Call to hold public meeting to discuss hospital problems (From The Bolton News)

Call to hold public meeting to discuss hospital problems

9:22am Thursday 14th March 2013 in News

CALLS have been made for a public meeting to discuss problems at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

During a heated meeting members of Bolton Council’s Health, Overview and Scrutiny Committee said it was “crucial” that the public know what is happening at the hospital.

They also demanded more answers about the problems at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust to be given at the next committee meeting.

Cllr Andy Morgan said if they were not satisfied by responses at the next meeting, he would move to refer the issue to the Secretary of State for investigation.

The meeting was the first since an investigation by Dr Foster found some “coding” had been changed at the hospital and did not meet national standards.

A second investigation, into how septicaemia cases were coded at the hospital has since been launched.

The investigation is the latest bad news for the Trust, which is £14.5 million in debt, needs to save £50 million over three years, is making 500 job cuts, and is being monitored by health watchdog Monitor for poor governance, failing healthcare targets and financial failings.

Now, councillors have said there needs to be a public meeting to reassure residents that their hospital is safe.

Cllr Mudasir Dean said people’s “minds need to be put at rest”.

He added: “I propose that we hold a special meeting open to the public to discuss the difficulties at the Royal Bolton Hospital. How did we get into this mess in the first place and how do the management intend to steer us out of it.”

Chairman of the committee, Cllr Joyce Kellett, said it was a “crucial issue”.

Cllr Morgan, who had tabled questions about the job cuts, Trust leadership and coding, said the responses were not good enough and people needed to be given answers.

“I think it is crucial that we get an update and have the information,” he added.

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