HECKLING, booing and impassioned exchanges dominated a public meeting to debate Stroud General Hospital’s managerial take over by a social enterprise scheme.

More than 340 people packed out the Sub Rooms in Stroud to hear a panel of six speakers give speeches for and against the controversial transfer from NHS supervision, which is due to take effect from October 1.

First to speak at the gathering on Wednesday, August 31 – hosted by Stroud Town Council – was chief executive designate Penny Harris for enterprise Gloucestershire Care Services CIC, who did her utmost to assure the hostile crowd the hospital would retain its NHS values.

She said treatment would remain free at the point of delivery and stressed the three-year transfer would provide good value for taxpayers.

Her views were largely echoed by NHS Gloucestershire’s Linda Prosser, who said the move would ensure ‘sustainable health care into the future’.

The brunt of the evening’s heckling was directed at Stroud MP Neil Carmichael, who endured shouts of ‘get off’ and frequent booing despite his best efforts to persuade listeners the transfer plans were needed to reform the NHS.

Similar hostility was experienced by chairman of the Local Medical Committee and Cheltenham GP Dr Phil Fielding, who urged the crowd to support the modernisation of health care but admitted GPs he represents do harbour concerns.

The audience’s support was reserved almost entirely for regional Unison representative Tanya Palmer and Caroline Molloy from action group Stroud Against Cuts, who passionately attacked the plans and suggested it would be the first step towards the hospital’s eventual private take over.

"You should be worried," announced Tanya Palmer to hearty applause.

"This is going to be the end of the NHS has we know it."

Caroline Molloy branded the deal ‘fig leaf privatisation’ and said the transfer start date of October 1 was ‘ridiculously soon, unrealistic and dangerous.’ She added that she would look into the possibility of a judicial review to block the transfer.

Panel chairman Rev Canon John James of Stroud Methodist Church then gave opportunities for audience participation, which included questions about how staff were consulted, where taxpayers can view business plans for the operational strategy and how the public could become trustees or directors.

Penny Harris insisted she regularly made herself available for staff discussions and added that a ‘process’ would be drawn up for public inclusion.

One member of the audience said he could not find a business plan online as Mrs Harris indicated, which prompted further booing and an assurance it would uploaded.

David Drew asked why Gloucestershire County Council was not scrutinising the plans as it did failed attempts to shut Stroud Maternity Hospital but Mrs Harris said the fact this was an organisational transfer not affecting services meant GCC’s input was less relevant.

A final show of hands unsurprisingly revealed heavy opposition before the closing minutes were dedicated to summary speeches.