It's Not Too Late To Save Surbiton Hospital!!
22.5.06
Local MP calls on Minister to halt closure
Edward Davey, Liberal Democrat MP for Kingston and Surbiton, has taken the
fight to save Surbiton Hospital to Parliament. He has tabled a
Parliamentary motion drawing attention to the plight of Surbiton
Hospital and demanding that it be saved.
The Motion calls upon the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia
Hewitt, to act upon her words of praise for community hospitals outlined
in the White Paper Our Health Our Care Our Say, and intervene on behalf of
community hospitals to halt the planned axing of their services.
Commenting, Edward Davey said,
"It's all very well to praise community hospitals in theory, but in
practice the Secretary of State is standing by whilst community
hospitals up and down the country are forced to close.
"If Kingston Primary Care Trust were free to manage their land and
property assets themselves then there would be the financial backing to
save Surbiton Hospital. As it is, local resources are stretched and the
hospital is under threat.
"I've raised these points in the motion and I hope the Minister will sit
up and take notice. This is local people's quality of life at stake.
"I will keep on raising this at every opportunity. The fight is not over
yet by a long way."
Note
The text of the EDM runs as follows:
That this House notes with concern the threatened closure of Surbiton
Community Hospital; believes that the closure of Surbiton Hospital would
deprive the local community of an invaluable service and put
unreasonable strain on Kingston Hospital; welcomes the publication of a
discussion document on the future of Surbiton Hospital leading to a
strategic outline case but is concerned that short-term budget pressures
could undermine this; urges the Secretary of State for Health to act upon
her praise of community hospitals in the recent White Paper, Our Health
Our Care Our Say and intervene on behalf of community hospitals to halt
the planned axing of their services; and calls on the Secretary of State
for Health to allow primary care trusts to have the freedom to restructure
and reinvest their land and property assets to enable them to provide 21st
century NHS health facilities that will help ensure the long-term future
of these community hospitals and to ensure that any redevelopment on the
sites of community hospitals should be used to improve, not reduce, the
provision of health services.
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