A DECISION on where to house the new headquarters of Suffolk's health trust was made in a private meeting behind closed doors, it emerged today.The Suffolk Primary Care Trust's (PCT) plans to move to brand new offices in Rushbrook House, Bramford, but have refused to reveal how much it is costing.
A DECISION on where to house the new headquarters of Suffolk's health trust was made in a private meeting behind closed doors, it emerged today.
The Suffolk Primary Care Trust's (PCT) plans to move to brand new offices in Rushbrook House, Bramford, but have refused to reveal how much it is costing.
The option of a new headquarters has never been discussed in an open public board meeting, and it has now emerged that all decisions on where the new offices were to be located were made by a “transitional board”, who do not meet in public.
Jeremy Peters, spokesman for the Suffolk East Primary Care Trusts, said: “The body that has been dealing with these issues is the transitional board, which is made up of representatives of both the Suffolk East and Suffolk West PCTs.
“It does not sit in public because it does not have a statutory duty to do so.”
He said the board met all the required guidelines.
The board is chaired by Tony Robinson, the interim chairman for the new PCT.
Mr Peters said the board had met “several times” but was not required to meet on a monthly basis.
It is expected that a detailed report about the new headquarters will be presented to the board of the new Suffolk PCT at its inaugural public meeting on Monday but, with just six days to go until the meeting, Mr Peters has confirmed that the full make-up of the board has yet to be decided.
He said: “The board does not exist yet. The appointments process has not been completed yet but it will be by Monday.”
The existing Suffolk East PCTs met for the last time on Wednesday .
The PCT's plan to move in to their new riverside accommodation in Bramford at the beginning of January but have refused to say how much it will cost, revealing only that it will be “at least cost neutral”.
What do you think of the way the decision to move to a new HQ has been handled? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
Tony Robinson, chairman of Suffolk Coastal PCT and Chairman of Suffolk East PCTs
Pat Potter, acting chair of Central Suffolk PCT
Peter Gardiner, chairman of Ipswich PCT
Carole Taylor-Brown, chief executive of Suffolk East PCTs
Mike Stonard, chief executive of Suffolk West PCT (soon to be chief executive of Waveney and Great Yarmouth PCT)
Two non-executive directors
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