Vicar demands that PCT honour the commitments they have made to us.

"We are not just a few isolated dissidents.  I am here speaking for a group that is a genuinely representative body made up of a range of people from throughout our community, including:- Town and District Councillors of various political persuasions, a retired GP, members from the League of Friends and the Patients Involvement Forum.  Furthermore - we have been given unanimous support from the Town Council for every aspect of our campaign  including most recently on the specific issue of retaining our nurses in the NHS and rejecting transferring them  to the Order of St John.  If that wasn’t enough, over 10 000 petition signatories (from the local community that will be served by new facility) back our stance on this issue.

I am here to request this committee’s support in seeing that the PCT honour the commitments made to the people in our community following public consultation in 2004.

The then chief executive Nigel Webb wrote to this committee and guaranteed that ‘the staff will remain within the NHS for a period of three years from the new building being commissioned”  Secondly, Mr Webb went on to say that at the end of the three years  “there will be a review in the light of circumstances pertaining at the time". This review would be based on what had happened in the first three years.  Mr Webb stated that if the PCT wished to take nursing staff out of the NHS the change would require a full public consultation.

The PCT Board have now approved something quite different which is not in line with this previous commitment from the PCT. They now propose a predetermined transfer of nursing staff to the Orders of St John after 3 years. This in our view would amount to downgrading the service we receive and it is imperative that this model is not allowed to be implemented by the back door in Chipping Norton as it will inevitably become the assumed pattern for other primary healthcare projects in the rest of the county.

I am urging this committee to use their powers to insist that the PCT honour the commitments made to us in 2005 This means keeping our nurses within the NHS for three years from the date the new building is commissioned and then undertaking an unprejudiced review. Any proposal to transfer nurses will require a further consultation".

A discussion followed which those present described as "confusing" and "inconclusive". The Chairman of the Committee has promised to write to the Vicar with their conclusions.

Its difficult to see where the problem is. If there is a "significant change" to healthcare provision then the O&S Committee must insist on proper consultation taking place. All the stakeholders must be considered - staff as well as patients. It is difficult to see how being told that you are being transferred from the employment of a Huge Public Agency on to the books of a small Private company is not a "significant change". The Staff have every right to be fully consulted. The PCT should stick to its previous agreements.

Meanwhile the Hospital planning application has still not been scheduled for a Planning Committee hearing. This is looking like January at the earliest now. Hilary Biles told us at the last Town Council meeting that the application had arrived in Witney so there is obviously some hold up. Word is that the Highways people are being difficult over access arrangements. We await developments anxiously. People keep insisting that everything is "on track" but nobody believes it any more!

HOSPITAL PLANNING APPLICATION DELAYED UNTIL NEW YEAR.  JUST WHAT IS GOING ON?