A few weeks ago I contacted the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman (P&HSO) regarding my concerns about the lack of consultation by the North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Trust with the residents of East Durham on its proposals to close Hartlepool hospital as part of the Momentum programme (see blog dated 18 June 2012).
I received a reply from the P&HSO advising that I should contact the Trust directly to offer them the opportunity to respond formally to my complaint. This then enables the ombudsman's office to pursue my complaint within its defined procedure.
I have now written to the Chief Executive of the Trust, Alan Foster, to ask him to set out in specific terms both the level and the format of any consultation carried out with residents and service users in East Durham as part of the Trust's promotion of its Momentum proposals. For clarity I have asked for details of times, dates and venues of any public meetings held in East Durham for this purpose, along with the general outcome of these meetings in terms of public feeling on the closure of Hartlepool hospital.
I have also challenged him to compare the extent and format of public engagement in East Durham with the consultation exercises carried out in Hartlepool and Stockton. I have stated that I have no recollection of any formal Trust consultation in East Durham and nor do any of the people I represent within the villages of the Blackhall ward of Durham County Council.
I will report back on any response I receive from either the ombudsman or the Trust but in the meantime please get in touch if you have any related issues you would like to discuss.
