Stand up for local hospitals
I wrote a week ago that I become increasingly concerned about the
future of local health services in West Cumbria. Since then the problems have become more and more obvious. Now Labour politicians who during the election a couple of months ago were proclaiming loudly that there is no threat to local hospitals have realised that there is and are frantically trying to set up NHS managers and officials as scapegoats.
It is time for Copeland's MP to make clear whether he still believes, as he said at the election debates and in the local press during the election, that there is no threat to West Cumberland Hospital.
If he does still believes that, he may be the only person in West
Cumbria who does, following the suggestion that some maternity services could move to Carlisle, the changes to Windermere ward, and two high-profile resignations of greatly respected doctors. If he doesn't, he should encourage his colleagues to work with the local NHS to save local services. Either way local Labour politicians should desist from making dark hints in the press about the need for local NHS officials to resign. There is something deeply offensive about the sight of Labour figures who were only too happy to quote Marie Burnham's words about the hospital during the General Election now turning round and trying to evade responsibility for their own statements by blaming her.
Along with about 40 other local residents I attended the Forum for
Patients and Public Involvement in the local NHS in Whitehaven Civic
Hall last week. There were some very powerful speeches from carers who have concerns about the impact of changes in the way mental illness is dealt with. Very sadly some of the most moving contributions came after the press had gone. There is a case for dealing with different types of mental illness in adjacent accommodation rather than in the same ward. However, it is very important that existing provision should never be withdrawn until a fully adequate replacement is in place, and there appear to be legitimate concerns about whether the changes to Windermere
ward meet that objective. Few people like to even think about mental
illness but it will affect most families at some time: for example one person in five who lives past the age of 80 suffers some degree of dementia. The suffering which will be caused if we do not provide
adequate support to those with mental illness and their carers does not bear thinking about.
As I said last week in the context of maternity services, we have an
excellent hospital in the West Cumberland and some brilliant staff who work there: we should be proud of everything they have achieved there and work to keep and improve it.
future of local health services in West Cumbria. Since then the problems have become more and more obvious. Now Labour politicians who during the election a couple of months ago were proclaiming loudly that there is no threat to local hospitals have realised that there is and are frantically trying to set up NHS managers and officials as scapegoats.
It is time for Copeland's MP to make clear whether he still believes, as he said at the election debates and in the local press during the election, that there is no threat to West Cumberland Hospital.
If he does still believes that, he may be the only person in West
Cumbria who does, following the suggestion that some maternity services could move to Carlisle, the changes to Windermere ward, and two high-profile resignations of greatly respected doctors. If he doesn't, he should encourage his colleagues to work with the local NHS to save local services. Either way local Labour politicians should desist from making dark hints in the press about the need for local NHS officials to resign. There is something deeply offensive about the sight of Labour figures who were only too happy to quote Marie Burnham's words about the hospital during the General Election now turning round and trying to evade responsibility for their own statements by blaming her.
Along with about 40 other local residents I attended the Forum for
Patients and Public Involvement in the local NHS in Whitehaven Civic
Hall last week. There were some very powerful speeches from carers who have concerns about the impact of changes in the way mental illness is dealt with. Very sadly some of the most moving contributions came after the press had gone. There is a case for dealing with different types of mental illness in adjacent accommodation rather than in the same ward. However, it is very important that existing provision should never be withdrawn until a fully adequate replacement is in place, and there appear to be legitimate concerns about whether the changes to Windermere
ward meet that objective. Few people like to even think about mental
illness but it will affect most families at some time: for example one person in five who lives past the age of 80 suffers some degree of dementia. The suffering which will be caused if we do not provide
adequate support to those with mental illness and their carers does not bear thinking about.
As I said last week in the context of maternity services, we have an
excellent hospital in the West Cumberland and some brilliant staff who work there: we should be proud of everything they have achieved there and work to keep and improve it.
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