Kingston’s NHS is Under Threat.

22.10.06

After meetings with managers, staff and patients, that’s my conclusion. Why? There’s a danger we’ll see valued services cut – like the quality care elderly patients get at Tolworth Hospital’s stroke unit. 

There’s a danger the new bureaucracy called the London Strategic Health Authority won’t listen to our campaign to save Surbiton Hospital. 

I fear there’s even an outside danger that Kingston Hospital could be under threat over the next few years. Yes, it is that bad. 

Let me explain why I’m so alarmed.

First, the new primary care-led NHS model means some hospitals, somewhere, will have fewer patients, less income and therefore will be forced to cut services or even close. I support more work to primary care, but it’s being done with no planning.

Second, Labour, like the Tories, back a massive expansion of private provision. Thus we see a private firm called Cliniceta being given a contract to open a new Treatment Centre at St George's, Tooting, that will take “business” from hospitals like Kingston – even though the Department of Health says there is “over capacity” locally.

This is destabilising an NHS that needs more stability, not less.

So we must campaign against these cuts.

Any party that wants to campaign against NHS cuts, can’t at the same time seriously offer tax cuts of £21 billion. Unless they want to become a joke, and betray, again, the NHS.