Stop the cuts

Local hospitals are under threat, staff made redundant and services slashed. It’s no way to run the NHS and the cuts should be halted.

Here are just some examples of what is happening around the country.

Brent

Brent Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has questioned Health Ministers in the House of Commons on the huge cuts to local health services. Sarah called on the Government to apologise to the people of Brent and to go back and think again.

Despite scaling back services this year, the Government admitted that Brent’s health trust (tPCT) still has a forecast deficit of £17.6million. The Government is therefore forcing Brent tPCT to embark on further cuts which will hit vital services across the borough.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

“Gordon Brown has so far spent £5 billion on the illegal war in Iraq, yet he can’t find cash to save vital local health services.

“Many of the Government’s cuts are to services which keep people out of hospital in the first place. Getting rid of health visitors, mental health services, and drug, alcohol and sexual health advice will all store up long term problems for our NHS.

“Local people are fed up with the Government trying to wash their hands of any responsibility for the NHS. This disastrous policy will hit hardest on Brent’s most vulnerable families, and the impact will last for generations. Once these services have gone they are lost forever.

Eastbourne

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman Stephen Lloyd and Lewes MP Norman Baker have given their full backing to the independent campaign to save Eastbourne DGH.

Gordon Brown’s cuts mean that A&E, maternity and childrens services at the DGH are all under threat. Many other services across Sussex also face the axe.

Thousands of people have signed petitions to keep the DGH open, but so far there is no sign of health bosses listening to local people.

Stephen Lloyd said, “The Liberal Democrats stand alongside every Eastbourne resident in the battle to save our local hospital.”

To back the independent campaign to save the DGH, please visit http://www.savethedgh.org.uk

Sutton

Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam, Tom Brake, MP for Carshalton and Wallington and Sutton Liberal Democrats are spearheading a campaign to safeguard the future of hospital services at St Helier Hospital. The two MPs have launched a petition, led a number of public protests and called on Ministers in debates and questions to halt the cuts at St Helier.

Nearly 10,000 local residents have signed a petition launched by the two MPs, which calls on Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Health, to guarantee that healthcare facilities which are currently available at St Helier will not be moved out of the borough. It also calls for a guarantee that St Helier will continue to be able to offer Accident and Emergency Services.

In November 2006, Tom Brake MP and Paul Burstow MP led thousands of concerned staff and local residents in a march to protest against job cuts and bed closures at St Helier hospital.

The organisers estimate that around two and a half thousand people joined the MPs as they marched from Rosehill recreation ground to St Helier open space. The large crowd battled heavy rain, wind and cold, waved placards with slogans such as ‘Hands off our Hospital Hewitt’ and ‘No Cuts, No Closures’ as they made their way up the hill to St Helier. The protest brought traffic on Rosehill to a standstill as police closed the road.

To support the campaign, please visit www.saveoursthelier.org.uk

Wiltshire

Services including A&E and maternity services are being hit especially hard in Wiltshire. The Liberal Democrats are working to save Wiltshire’s health services.

“Gordon Brown can’t run from his responsibility for Wiltshire’s hospital closures. The financial crisis in the NHS is particularly severe in this part of the country,” said Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Chippenham, Duncan Hames.

“Local NHS managers’ hands are tied by the burden of past local NHS deficits. It’s time Gordon Brown started a programme of debt relief for our cash strapped NHS,” added Duncan.

For more information visit http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/helpourhospitals

Yorkshire

Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland has been fighting cuts at Wharfedale Hospital. The hospital is in the Yorkshire town of Otley and was only opened a couple of years ago at great cost to the local tax payer. One elderly patients ward has closed and Greg has received no assurances about most of the other services at the hospital. The Pathology Lab – a new facility is seen as the next service most likely to shut.

Greg launched the campaign to stop the cuts and has been supported by the local paper in collecting over 5,000 signatures against cuts. He presented this petition to Leeds health bosses and also to Parliament. Greg has also organized a public meeting involving the local trust, Hospital Watch and members of the public to enable local people to express their views about the closure of the elderly ward.

Greg has run a high profile media campaign on this matter and has continued to meet with representatives from the Trust to try and stop them closing any more services. He has also taken the matter to Parliament questioning the Health Minister over the hospital.