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[finely tuned]

There is interesting times ahead, at the moment i don't think we are being listened to enough.
Everything is shrinking from Healthcare to the Police Force to the Schools.

If the Conservatives want to do something right then maximising real investment in Healthcare and Schooling is the best starting place.

So Grant make a real promise to the population of Welwyn Hatfield to sort our local hospital out with the investment it desperately needs. The Super Hospital is already dead in the water but please outline excactly what your vision for Healthcare in Welwyn Hatfield is, based on the assumption your party gets elected.

You have already stated you don't want to make any promises you can't keep, so please enlighten us as to what you can keep.

ft

[disgruntled]

There is interesting times ahead, at the moment i don't think we are being listened to enough.
Everything is shrinking from Healthcare to the Police Force to the Schools.

If the Conservatives want to do something right then maximising real investment in Healthcare and Schooling is the best starting place.

So Grant make a real promise to the population of Welwyn Hatfield to sort our local hospital out with the investment it desperately needs. The Super Hospital is already dead in the water but please outline excactly what your vision for Healthcare in Welwyn Hatfield is, based on the assumption your party gets elected.

You have already stated you don't want to make any promises you can't keep, so please enlighten us as to what you can keep.

ft

Absolutely FT.

One thing I disagree with you on though.
The money is there.

The current tax take is approximately £550b and the NHS soaks up circa £97b. Taking out education, there is an awful lot they are spending which we, the voters have not given them the authority to do.

Iraq / Afghanistan has cost us approximately £14b to date. For that lie based conflict we have lost hundreds of our young people, killed 10s of 1000's of the locals and achieved, ummm, nothing.

By Grants estimation we could have built 28 super hospitals.

The cost of Trident (which is the forecast budgets) will be another few 10's of Billions.
Lets not even get into the layers of bureaucracy imposed upon us, and the cost of surveillance watching you and me cross the road going about our daily business!!!

Build it Grant

[MikeHobday]

3 major facilities i can think of within minutes of reading your post that are going to Lister which we desperately need to keep in Welwyn Hatfield are,

Maternity/Delivery Ward
Childrens A+E
Main A+E

ft

I agree we need those locally. I agree the Primary Care Trust was wrong to move them to Stevenage. Especially when its budget has continually increased. And I joined the cross-party campaign to that effect. But that doesn't mean the hospital is closing. Shrinking to be sure, but Grant's exaggeration is pure party politicking. And that should make us almost as angry as the Primary Care Trust's decision.
Mike

[disgruntled]

3 major facilities i can think of within minutes of reading your post that are going to Lister which we desperately need to keep in Welwyn Hatfield are,

Maternity/Delivery Ward
Childrens A+E
Main A+E

ft

I agree we need those locally. I agree the Primary Care Trust was wrong to move them to Stevenage. Especially when its budget has continually increased. And I joined the cross-party campaign to that effect. But that doesn't mean the hospital is closing. Shrinking to be sure, but Grant's exaggeration is pure party politicking. And that should make us almost as angry as the Primary Care Trust's decision.
Mike

But, excuse me, but,

The PCT works for the current government...........

[finely tuned]

Hmm....  disgruntled when you put it like that i have to agree.
 
Mike without major services the Hospital is as good as dead. Maybe Grant could have phrased it better considering his position but the essence of the topic title reflects local opinion.

ft

[MikeHobday]

Maybe Grant could have phrased it better considering his position but the essence of the topic title reflects local opinion.

ft

If local opinion is that the QEII will close, then perhaps Grant Shapps has done an excellent job for his party? But he's misleading residents which I don't think is something to be proud of.

We're all angry the hospital is losing its A&E. I'm pleased we're getting a 24/7 urgent care centre in return and access to GPs without appointment from 8 to 8 seven days a week, even if Grant opposed the latter.

But that doesn't mean it's either honest or responsible to talk about the QEII closing.

Mike

[disgruntled]

Hmm....  disgruntled when you put it like that i have to agree.
 
Mike without major services the Hospital is as good as dead. Maybe Grant could have phrased it better considering his position but the essence of the topic title reflects local opinion.

ft

Agreed.

But local opinion is not just restricted, using Grant's topic description, to the local health "bosses"
I would suggets that it applies to all those that have, and continue to, lied and mislead us on issues of central and local government, whether they be in opposition or in "power"

Enough is enough

Build it Grant

[disgruntled]

We're all angry the hospital is losing its A&E. I'm pleased we're getting a 24/7 urgent care centre in return and access to GPs without appointment from 8 to 8 seven days a week, even if Grant opposed the latter.

But that doesn't mean it's either honest or responsible to talk about the QEII closing.

Mike

God
Its getting boring now......

Mike, the QE2 in its current form is awful and not fit for purpose.
Keeping it going in that form is not something you should be defending.

What you should be campaigning for is a proper allocation of funding to build the facilities needed to service the health needs of the local population as identified by Reid's study in 2004.

The money is there, its just that your party is ***ing it up against the wall elsewhere without a mandate.

You are making yourself look silly, and insulting our intelligence, by suggesting that the only issue is to maintain services in the current location.

Build it Burnham.

[finely tuned]

Mike we need to make a fuss about the A+E closure. Stating that we are pleased with the Urgent care in return is the wrong attitude to have.

To put it another way if you had a football as a child which was taken away from you and you were given a punchured one in return would you be happy?

If the powers that be believe we are happy with being trodden on then they will keep stamping on us.

ft

[disgruntled]

If the powers that be believe we are happy with being trodden on then they will keep stamping on us.

ft

There you go FT

What say ye Mr Hobday!!!

[MikeHobday]

If the powers that be believe we are happy with being trodden on then they will keep stamping on us.

ft

There you go FT

What say ye Mr Hobday!!!

I'm saying:
1. that politicians should serve local residents. As all parties did in opposing the Primary Care Trust's decision to move A&E from QEII to Lister, and replace it with an urgent care centre;
2. that politicians should be honest. As the Conservatives weren't when suggesting GP surgeries would close if we were given a new walk-in GP health centre. And as they aren't in suggesting the QEII is closing.

You're suggesting, I think, that local people will vote Conservative because of the decision. Or because of their perception of the decision. Maybe. We live in a democracy and people will vote for the party they shoose.

But anyone hoping that a Conservative Government will reverse the Primary Care Trust's decision will find themselves sorely disappointed. Grant's already said that won't happen.

Mike

[finely tuned]

The thing is Mike that a few posts up you were embracing the urgent care centre, but now your stance is your against the closure of A+E and the replacement which is the urgent care centre.

If your against it then that means that even if they give us a urgent care centre lined with gold wallpaper your still against it on the principle of the matter that is they took our Major services away from a area that desperately needs them.

The money spent on the polyclinic could have gone towards some refurbishment at the QE2 or (sorry disgruntled i dont think this next bit will happen though i would like it to) a new super hospital.

If the Primary Care Trust wont change their mind maybe they need to be cut?

Just an idea, probably not a good one

ft

[eumelus]

As someone whos had their child under the care of both QEII and Lister i can say that the QEII childrens A&E is infact the only permanent building, the lister is porta units cobled together on the side of the building, its just as rickity as the QEII is tatty so wheres all the money going from the PCT to move childrens services from WGC to Stevenage.

Also heres an example of why we need a full time childrens unit in WGC..

approx 2 months ago my little girl got a secondary infection after comming down with chicken pox, we took her to QEII childrens A&E and after spending several hours waiting for an answer we were told she would have to be transfered to Stevenage, She spent 1 week at Lister having IV antibiotics and eventually we were told she would need an MRI scan.

Now the scan had to be done at WGC but could only been done when the peadiatric anesthatist was available, this is every other thursday.....

So we waited for an appointment and got that only to find that the pead anesthatist wasnt there and his second in command couldnt sedate a 10 month old baby so we waited another week for this scan.

When we got the scan back we were told that she has a fluidy mass on her elbow (we were in because of her shoulder), anyway the scan was eventually sent to Stanmore hospitol for teh experts to check over, it took two more weeks because we have 3 seperate consultants teams in two hospitols dealing with the baby and none knew what the other was doing, and guess what, we are still waiting and will have to wait another week atleast to know any results.

This has been two months now since this started, but if we had been in a childrens ward in the QEII we could have got the MRI faster and seen the same team continually, and maybe we wouldnt be constantly worrying about what she may or may not have..

Unless something is sorted out and soon the next child may have a cancer that isnt picked up in time..

[disgruntled]

I think the last post by Eumelus nicely summarises the bloody shambles we have to put up with in health care provision in this area. On a personal note I sincerely hope your child makes a very quick and full recovery.

Mike: With respect; Your response to my question beggars belief. It sounds like a response from the politicians handbook. I fear you, and Grant, don't get it. We are not interested in your petty fights for power, with the associated soundbites. You both sound like bloody Sooty & Sweep (for all you oldies out there!!)

We really don't care about your political theories. What we want is competent management of the tax income you take from us and deliver the Health & Education services to the standards we demand.

Stop beating around the bush, the both of you. Look at the total income and stop spending on items we have not given you the authority to spend on.

That will leave more than enough to build a new hospital and deliver the services we pay our taxes for.

[bbtzs]

Whilst a huge income is available from the Tax take. The reality is that cutting Government spending is impossible overnight. The necessary cuts and streamlining will take many years. Labour have spent 12 years destroying it.

As for Mike Hobday criticising Grant for politicking, that is the same hypocritical rubbish we get from the Government all day long every day. Labour have run out of ideas. They now concentrate on picking holes in the opposition. The place is in such a mess that anyone expecting to be in the next government has to be extremely cautious about what is said. There is tough medicine ahead and no-one dare say it out loud.

Dear Mr Hobday please give up whingeing and come up with something new, rather than picking holes. It is your lot who got us into this fine screw up and entangled us in such a dreadful health, education, consitutional mess. You really ought to go and learn chess or something. You never know someone might be desperate for a partner who repeats himself over and over again and is totally predictable.