CHSG Expands Campaign

At the meeting of the City Hospital Supporters Group on the 24th April 2007, it was unanimously agreed that the scope of the group should be extended to include the effects of the reconfiguration plans on Sandwell Hospital and the community it serves. There are many concerns among the Sandwell staff and community about the provision of acute healthcare in the borough when the two current acute sites are merged onto a single site, which will be close to the present City location.

The main role of the City Hospital Supporters Group until now has been to increase awareness and participation in the consultation process, and to present a petition opposing the interim reconfiguration plans to Birmingham City Council's Health Scrutiny Committee. This month the Trust will announce the results of the consultations and its plans for the interim reconfiguration plans and the Towards 2010 project. It will be doing this on Thursday 10th May 2007 at 2.30pm in the Wolfson Lecture Theatre in the Post Graduate Centre at City Hospital. We would urge everyone who can make it to be present at this meeting, because it is important that the Trust is reminded of the strength of opposition to these proposals should they decide to proceed with them. A large turnout from those of us opposed to the Trust's reconfiguration plans will be a timely reminder to the Trust board that they exist to serve us, the staff and community, and not the other way round. In the recent past, it is clear that the Trust board has expected the local community to change to accommodate their plans. This was unacceptable, and although some movement has been made towards more acceptable outcomes, we still need to remind them of our concerns to ensure that we maintain the best possible acute healthcare services for the local community in the short to medium term.