Why did the Trust Extend the Consultation?

While browsing the links on the left hand side, I came across a video report of the Big Debate held at the Afro-Caribbean Millennium Centre on January 16th as part of the Birmingham Mail's big Hospital Debate which is well worth watching:

http://videos.icnetwork.co.uk/icbirmingham/birminghammail.wmv

What strikes me is that at the end Steve Dyson warns the Trust that if they do not have a proper consultation on these proposals (which he defines a "taking advice and conferring with" the people, and "not just ticking bureaucratic boxes"), the Birmingham Mail would join in and oppose the Trust's plans.

A day later the Trust extended the deadline on Shaping Hospital Services for the Future, to March 15th 2007 from February 16th 2007.

On the Ed Doolan show last week, John Adler used the extended deadline as an example of the Trust trying to engage with the people and as proof they were not trying to hide the plans. The comment by Steve Dyson puts this claim in a slightly different context.