|
|
|
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
|
|
Southport said “NO” to cuts in health services
back in 2003 we still say “NO” today in 2007 Update - Thursday, 29 November 2007 The Southport campaign to regain lost health services continues. Our campaign started several years ago when the NHS Trust decided to transfer our vital services for children and pregnant women to Ormskirk. This unbelievable decision was we believe totally deplorable, highly dangerous to the patients involved and distressing to families in general. Southport is a large town built on the holiday industry that urgently needs these essential hospital services for visitors as well as the residents herein. To date, CARES have received 18,532 names on petitions that were presented to bosses from the NHS following a massive protest march (Sunday 17th August 03) at Southport Hospital. CARES also organised a protest march in Formby on 11th Oct. 2003.
John Price (Ambulance Technician), Terry Durance, Pat Regan and his son Kyle marched from Southport Hospital to the Town Hall carrying a large protest banner in recognition of the route followed by 4,000 people in the previous year. After the initial protest march of August 03, which saw the town united for one aim, disintegration started to creep in. ‘Some’ CARES members held meetings with TV crews without telling the others. Some members even held hospital interviews with TV crews present without consulting the whole group. Some of the group were supportive of a Minor Injuries Unit and others were not. A divide had occurred and the members who were true to the original objective of the campaign, i.e. full restoration of services, were sadly forced to take action as the other members of the group were diluting the main aims that CARES was created to follow. Subsequent to this unfortunate turn of events CARES democratically voted to expel those members (including Libdem MP John Pugh), and substitutes, who were clearly 'not' acting in the best interests of CARES original mandate, which was decided by the residents of Southport. This distressing decision was certainly not taken lightly but the Steering Group had no other alternative available. The campaign had to be protected from unscheduled and undecided revision by persons seeking to compromise our position with the NHS Trust and other powers that be. We had a duty to take action for the children’s sake!
His personal assistant, Tony Dawson, also attacked CARES members over a lengthy period under the guise of ‘Tonio’ on a popular Southport chatroom forum. CARES members asked Mr Pugh to halt this situation but nothing was done. Even Libdem leader Charles Kennedy was informed yet he did nothing to stop the abuse, although he did promise to tell Mr Pugh of CARES concerns. Finally Mr Dawson was banned (according to the press in Oldham, an area where he stood for election) by his ISP from the chatroom. One of our members later had a suspected miscarriage, which she claims was partially due to the gratuitous stress of the ongoing situation created by the Libdems. The Oldham Labour group later alleged Mr Dawson posted “1580” abusive messages against anyone who challenged his childish tirades on the chatroom.
The local Southport Party and others reported on this disgusting situation. More abuse followed with unfriendly Libdem activists creating havoc at CARES meetings following the expulsion of John Pugh MP. One activist, Simon Shaw (who is now a Birkdale Libdem councillor) was expelled from a CARES meeting after persistently shouting at both the audience and committee. Since this deplorable time CARES have attainted numerous health concern meetings with various officials, as is reported on our website. On Friday 12th January 2007 9.30am CARES met with Sefton Primary Care Trust (PCT) Chief Executive, Leigh Griffin. Please see this link for details. CARES representatives asked Mr Griffin numerous questions including the following: “What is planned for the future in Southport? Bootle and Liverpool are well catered for, but as yet we in Southport (not North Sefton) have nothing other than our own doctors. Our visitors’ doctors may be 200 miles away, so unavailable to them. Many come on public transport so do not have a car to their disposal. This also applies to many of the elderly and those on low incomes. What provision is to be made for these?”
However, on the 11th July 07 John Pugh MP was quoted in the local press over issues that CARES had clarified six months earlier. We reiterate for clarification. The fact remains that the PCT had, six months ago, told CARES that greater provision and “some form of enhanced healthcare in Southport for children” was needed. CARES fairly reported this news on their website and forwarded this information to the local media, including Dune FM Radio. Later the CARES Co-chairperson Cath Regan was interviewed about this vital issue on that radio station and the show was publicly broadcast. Therefore, this exciting news was well-established and publicly available by January 2007 – over six months before John Pugh stated virtually the very same thing in the press as if it was something new! Why did it taken our MP John Pugh so long to catch up with the positive PCT response gained in the CARES Jan. 2007 meeting, subsequent to four years of hard campaigning by us and other concerned residents? The important proposed meeting with the health authorities over our lost services is due any day and John Pugh has seen fit for some odd reason to undertake and conclude a heath survey asking if recipients are contented with the local health service situation. Again, this move rather seems to be a case of our MP seeking to re-invent the wheel and going over very old ground that CARES has already ploughed up. Is John Pugh so out of touch with his constituents that he actually needs to ask such absurd questions via costly surveys or is this simply political spin to perhaps gain political status ‘before’ the proposed meeting with the health authorities? How stupid does Mr Pugh think Southport’s residents really are?
Where has this politician actually been for the last four years whilst his constituents have been campaigning so hard and whilst his fellow Libdem activists have been working in quite the opposite direction ‘against’ these good people? Are we witnessing perhaps more transparent evidence of Libdem ‘spin’ to get in on the latest action, just in case the health authorities finally put something positive on the table worth having this time? Besides, how far away is that next ‘election’? Southport wants its services back and ‘nothing’ has changed since they were initially taken away. If our MP would have possessed the insight to ask CARES (the original campaign organisation) he could have saved a great deal of time, effort and expense on his pointless survey. We don’t want useless surveys, political – point scoring and hollow words based on futile lip-service with official hype to our valid concerns - we want genuine, positive action now from all key-decision makers! Ends
|
|
|
|
|
[Home] [NHS Exposed] [Patients] [Health Workers] [NHS in Crisis] [Legal Issues] [Media] [Helpdesk] [Public Views] All copyright remains with original authors unless otherwise stated. |
One
year later more than 600 families took the opportunity to sign and place
windmills within the grounds of Christ Church to support the CARES campaign
to return children’s emergency services back to Southport on the
anniversary of the public march against the closures.
Following
this understandably controversial action CARES members were roundly attacked
in the local press by John Pugh MP. He unbelievably brought the private
religious beliefs of one of our team of volunteers into the situation,
even though this had absolutely nothing to do with the hospital campaign.
Mr
Griffin responded by saying he would like to ensure that parents have
a clear pathway of care. He went on to say that he sees a potential need
for some form of 
After
the famous CARES march in 2003 of four thousand protesters, and nearly
20,000 names on petitions going to number 10, why does this MP now have
to ask residents it we still want their services back? 