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20 Mar 2008 Proposed cuts to the Horton maternity service were rolled back today (20 Mar) following mass protests which engaged thousands in marches and protests through the North Oxfordshire town of Banbury. This victory, which built links between health unions, councillors, MPs, faith communities and user groups delivered a crushing blow to the latest round of cuts. This follows strong, successful local campaigns against United Health Inc taking over health commissioning, the outsourcing of medical records, the closure of community hospitals and outsourcing of learning disability services. It follows hard on the heels of one of the biggest protests against the take over of primary care by Virgin Healthcare. Warmest congratulations from UNISON Oxfordshire Health branch to our brilliant campaigners, Special thanks to the staff and union reps at the HORTON led by our own Sheila Snooks for their tireless work. Particular congratulations too must go to Cllr Goerge Parrish and his team. The PCT and ORH Boards have been forced to abandon plans to cut the Horton - perhaps now they should think about a different approach. Building up and supporting this Banbury hospital so it can be a major resource for Northern Oxfordshire and South Northamptonshire. Regards, PCT RESPONSETo all Staff re Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) and Secretary of State decision about future of Horton I am writing to confirm that at 10am today the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) published their report rejecting the proposal for changes to services at the Horton General Hospital. This was followed by an announcement by Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health who has agreed to the IRP’s recommendations. Although the proposals have been rejected, The IRP have acknowledged that the Horton will need to change to ensure its services remain appropriate, safe and sustainable. As the commissioner of health services for the population of Oxfordshire we have been asked to take this work forward. We will now be considering in depth the implications of all the recommendations and how they address the original concerns raised by the Trust. We recognise that local people have a strong commitment to the Horton and we will want to involve them fully in any future plans. We know that the issues that persuaded the trust to embark on this work still exist and an alternative solution is not immediately obvious. However, we are committed to ensuring that high quality health services are available in the north of the county and that the Horton plays a part in delivering a wide range of services fit for the 21st Century. Please find attached a copy of the PCT statement being issued to the media today and the letter announcing the decision from Alan Johnson. Follow the link below to read the full IRP report: Follow the link below to read the announcement on the SHA website: The PCT will be working closely with the ORH and other partners over the coming weeks to determine the next steps. |