GPs backing Stafford Hospital plans
Doctors in Staffordshire are backing the controversial downgrade of Stafford Hospital, it was revealed today, but fewer than a third bothered to vote in a secret ballot.
The poll was arranged by MPs with ballot papers being sent to around 170 GPs across Stafford and Cannock, but just 45 responded.
Overall, 64 per cent of doctors who responded said they supported proposals by administrators to permanently reduce opening hours at A&E to 14 hours a day, downgrade the maternity unit which would half the number of births, and remove the majority of paediatrics and urgent care at the Weston Road site.
The plans would also see the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust dissolved, with the University Hospital of North Staffordshire taking over Stafford.
And the same number of GPs support the proposals for Cannock Hospital which would see the Royal Wolverhampton Trust take over the hospital and see double the number of patients treated.
It comes after health regulator Monitor recommended the dissolution of the trust which runs the two hospitals to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Mr Hunt is due to make a decision by the end of the month after the trust was placed into administration after being found to be clinically and financially 'unsustainable'.
Support Stafford Hospital campaigner Cheryl Porter said the group would be officially discussing its response to the vote at a meeting later today.
But she expressed disappointment at the number of GPs who responded to the vote.
She said: "Simply not enough have voted. It is appalling that so few have voted - they all should have voted. That is the only way we can have a true idea of what they actually think."
In total, 28 votes were cast from GPs in the Stafford area and 17 from Cannock.
