A CORNWALL councillor has slammed the loss of a number of outpatient clinics from Liskeard and Launceston Community Hospitals over the past year as 'a retrograde step'

Cllr Andrew Long, who represents Callington, said that in 12 months, Liskeard Hospital, which serves a wide population including Callington and Gunnislake residents, had lost its ear, nose and throat clinic and other clinics in rheumatology, derma-tology, orthopaedics, respiratory and minor dermatology. Other clinics had also been lost at Launceston Hospital. The Mebyon Kernow councillor was reacting to information presented to the Cornwall council's health scrutiny committee.

'I was concerned firstly that information like this appeared to be hidden with a myriad of other paperwork and secondly that these decisions have been made with little or no wider publicity,' said Cllr Long. 'This is a retrograde step and appears to run counter to the NHS desire to bring services closer to the people who need them. I will be writing to the NHS asking for an urgent meeting in order to get an explanation of what has happened at Liskeard hospital and a similar move at Launceston Hospital which will have a combined detrimental effect on the people of this area.'

Amanda Fisk, director of commissioning at the Primary Care Trust, said: 'The cancellation of clinics at Liskeard and Launceston hospitals is not a result of a commissioning decision.

'The PCT is as keen as ever to ensure more care is delivered close to people's homes. These cancellations have been the result of a number of factors and we are working with the GP leaders at East Cornwall Clinical Commissioning Group to reinstate the clinics as soon as possible.'