How did it all start?
Following a proposal to close Edward Bolitho House, a psycho-geriatric unit in Penzance, in the Spring of 1996, the concerted local campaign which ensued resulted in the reversal of the proposal.
One of the leading campaigners at the time talked with the Mayor of Penzance about the notion of forming a watchdog group to monitor all aspects of local health provision. The hope was that local people could work pro-actively with health planners rather than simply react to decisions already made.
Thus the idea of West Cornwall HealthWatch was born, and an inaugural meeting in January 1997 formally established the group.
The two original visionaries became active members of the West Cornwall HealthWatch committee. In the years which followed, WCHW has become widely recognised and respected, not only by the local community and its leaders, but also by health managers and professionals, politicians locally and nationwide; and its opinions on health issues are frequently sought.
1997 to 2025 WCHW timeline
1997 Campaign to save community hospitals. Health march through Penzance. Rainbow rally. London march. Truro march.
1998 Candlelit vigils (Poltair, WCH, Helston, St Ives, St Just, Penzance). Meetings with CHT, CHC (Community Health Council), Community Hospitals Association, Social Services, Brian Milstead (CEO RCHT). Support from Penwith District Council, Hayle, St Ives and St Just town councils and St Levan parish council. Good press coverage from the Cornishman, and regular interviews on Radio Cornwall.
1999 Bolitho psych/geratric unit closure plans and review. A mass letter writing campaign to Frank Dobson (Secretary of Health) generated the ruling – retain the community hospitals including Poltair and Edward Hain. Concerns about Casualty and Rainbow ward at WCH.
2000 Bolitho House. CHC “Transport on Wheels” report. Waiting lists.
2001 Public meeting about the future of WCH. “The People’s Option” published in March. Working in an alliance for WCH (with the WCH League of Friends. The Mayor’s parlour, PDC etc).
2002 London march (March). Penzance march (April) of 20,000 – one of the defining moments in WCHW’s history. The year was focused on WCH.
2003 Focus remaining on WCH – campaign team including Andrew George MP. Following consultations, “A county at risk” was published by Joe McKenna, Sheena Cox and Chris Goninan. Calling for more than one A&E in Cornwall.
2004 The CHC was replaced by Cornwall Council’s HASCOS (Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee). WCHW investigate elder care, dentistry, GP pressures, transport and Bellair Clinic’s future.
2005 Appointments were being allocated by the shortest wait, not nearest location. “Patient choice” leaflet about appointments was published and distributed. Loss of emergency surgery at WCH out of hours with more emergencies going to Treliske. “Cornwall, a county in crisis, a county at risk”. Calls for a second District General Hospital. Beds crisis at Treliske, and 200 cancelled appointments.
2006 “Cash crisis in the NHS”. 300 job cuts and ward closures at Treliske, and deferred non urgent operations. Bed losses at Poltair and Helston. Out of Hours (OHH) doctor service to be run by Serco, taking over from KernowDoc. WCHW had monthly articles in the Cornishman.
2007 HIC (Health Initiative Cornwall) set up, an offshoot of WCHW, considering whole county strategy. Growing threat of privatisation and outsourcing of services. Hayle march (September) with 27,000 people in support of St Michael’s hospital. Public meeting at St John’s Hall with John Watkinson, CEO of RCHT. Drift of services out of county.
2008 John Watkinson speaker at WCHW AGM. Penwith District Council dissolved, now a Cornwall Council Unitary Authority.
2009 Centralisation of cancer services. John Watkinson suspended and then dismissed. Upper GI cancer surgery moved to Derriford, Plymouth. Peter Levin’s report, “Getting to hospital”.
2010 Deteriorating relations between WCH and RCHT. Public meeting, 160+ people support for WCH. Harder to get our views across to the decision makers, and a more difficult financial climate. Transport challenges.
2011 Road signs highlighting 24 hour Casualty at WCH. Database of 1200 supporters. Hands off our Hospital campaign. Inability to recruit Casualty doctors. Matthew Boulter, GP, working to have an Urgent Care Centre (UCC) at WCH ensuring 24 hour doctor cover. Shortly afterwards, the Casualty signs were deemed dangerous! Rising costs of transport to hospitals.
2012 John Watkinson was exonerated at a tribunal. Confusion in names with the government’s introduction of Healthwatch. Alverton practice relocating. Under use of SMH St Michael’s Hospital) with Duchy Hospital (private) offering surgery via the NHS. Poltair closed.
2013 Delayed disharges – lack of community beds and community care. UTC (Urgent Treatment Centre) launched. WCH has a new website.
2014 Choose and book wording changed. “Use it or Lose it” campaign. PCH (Peninsular Community Health) published a leaflet omitting Poltair, Edward Hain and Fowey hospitals before they were closed.
2015 Our proposals for Poltair and new proposals for the St Clare site. Despondancy – our dreams weren’t realised. Outsourcing and compulsory tendering. MITIE services in RCHT hospitals. Outsourcing to Duchy at the expense of SMH and RCHT. Dependence on the voluntary sector.
2016 OOH to be run by Cornwall Health and 111. Spot purchasing private care home beds. RCHT changes in CEOs. Black alerts, with debts mounting. Chemotherapy truck found to be unable to fit at WCH. KCCG (Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group) debts and CEO suspended. Community hospitals being cut with closures if under 20 beds.
2017 Aiming to communicate with the community – hustings, press releases, monthly health column in the Cornishman, social media and website, street stalls, Pop up shop on Market Jew Street. Another change to the RMS (referral management system) script – led to more travelling. Producing papers which formed part of a campaign leading to the Cornwall Council HASCOS rejecting the Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group’s draft proposal for the STP (Sustainability and Transformation Plan).
2018 “Stand for the NHS” in St Just. Rally in Truro. Patient stories gathered. Lack of Step Down beds, and transport provision. Risk of privatisation and centralisation. Growing dependence on volunteers.
2019 Members attending PICF (Penwith Integrated Community Forum), WCH Forum and PPGs (Patient Participation Groups). Plans for SMH to take on all elective surgery. Plans for devolution to communities. WCH UCC becomes a UTC. Talk of a new Outpatient Department at WCH. Concerns over ambulance cover in the west, and out of hospital care. The failed Embrace project cost £7m with no results.
2020 Discussion about the fire service being a first responder, because of long ambulance waits. LOCKDOWN. WCHW started meetings on Zoom in June. Earwax removal being withdrawn from the NHS. Start of our campaign against this. Talk of a merger between RCHT and CPFT (Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust).
2021 Amputee rehabilitation investigated. Polwithen House being developed and used for Discharge to Assess. Palliative care discussed. Christmas press release from WCHW.
2022 Ambulance waits. Care packages – staff shortages. Reduction in OP clinics at WCH (consultant led opthamology, reduced orthopaedics, with audiology and cardiology gone). Paramedic and ambulance based at WCH overnight. This didn’t continue. Privatisation of earwax removal and dentistry discussed. The coroner raised issues over avoidable deaths due to ambulance delays.
2023 Meeting with Kate Shields (CE of Cornwall and IoS Clinical Commissioning Group) – lots of words but no action. Call for care closer to home. The Prospectus for WCH was published (Dr David Levine, Andrew George, Dr Colin Philp and Marna) leading to the formation of the WCH DG (Development Group). Told that WCH couldn’t be a CDC (Community Diagnostic Centre) without an MRI scanner. Campaign for reinstatement of 24/7 UTC at WCH culminating with a petition of over 3000 signatures which was presented to the CCG at a meeting with Kate Shields, Matthew Boulter, Neil Walden and Juliet Ferris. WCHW issued a press release but there was no impact. Audiology was contracted out.
2024 No progress on 24/7 UTC. Concerns about 111. Discussions with Kernow CIC (Community Interest Company) about the 111 service and the OOH service. WCH DG continued to meet monthly with representation from WCH. Contacted the local general election candidates prior to the election. Concerned about hospital patient discharge system.
2025 Revamping the website. Concerns about the future. Campaign about patient choice in Outpatient bookings, involving production and circulation of posters, involving the local councils, meeting RCHT staff and attending a Workshop at WCH. Had meetings with Andrew George MP and David Allen, the new Chair of RCHT. Investigated rehabilitation especially after hip and knee replacement surgery. Attended the opening of the new WCH Outpatient Department.
The Committee
Valued members who have died: Alex Bryce, June Court, Howard Curnow, Roy Lee, Primrose May, Terry Murray, Chris Nicholas, John Payne, Jennifer Paling, Nick Round, Richard Somerville, Brian Spiegelhalter.
Members who have retired: Sheena Cox, Rachel Ewer, Sheila Furneaux, Chris Goninan, John Graver, Ailsa Johnson, Linda Petzing, Marion Smith, Graham Webster.
Members who moved on: Ollie Angove, Keith Judkins, Jim McKenna, Joe McKenna, Derek Thomas.
Current Members: Marna Blundy, Lesley Brooke, John Forsyth, Josette Fuller, Jill George, June Lawrenson-Reid, Peter Levin, Kath Maguire, Mo Noall, Cornelius Olivier, Serena Skerret, Jane Varker, Jan Williams.