IRP Reach Wrong Decision

We were under the impression that the IRP would be reporting in January as per our previous post, so I was shocked to find this announcement on the BBC that the IRP and the Secretary of State had backed the Trust's proposals to remove emergency inpatient surgery beds from City hospital, ignoring the views of the medical profession at City and the patients who use the services and instead backing the managers who have overseen a transformation from a three star Trust back in 2003 to a Trust that was rated 'fair' in Quality of Services and 'weak' in Use of Resources in 2006. Please also see the following links for reactions:

http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/1912072.html

http://deirdrealden.blogspot.com/2007/12/bad-news-for-birmingham.html

The consensus is this is an attempt to "bury bad news" over the Christmas season in an attempt to avoid protests.

Despite following quite closely the campaign via Ken Taylor as part of the City Hospital Supporters Group, there had been absolutely no indication that this was coming. It is an absolutely disgraceful way to treat the patients who pay for hospital services via taxation, but then do not seem to get their views listened to when a "consultation" takes place

I am sure Ken Taylor's reaction will follow soon.