THE "walk-in walk-out" centre (Ambula-tory Care Centre, ACAD) to be provided by gutting the ex-Kidderminster General Hospital's 1995 £14 million ward, theatre, ITU and outpatient block at a cost of £13.7 million, will be the first ACAD in the UK not on the site of an acute general hospital.
We have been told repeatedly by health authority and hospital trust "experts" that this is a well-tried and successful concept in America.
However, we now discover from colleagues fighting stand-alone ACADs in Glasgow that such units in America, run by the highly esteemed Veterans Health Administration, are permitted to carry out only minor surgical procedures on suitable patients unless "adequate emergency back-up services" are available "within 15 minutes rush hour driving time" with "readily available" ambulance services.
This is clearly impossible in Kiddermin-ster now.
RICHARD TAYLOR
Kidderminster Hospital Campaign chairman and Health Concern Prospective Parliamentary Candidate
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article