrying development and wonder if the cost of the work will be too much and the beds at EHH will be permanently closed, followed by the whole hospital. Poltair all over again.