Maidstone Weald Labour Party

“As a local GP, trust in the local hospital for the local community is essential. The events that have occurred since April 2004 have eroded that trust. I send my sincere condolences to those families who have lost relatives due to the events that have occurred.

The hospital is there for one purpose, for the patients. Over the past few years I have seen patients who will not go in to Maidstone Hospital or the Kent and Sussex due to worries about getting an infection. I’ve actually seen some of my patients fearful that they will not leave if they were to be admitted.

These events must never be repeated and building back the trust in the hospital is paramount. The hospitals’ doctors and nurses and staff work incredibly hard, and the management must take a leaf out of their book.

I welcome the resignation today of James Lee, who had been on the board since 2003. All the board members must be accountable for the events that have occurred That includes those that planned the departure of Rose Gibb who also had been on the board since 2003, before the publication of the Healthcare Commission report. I support the fact that her severance package has now rightly been stopped.”