A PUBLIC meeting was held in Launceston Town Hall on the evening of Tuesday, April 4, over the future of Launceston Hospital.

Organised by St-Stephen-by-Launceston Rural Parish Councillor and town resident, Joan Heaton, over 70 people turned up to voice their support.

In recent months health and care bosses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have released the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) with a reduction in the number of hospital beds and community hospital sites in Cornwall under consideration.

This was in response to the NHS England Five Year Forward View and Devolution Deal for Cornwall.

Chaired by Launceston Town Councillor, John Conway, proceedings got underway with Mrs Heaton addressing the audience about the importance of the hospital, the services it provides and the significant travelling problems the absence of a hospital will bring.

Mrs Heaton said: “I came here [the town hall] to a Launceston Community Network Panel meeting where we talked about the STPs and what it means for us.

“It got me worried about the health provisions in Launceston and then researched the STPs and it told me nothing. I wasn’t getting any answers as to where the money is coming from so I went to the town council about putting it on the agenda and called for a public meeting.

“I wanted it to be before the May elections but this isn’t a political meeting this is just to show the powers that be that we in Launceston want our hospital to remain open.”

Last Tuesday also saw the latest NHS Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust board meetings in the town hall.

The morning session was private although members of the public were allowed to sit in the afternoon segment and ask questions right at the end.

However, chief executive of the Trust, Phil Confue, reiterated his earlier stance that there are ‘no plans for the hospital to close’.

Town councillors Val Bugden-Cawsey and Jane Nancarrow attended the meeting. Mrs Bugden-Cawsey said: “It’s all well and good Mr Confue saying this but we need to know in what form”, while Ms Nancarrow added: “Phil Confue was very straight with what he said. He just said there are no plans for Launceston Hospital to be closed and that the hospital hasn’t come into any discussions.”

The hospital has been in existence since the late 1930s.

George Logg, who has lived in Launceston all his life, but was unable to attend due to ill health, stressed the importance of the hospital via a message read out by Mr Conway.

It said: “The hospital provides resources and a centre for the people of Launceston if they need attention. It is vital that the powers that be fight and save it together. We must stand side by side to make sure that the hospital remains open.”

North Cornwall Conservative MP, Scott Mann, was unable to be at the meeting due to a prior engagement, however Mr Mann reiterated Mr Confue’s statements.

He said, in a statement that was read out: “I met with Phil Confue and he has confirmed to me that Launceston Hospital isn’t closing.

“From what I can see it’s in safe hands and that they will continue to provide excellent care for the people of Launceston.”

The public meeting itself was peaceful with speakers talking about the importance of the hospital and the STP.

‘Keep Our NHS Public’ Cornwall speaker, Nigel Morson, condemned problems with health and social care, the STP and the lack of clarity it provides.

Mr Morson said: “There is a massive problem with health and social care within Cornwall. The other day there were 180 beds in Treliske and another hospital, which were being taken up by people who were fit to leave the hospital but had nowhere to go. Until we sort that problem then the problems won’t go away.

“As well as that, the STP document isn’t fit for purpose. What we need to know is what services there are and where. We need there to be a regular access to a GP who is close to home and good acute hospital services.”

Business manager at Launceston Medical Centre, Peter Harper, once again reaffirmed the medical centre’s support. And with space and resources already at breaking point at the centre, Mr Harper said he knows of the importance of the hospital remaining open.

He said: “We at the Launceston Medical Centre are fully behind anything in the town to help Launceston Hospital staying open.

“As you well know, we at the medical centre are in a critical situation. There is no more room and we can’t take on anymore staff. The closure of Launceston Hospital would have a massive impact on us as even more people would need to be seen too.

“We’ve got to do everything we can to make sure that the hospital does stay open. There is no real alternative, the nearest minor injuries hospital is probably Liskeard and that’s nearly half an hour away.

“Up to February of this year, there are about 640 people who come into minor injury units and these need to stay open.”

Mr Harper’s views were echoed by Barry Gibson from the Launceston Voluntary First-Aid Service.

Mr Gibson and his team of staff say they can usually help out anyone who needs it, but in some cases they need to be sent to hospital.

They rely on volunteers as well to be able to take people to hospital and Mr Gibson believes that if they have to take them to Plymouth or Exeter instead, then people are much less likely to do it, as well as increasing the time it takes to be cared for.

He said: “We use the minor injury unit a lot. We’ve got an incredible range of expertise within the service but sometimes people need to go to hospital and if the hospital does close down we then have to hope that the volunteer drivers can take them further away or else we’ll have to call 999 and put further strain on an ambulance service, which is already overstretched.

“Besides that Launceston Hospital is a wonderful hospital. They have great staff and provide a wonderful range of services so we need to do everything we can to help them.”

Discussing the meeting, Mrs Heaton was pleased with how it went, adding: “The meeting went quite well. It’s good to get everyone together and with the support shown, we can see that the hospital means a lot to the people of Launceston.

“What we need now is for the county councillors to stand up in Truro and fight to make sure that the hospital stays open.”