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Health chiefs have been urged to be more open over their Brexit contingency plans after three of the county’s NHS trusts refused to discIose any details of how they were preparing.
The Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust is the latest to refuse to release any details of its specific plans in response to Freedom of Information requests made by KentOnline, saying it would be too distracting.
The government has flagged up potential problems for the NHS in the event of a no-deal Brexit, including shortages of medicines and cancelled appointments.
The north Kent trust has argued placing the information in the public domain would not be in the public interest as it would be prejudicial to the effective conduct of public affairs.
It says releasing any details could have the potential to distract the trust “from the delivery of its public duty, either by diverting resources to deal with resulting requests for action, public concern about proposals, or by prejudicing the work of government in this area.”
“We do not consider this to be in the public interest when the government’s clear intention is to achieve a deal and all government departments are supporting the government in working towards this outcome.”
Labour county councillor Karen Constantine, a member of the Kent and Medway Health Scrutiny committee, which acts as an NHS watchdog, said trusts should be more open.
He said: “With recent events in Parliament, the general public’s appetite for genuine information is only increasing. The NHS need to acknowledge its responsibility to the public, patients and staff alike and come clean about what we can expect and how we can prepare.
"What contingencies do we the public need to make? Do we need extra supplies of medication at home? Will more GPs be on hand in the event people can’t get to hospitals?
“People need to understand the range of issues and be allowed to prepare as best they can. There is real concern. That concern is not being answered by this lack of candid information.”
Two other health trusts have also refused to release information: the East Kent University NHS Foundation Trust and the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust both rejected FOI requests, also arguing that to do so would be prejudicial to the effective conduct of public affairs.
