A BANBURYSHIRE GP who has fought against cuts to the Horton says the hospital trust's determination to force downgrading has been "a terrible waste of public and professional time".
Dr Richard Lehman of Hightown Surgery in Banbury was speaking after the Independent Reconfiguration Panel announced the hospital should continue to support the community.
Criticising the proposals by the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust to downgra
de services, he said: "It just shows what a terrible waste of public and professional time it has been to fight for two years and then have a ring endorsement of what we have said all along.
"It puts the trust in a very bad light for not consulting professional opinion properly first and not taking account of the safety of children and parents in north Oxfordshire.
"We have got to continue in negotiation with the trust but that will be difficult.
"I think it was arrogance from the trust. They felt they had all the cards and they could force the process through.
"It is a great indication of the democratic process and that these things can't just get rubber stamped because it is convenient."
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