A DECISION to downgrade A&E in Cheltenham has been blasted as "rushed and careless" by the town's MP, who has urged the Prime Minister to intervene.
Plans by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been approved which will see the unit close to 999 ambulance calls during the night, with all critically ill patients to be taken to Gloucester between the hours of 8pm and 8am from August.
NHS chiefs have defended the decision, saying that bringing emergency doctors on to one site at night will benefit patients.
But Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood , who raised the issue in yesterday's Prime Minister's Questions, said he was "disappointed" that a motion by two Liberal Democrat councillors to make the changes temporary was voted down when the plans were discussed at Shire Hall on Wednesday.
He questioned whether the research he submitted to the NHS, which suggested a "10km increase in travel to an A&E brings a measurable increase in deaths", had been considered and raised concerns about how consultation on the plans has been handled.
"We have no idea if they considered the two petitions from local people on this issue, the increased mortality risk, the health inequality issues which I raised in my submission or the problems in the consultation process," he said.
"The new county Health and Wellbeing Board, who are supposed to provide strategic oversight of 'health-related matters', has not considered the consultation outcome at all as far as I know.
"This will look to everyone in Cheltenham like a foregone conclusion being carelessly rushed to a conclusion.
"If the next proposals – as we fear – are to close A&E in Cheltenham altogether, there has to be a much more transparent, open and accountable process so that local people feel that at least they have been listened to."
NHS chiefs have constantly reiterated there are no plans to close the unit.
Emergency Medicine Consultant Dr Tom Llewellyn said: "Our priority is to ensure that the sickest patients are seen by very skilled staff.
"By bringing together specialist emergency medicine staff at night time, the Trust will be able to ensure early senior assessment and decision making, which will benefit the sickest patients and there will be more robust senior medical cover, round the clock."
A spokesman for NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group said people had received "timely and factual" accounts of what was agreed.
He added that in the pre-consultation phase the proposals and consultation approach were shared with various organisations which approved them.
He said: "Following rigorous scrutiny of the proposals and the outcome of the three month consultation at Tuesday's council overview and scrutiny committee meeting, the decision resulted in no material changes to the service change proposals."
