Excellent news for the Royal Surrey

10.01.00am GMT Thu 30th Aug 2007

Sue Doughty, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Guildford has welcomed recommendations accepted at the meeting of the Surrey Primary Care Trust yesterday that no A & E department will be closed. In a list of recommendations accepted by the board of the PCT the Royal Surrey will see improvements not only in A & E but in other areas too, with no loss of service to patients.

Included in the recommendations are the following:

A & E - full cover by specialist doctors and availability at all times of a specialist A & E surgical unit

Cardiology - better cover, including angioplasty and thrombolysis making a major reduction in the need to use St George's hospital, Tooting

Better stroke care

Retention of paediatrics and maternity

Surrey will also see the creation of Renal Centre removing the need for kidney patients to travel long distances for dialysis.

Sue said: We are delighted to see the support for the Royal Surrey in these proposals. At last the trust is backing the hospital and recognising the high quality of service provided. The next step, I hope will be to give the hospital Foundation status and to see it operating as an equal partner with other Surrey hospitals.

Although the recommendations have been backed at board level, and are expected to be implemented, the Fit for the Future consultation still needs to be put before local people. Sue is now investigating how this news fits into the health care arrangements for the whole of the South East.