Sunday, May 13, 2007
PRESS RELEASE 14/5/2007
Further to our last CLP meeting, and our Campaign meeting the following press release has been issued:
PRESS RELEASE 14/5/2007
REFERRAL BY MAIDSTONE WEALD LABOUR PARTY TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH RE: MAIDSTONE HOSPITAL
Maidstone Weald Labour party has today sent a resolution to the Secretary of State for Health as outlined below:
‘Maidstone and the Weald Constituency Labour Party call upon the Secretary of State for Health to support that Maidstone Hospital given its catchment population and population expansion needs a fully functional Accident and Emergency department. This is not sustainable without emergency surgical and orthopaedic cover at Maidstone Hospital which are currently in consultation about being transferred to the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells.’
In line with the BMA we agree that complex orthopaedic surgery should be centralised. This though should not be at the expense of the possibility of lives being lost by not providing adequate emergency cover.
We also agree with the Maidstone division of the BMA, of which 95% of respondents to a survey stated that full A+E services should continue to be provided at both Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells.
Maidstone Weald Labour Party would also take the BMA proposals even further. The BMA stated that ‘no services should be transferred before the Private Finance Initiative has been agreed.’ As outlined in our newsletter we believe no changes should be made until a new hospital is up and running. Why if a new hospital is planned for 2011 should we carry out interim changes now, and face future changes only in a few years time.
Dr Rav Seeruthun, a GP who trained at Maidstone Hospital and worked there as a Casualty doctor, says “ as Dr Debbie Taylor a respected local GP at College Road said at a recent Council meeting all GPs in Maidstone are opposed to the changes. It is my opinion that we should act now, and not have to look in retrospect and count the cost of these changes in lives lost”.
PRESS RELEASE 14/5/2007
REFERRAL BY MAIDSTONE WEALD LABOUR PARTY TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH RE: MAIDSTONE HOSPITAL
Maidstone Weald Labour party has today sent a resolution to the Secretary of State for Health as outlined below:
‘Maidstone and the Weald Constituency Labour Party call upon the Secretary of State for Health to support that Maidstone Hospital given its catchment population and population expansion needs a fully functional Accident and Emergency department. This is not sustainable without emergency surgical and orthopaedic cover at Maidstone Hospital which are currently in consultation about being transferred to the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells.’
In line with the BMA we agree that complex orthopaedic surgery should be centralised. This though should not be at the expense of the possibility of lives being lost by not providing adequate emergency cover.
We also agree with the Maidstone division of the BMA, of which 95% of respondents to a survey stated that full A+E services should continue to be provided at both Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells.
Maidstone Weald Labour Party would also take the BMA proposals even further. The BMA stated that ‘no services should be transferred before the Private Finance Initiative has been agreed.’ As outlined in our newsletter we believe no changes should be made until a new hospital is up and running. Why if a new hospital is planned for 2011 should we carry out interim changes now, and face future changes only in a few years time.
Dr Rav Seeruthun, a GP who trained at Maidstone Hospital and worked there as a Casualty doctor, says “ as Dr Debbie Taylor a respected local GP at College Road said at a recent Council meeting all GPs in Maidstone are opposed to the changes. It is my opinion that we should act now, and not have to look in retrospect and count the cost of these changes in lives lost”.
