CRUCIAL decisions on the landscape of healthcare in Oxfordshire are being put on hold because of the General Election.

Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group ended its consultation on phase one of NHS ‘transformation’ plans this month and was due to go through reports on public feedback in May.

Due to ‘purdah’, which restricts what information can be made public for fear of influencing voters’ decisions, the CCG will hold an extra meeting on June 20 to discuss the results and will make a decision on them on August 10, instead of July 27.

Phase one included plans to close 200 acute beds and centralise some stroke and critical care in Oxford, while giving outpatient capacity in Banbury a boost.

Keith Strangwood, chair of the Keep the Horton General campaign, said: “Purdah is something they do to avoid sticky situations but also it’s used as an excuse not to sort things out. The CCG think it’s a done deal anyway. In the meantime, the paint is falling off the walls in the maternity unit at the Horton.”

More details at tinyurl.com/lqwfd2z