MP criticises vascular service decision (From Warrington Guardian)

MP criticises vascular service decision

10:40am Tuesday 27th March 2012 in News

HELEN Jones MP has criticised the process used to decide to move vascular services from Warrington to Chester Hospital as “unfair and totally unaccountable”.

It was discovered through correspondence from Cheshire and Merseyside NHS that during the process, rival bids from Chester, Warrington and Halton hospitals were only scored against criteria after a decision had already been made.

The Warrington North MP said: “It is outrageous that no proper appraisal was done on the day the trusts made their presentations on the grounds that it would have been artificial and would not have served any useful purpose to that meeting.

“I know of nowhere else in either the public or private sector where a decision would be made on that basis. It is not good enough to decide the future of our health services based on general feeling.”

During the meeting the hospitals made their presentations, and were scored against various criteria.

But the decision to relocate vascular services to Chester Hospital had already been taken prior to the meeting.

Ms Jones added: “Scoring is only accurate if it is done at the time and everyone participates. Warrington never had a fair hearing.”