HEALTH watchdogs will discuss the recent scandals which have rocked the Royal United Hospital in Bath at a public meeting on Tuesday, May 14.

Bath and District Community Health Council will examine the financial problems and other service issues the hospital is currently dealing with.

The council's chief officer, Nick Westbrook, said: "Staff at the RUH are working hard to tackle the serious service and financial pressures facing the hospital.

"There are excellent health care facilities available in our local communities and these must be fully used to take some of the strain off the RUH."

Problems at the hospital were highlighted last week when two independent reports revealed it had falsified patient waiting lists and is £17m in debt.

Now the trust's chairman, Gerald Chown, has stepped down and financial director, Martin Dove, has been suspended on full pay.

Despite the problems, Wiltshire MP, Andrew Murrison, said: "The vast majority of people are happy with the care and attention they get from the hospital's highly dedicated healthcare staff.

"The difficulty lies with structural problems such as waiting times, bed-blocking and now this huge debt."

Dr Murrison has been quizzing government ministers following the publication of hospital figures that suggested the only two patients waiting more than 15 months in the country were on the books of the RUH.

But the health council will not only be discussing the RUH crisis at the meeting. Members will comment on plans for the layout of the new emergency unit and discuss the recent patient surveys that were carried out in the accident and emergency department.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday at Kelso Villas, Upper Bristol Road, Bath, at 10am and members of the public are welcome.