27 July, 2025
INFORMATION SHEET FOR TOWN COUNCILS:
WCHW campaign: To ensure that people in receipt of out- patient/clinic appointments are offered the choice of being seen locally at West Cornwall Hospital.
- Choice is an NHS constitutional standard and should be offered by the commissioners e.g. ICB.
- Choice is only being offered where there is a private sector alternative NHS provision.
- The RCHT access policy means that: patients are given the first available appointment irrespective of location.
- They are not routinely offered the choice of an appointment closer to home.
- The onus is on the patient to ask to be seen at their nearest location when they receive their appointment. Unfortunately, patients are not being told this!
This is why the posters letting people know that they can ask to be seen locally is so important.
Our poster is being supported by the ICB West place director, who has asked for all GP surgeries to display the poster.
Key next steps:
Lobbying RCHT’s CEO, Steve Williamson and Chair, David Allen to change the Access Policy so that it reflects a choice for patients, i.e. so in the future patients will be offered not just the first appointment but an alternative appointment at their nearest location.