Healthy Futures Communications Manager responds to accusation

Maggie Doyle, Healthy Futures Communications Manager, has responded to the accusation by Councillor Jean Ashworth that the decision of the Healthy Futures Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts to axe A amp; E services at Rochdale Infirmary was pre-determined, evidenced by the timing of an email waiting for her on her return home from the meeting at which the decision was taken.

Ms Doyle calls on Councillor Ashworth to "withdraw her misleading statement":

"I note that on Rochdale Online on 14/09/06, Cllr Jean Ashworth stated that the provisional decision to change the status of Rochdale Infirmary’s A&E to an Urgent Care Centre, as made by the Healthy Futures Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts at a meeting last Thursday, was pre-determined.

"Cllr Ashworth bases this claim on the fact that she received a press release announcing the provisional decision an hour after it was made and says that "it looks like a statement ready for press long before the final outcome.’

"As the Communications Manager for the Healthy Futures consultation, I would like to state that I believe preparation and planning for all contingencies are the mark of good communications.

"It was my responsibility to ensure that a range of stakeholders were informed of the Joint Committee’s provisional decision as soon as it was made.

"In order to do this effectively, I prepared a number of draft press releases tailored to match a variety of decisions so that an announcement could be issued to interested parties with as little time delay as possible.

"I was aware that a great number of people were anxiously anticipating the outcome of the Joint Committee meeting and as such I tried to ensure that news of the provisional decision was in the public arena within as short a timeframe as possible.

"This in no way pre-empted the decision as Cllr Ashworth claims and I would hope that she would now see fit to withdraw her misleading statement."

Date article online: 19/09/2006