An open letter to all the parliamentary candidates in the

St Ives and Camborne/ Redruth   Constituencies

This summer we heard the good news that £11 million is available to build a new Outpatients Department at West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance and carry out significant improvements to St Michael’s Hospital in Hayle. However, we are disturbed to hear that it is a requirement of the funding package that part of each hospital site has to be sold off. In West Cornwall Hospital’s case, it may mean selling the present Outpatient site. This appears to be a result of a national NHS policy requirement to reduce total property holdings.

At West Cornwall Hospital this would mean that the hospital site becomes even more cramped than it is already and would have no space for any future service development. West Cornwall Hospital is a small and special facility, highly valued by the residents of West Cornwall.

We are asking all our parliamentary candidates to make clear their position on this issue and answer our three questions, so voters can make their mind up about who to support in the forthcoming General Election.

Dear Parliamentary Candidate:  Will you:

1. Challenge the rigid interpretation of government policy that will reduce the size of the St Michaels and West Cornwall hospital sites?
2. Protect important NHS land assets?
3. Support the capital investment in our local hospitals?

Yours sincerely

Jane Varker

Chair

West Cornwall HealthWatch

12.11.19

www.westcornwallhealthwatch.com

E.westcornwallhealthwatch@yahoo.co.uk