NHS out of touch, say Greens
16 October 2007
“The NHS Fit for the Future consultation is out of touch with what the public wants and what the health service needs”, said Cllr Keith Taylor, Green Convenor at Brighton & Hove City Council.
The comments were made as the twelve strong Green Party councillors group prepare to reject all the proposals to reconfigure medical services in West Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
“What people really want is a properly funded decent health service at their local doctors, polyclinic or hospital. This whole ‘choice’ idea promoted by Labour and the Tories is a myth.”
On Thursday, the Tory-led Brighton & Hove Council will table their suggestions for medical care which propose that Worthing becomes a Major General Hospital, while Princes Royal at Haywards Heath is relegated to a Local General Hospital. That means that PRH would lose its consultant-led maternity and accident and emergency services.
“There’s no way Greens will support this outrageous Tory idea” said Cllr Taylor.
“We would be consigning mid Sussex patients to uncertainty in health care delivery, particularly in maternity and emergency services. Streets across Sussex have been packed with protestors, seeking to protect their public services, and I can perfectly understand why.”
“All of the options for reconfiguration show expansion of services at the Royal Sussex County, yet they all fail to acknowledge or address the very real problems that face enlargement at RSCH.
· The RSCH is struggling to recover from having the worst MRSA rating in the country and is just outside the top third worst performers on C-Difficile.
· Road access to RSCH is already over capacity – and no solutions have been offered to accommodate the extra journeys generated by reconfiguration, let alone how emergency vehicles would be able to guarantee fast transit.
· What assurances are local patients and staff given that extra services won’t increase pressure on treatment and jobs? Already we’re seeing bed closures to save cash.
· Extra services will mean extra staff – where will they be able to live? High living costs are already forcing key workers out of the city
"We say that RSCH should make the hospital we’ve got work properly before yet more expansion”.
Notes to editors:
Further press information: Keith Taylor 07780 528990[ENDS]
