The founders of a new patients’ group have had what they described as a “positive meeting” with bosses at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Mark Selley and Allan DeSilva met yesterday morning with Bermuda Hospitals Board chief executive officer David Hill and Venetta Symonds, who replaces Mr Hill as CEO on April 6.

Mr Selley told

The Royal Gazette: “The meeting was positive. There was good feedback and we are looking to meet again with the members of the board’s governance committee to ascertain where there are deficiencies and try and improve on them, where deficiencies have been recognised.

“Between now and then, they are going to meet with heads of departments to talk about the issues we have raised.”

Mr Hill said: “We were pleased to meet with the group and look forward to continuing the positive dialogue.”

Mr DeSilva, 77, decided to launch the patients’ group because he was unhappy with the care his diabetic wife Silvia, 71, received at KEMH last year, as reported in Tuesday’s edition of

The Royal Gazette.

He said the aim was to give patients a “voice in the community” and lobby for improved care, especially for seniors, at the Island’s only acute care hospital.

The group will hold its first meeting tonight for other dissatisfied patients and relatives of KEMH at 7.30pm at Paget Gospel Chapel, on Middle Road.

Mr Selley said his phone had been ringing off the hook since Tuesday’s article appeared and he was hoping for a good turnout.

He added he hoped hospital staff would attend too so a dialogue could take place.

* Anyone interested in joining the group can contact Mr DeSilva on sadesilva[AT]logic.bm or 335-7792.