Being recognised
I am now being contacted by local people via this blog and also when I am seen in the street as people recognise me and are behind what I stand for, that being Keeping Our Local Hospital Open and providing the excellent services it always has done without any financial burdens or underfunding.
Many people have said I should run as a local politician but I have reservations with that
1, would I be accepted as an Independent
2, Are the local politics stuck in a rut
3, Would I be able to do the job right and really make a difference
4, if I did stand would I be able to get the 60% plus non voters to the ballot box?
Well for now the answer is NO I won't be standing
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When I meet with the local people they are in full support of their Hospital and they all have their story to tell , some are from their own experiences and some are from a relatives but I do get the same message from all, even the ones who have had a bad experience, that is the people in the Community see Hinchingbrooke as a valuable asset to the community and many feel as I do.
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We in Huntingdon are at the centre of the county, why oh why are not more services here, not just Hospital but Local Authority and other headquarters. It make so much sense as we are on the A1/A14 cross roads and have good links north, south, west and on the A141 to Fenland, our only bug bare is the A14 east/west to and from Cambridge.
As I have said in another post why should we be forced, through no fault of our own, to travel long distances and contribute to emissions which are directly connected to global warming, to get certain Hospital treatments?
It does make sense for some, maybe, to be established as specialist centres for certain illnesses but in the main the majority of services should be provided locally.
The "Masterplan" of the Department Of Heath and their super hospital scenario reminds me of a speech by a certain Norman Tebbit where he told everyone to "get on their bikes and ride to find work", many did and this is the main catalyst that has caused todays traffic mayhem throughout the UK and this binding love affair with the car and with deregulated public transport, what other way is there to travel reliably?
Many people have got into this behaviour pattern of car travel and accept long journeys to work etc.
With that ethos in mind then the super hospital plan could work but to the detriment of the environment and the carbon emissions plans that are being tabled at present as well as a poorer service to patients.
Many families would not visit their relative if he or she was 20 to 30 miles away, or maybe not quite so often, this in turn has a knock on effect with the patient, who through this process of recieving fewer visitors is likely to require longer hospital stays and mentally would be lesser prepared to want to venture home.
As for Community Treatment, all sounds good on paper, but before we hype it up as one of the possible new ideas for the NHS lets fund it properly, set it up and lets us the shareholders, yes you and I who contribute towards it, see the Community service set up and fully functioning before we believe in this new and probably unecessary restructure of the NHS, like the PCT's before it.
Enough of that for now but I have had some more news which a member of the public intimated to me in the High Street.
It appears that the Sterile services at Hinchingbrooke are now under threat, to be centralised.
I am led to believe that it is proposed that the service would be in one building in another location not in another county and the Sterilisation work would be completed there and then shipped out to the Hospitals that require their surgery items and sterile instruments.
Now while some of you might think it makes sense, it puts patients at risk and more pollution on the roads and how are the stock levels going to be properly monitored?
I was also told that there had been funds allocated to Hinchingbrooke a several years ago to upgrade the current unit to the newer standards but it had been spent elsewhere in the hospital at that time but the funding has since had to be found to update the facility at an large additional cost.
Now it needs to be upgraded further to meet European standards, oh how shortsighted are we you in the Finance department, robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Where are these finance people?
Who are they?
Why do they take no responsibility for their inadequate working practices?
The previous Finance Director of Hinchingbrooke did resign to be fair but only because he already had another position with the Strategic Health Authority, the very body that wants to run down or close Hinchingbrooke, not because he felt he had a duty to.
A similar thing happened to the last Cheif Executive, he exited by the rear door only to walk into another position at a nearby PCT, How do these people manage to do it, ruin one formidable hospital and then go on to ruin it once again from a distance?
Absolute scandal and abuse of public funds
Lets have More Transparency, Honesty, Equal Funding for all Hospitals & Public Involvement
