Health PR team pleased with response

The consultation process involved a massive public relations campaign led by NHS Nottinghamshire County’s communications team.

More than 15,000 consultation documents were printed at a cost of 60p per copy and made available to residents through libraries, schools, GP surgeries, bus stations and other outlets.

Hundreds of groups and stakeholders were contacted and asked to take part, three public meetings were held attracting more than 100 people, stalls were organised on Newark Market, and a dedicated website was set up.

The project team attended more than 40 meetings and events.

In total, 130 consultation documents were returned, with another 93 completed online.

A telephone survey of 500 Newark residents was commissioned to increase the number of responses.

The PCT’s director of communications and engagement, Mr Matt Youdale, said the number of responses was comparatively high in proportion to the overall population.

He said: “We worked hard to give people an opportunity to respond to the consultation and people have done so in significant numbers and we are very pleased about that.

“The more informed our decision making is at the end of the day, the better.”

The consultation was scrutinised by a Nottinghamshire County Council committee which had four meetings during the process.

Mr Youdale said the PCT had been praised for the way it had run the consultation, the number of people they engaged with, and the different methods used.

Debates

The only thing they would do differently, he said, would be to have fewer big set-piece meetings and more debates in smaller groups as they found these were more meaningful.

He said criticism of the consultation process, most notably by the leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, Mr Tony Roberts, came about due to rumours about the future of the hospital.

Mr Youdale reiterated that Newark Hospital was not going to close and said the PCT was committed to ensuring it was a vibrant hospital.

“We have been genuine in what we have said. If some people don’t want to believe us there is nothing we can do about that,” he said.

Mr Youdale said they were aware that the urgent care proposals took away a number of patients and income from the hospital.

He said they needed to balance the model that was chosen with making sure they preserved the hospital’s services and they were working on that with Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust — the PCT’s key partner in the review.

The PCT has been at pains to point out during the consultation that the review was cost neutral.

Mr Youdale said it was about providing the best care for patients, not about money.

“We are not taking money out of Newark,” he said.

“The wider financial picture we all know is pretty tough. Our job is to do the best for the people of Newark with what we have already got.”

A business case for each option will go to the PCT’s board on June 17. It will give all the detail behind the plans, including how the services are accessed, the flow of patients, and the costs.

“All of that has got to stack up,” Mr Youdale said.

He said an equal amount of work was being put into the business case for each option and each would have to reflect issues raised by the public during the consultation.

“We have to join up the things people have told us with what is in the business case. If that is not there people will cry foul,” he said.