The letter, signed by Hogg and vice-chairman Bill Withers, said a formal consultation was not needed because no services would be lost and access would not be affected.<\/p>\n
Pinkerton said: “It is extraordinary that a project of this scale could proceed without a formal NHS public consultation.”<\/p>\n
He said the relocation was “the most significant change to healthcare provision in Surrey Heath for a generation”.<\/p>\n
He added: “My letter asks what evidence supported that conclusion at the time.”<\/p>\n
In a response, Hogg said the NHS had considered whether wider public consultation was necessary.<\/p>\n
He said officials decided it was not required.<\/p>\n
Hogg said the plans did not involve a major loss of access for patients.<\/p>\n
He said the search area remained within five miles of the current hospital.<\/p>\n
“If there had been an obvious disadvantage at that time to patients, then I might have felt differently about the issue,” he said.<\/p>\n
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