Hospital leaves £750k for skin disease department languishing in bank

3:20pm Friday 3rd October 2008

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Nearly £750,000 set aside to build a new ward to treat serious skin diseases has been sitting in the bank for more than eight years, Kingston Hospital has admitted.

A top consultant successfully applied for the cash in 2001 to give eczema, psoriasis and skin cancer patients dedicated treatment room rather than being “squashed” beside the physiotherapist department.

It is not acceptable. They have had the money since 2001. I am no mathematician but in my book even if the interest is only five percent it is now over £1m."

Nigel Walsh

But twice the hospital’s plans for a dermatology day care unit have fallen through and this week the acting chief executive admitted the plans had gone nowhere.

Patient Nigel Walsh said: “It is not acceptable. They have had the money since 2001. I am no mathematician but in my book even if the interest is only five percent it is now over £1m.

“I think it is ridiculous they haven’t gone and done it.”

Consultant Dr Klaus Misch successfully bid for the £727,000 to build a unit where patients with severe skin diseases like psoriasis, eczema and ulcers or needing surgery for skin cancer could be treated with the help of specialist nurses like most other units in the country.

He said: “When I got the money I was really pleased but unfortunately it hasn’t happened. I think frustrations are rising.”

Defending the time taken, acting chief executive Alan Pearse said: “It was quite a long time ago that money was announced to the trust.

“We have had quite a torturous path. There have been a number of plans to build a dermatology day care unit. Unfortunately these haven’t come to fruition.”

At first the hospital planned to put the ward in the old accident and emergency department but the hospital said the plans had gone over budget.

A second attempt to house the department on the bottom floor of the old nurses’ accommodation fell through when the housing association, who were to take on the rest of the block, walked away.

Still, Dr Misch is desperate for something to happen before he retires. “I am an eternal optimist,” he said.