AS readers of your newspaper will know, my good friend Rik Evans resigned as the Vice-Chairman of Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust after RCHT said it was moving forward with plans to privatise cleaning, catering, portering, security and reception services at Treliske, St Michael’s and West Cornwall hospitals.

Rik took the brave and principled decision to resign because he recognises that bringing in private companies to run these services risks doing more harm than good. For example, the fantastic in-house cleaning staff at RCHT have been successful at cutting MRSA and other infection rates and this proposed privatisation could put all that hard work at risk. Any savings generated could be more than matched by merging the numerous organisations that currently provide health services in Cornwall. Also, RCHT's preferred bidder has a history of reducing staff pay.

So, this privatisation would hit the lowest paid workers hardest and could put patient lives at risk. It’s not too late to stop it though. I’d urge as many people as possible to sign the petition at www.tiny.cc/RCHTprivatisations.

Cornwall Councillor Simon Rix

Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Truro & Falmouth