A councillor has called on hospital bosses to 鈥榗ome clean鈥 after proposals to close services at Good Hope and Solihull Hospitals were leaked.
In a report to the governors last month, the Heart of England Foundation Trust revealed plans to stop all emergency, orthopaedic and colorectal surgery at Good Hope, and urology and gynaecology services at Solihull.
Instead patients will have to travel to Heartlands for most emergency or trauma surgery.
The document entitled HEFT Surgery Reconfiguration: Building a Sustainable Future claims that there will be 鈥榥o impact for most of our patients鈥.
The report also pointed to the financial challenge faced by the Trust, and the chance to 鈥榗reate centres of excellence鈥.
Earlier this year a public meeting to discuss proposed changes at the Trust was cancelled, and a public consultation is yet to be announced.
But Councillor Rob Pocock (Lab, Sutton Vesey) called for the Trust to engage with the public.
鈥淯p to now there has been too much cloak and dagger鈥, he said. 鈥淭he time has passed for that.
鈥淲e want our local hospital to be as strong as possible, and there is a real concern the assets are going to be stripped at Good Hope for the benefit of another hospital, and it will be playing second fiddle to Heartlands.
鈥淲hat we now need is a public meeting, to give the Trust and the chance to engage with the public. It is time to come clean, and let us know what they have in mind.鈥
Krys Deegan, from the Campaign to Save Local Services at Good Hope Hospital who are campaigning for a public meeting with the Trust, said: 鈥淭he Heart Of England Trust鈥檚 statement that the changes would have 鈥榥o effect鈥 on most patients is absolute nonsense and quite frankly, appalling.
鈥淭he trust shows a very worrying lack of empathy or caring for the patients it serves. There are huge implications for the patients, in practical, emotional and financial terms.鈥
A spokeswoman for the Heart of England Trust said: 鈥淎 formal public consultation will be launched in the autumn where we will be discussing our proposals and asking for views.
鈥淥ur aim is to secure local services, that meet high standards, and to ensure all of our hospitals have a secure and sustainable future.鈥
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