The Front Page. - Copy 116 (Charlie Elphicke attacks Labour's move on Hospital)
30 July 2010
You will have read the News Release from the local Labour Party just below on the hospital situation. You will also have seen all the comments directly below that. Now our MP Charlie Elphicke joins in with this latest statement ...just in !
Charlie says....
“I am sad that Cllr Cowan and the local Labour Party do not want a proper hospital for Dover. It’s a real shame they do not want to see the beds and Doctor led urgent care that is supported by local GPs and people.
“I have heard that Cllr Cowan hopes to be the Labour Parliamentary candidate for Dover & Deal. I am not sure that reminding people how Labour systematically destroyed our hospital is the best way for him to secure his nomination. Nor reminding people that the hospital will not be built this year owing to the incompetence of the previous Labour Government.
“Clearly tough choices are being made because Labour bankrupted the country. The Coalition is doing its best to protect front line services and the least well off.”
At the full council meeting of Dover District Council on Wednesday 28 July, the Labour Group introduced a motion to support the urgent construction of a new community hospital for Dover.
Gordon Cowan, Leader of the Opposition Labour Group, said: “Since the general election the Conservatives and Lib-Dem majority on Dover District Council have been silent on the question of whether they still support the building of a community hospital in Dover. The Coalition Government, that they represent, seems hell bent on slashing all building projects no matter how much they are needed. From the reaction in the council chamber it was clear that the Coalition councillors were more interested in giving their friends in Downing Street an excuse for not building a new community hospital... than in getting one.”
Various sites for a new hospital have been proposed over the years, and the newly elected Conservative MP has been vocal in urging the case of a general hospital with doctor-led emergency care at Whitfield.
Cllr Cowan added: “Doctor-led emergency care means a full scale Accident and Emergency service with all the back-up facilities that that requires. That would mean closing Canterbury hospital, cutting services at Ashford or Margate, and scrapping a lot of newly bought expensive equipment at those three hospitals. The current MP may have been able to use his “big idea” for health to get elected, but his local colleagues have now clearly backed a community hospital. The MP needs to stop playing politics with our health and to show that he can deliver a much-needed community hospital for Dover before his chums in Westminster cut the project completely.” End
In the comments below discussing this hospital topic our Associate Editor Howard McSweeney mentioned the recent-ish hospital promising visit by Minister for Health...Andrew Lansley. Here is the picture on the left marking that occasion. It was sent in to me about a year ago and was a picture used in almost all the Conservative leaflets at the recent general election. There are a few very familiar faces there...most notably Deputy Mayor David Hannent background left, Government Minister Andrew Lansley foreground left, Reg Hansell centre, and the now MP Charlie Elphicke foreground right. This was the group aligning themselves with an all singing all dancing full blown general hospital. It was an eye catcher for the voter.
As I understand it this new Labour proposal is asking that Charlie Elphicke ditch this original stance and go for the most achievable option at this time, a smaller community hospital. Leading local Tories like Paul Watkins were originally in favour of the Community Hospital in an inner town location. Paul Boland.
Charlie Elphicke MP responds re Labour's position on Hospital.
You will have read the News Release from the local Labour Party just below on the hospital situation. You will also have seen all the comments directly below that. Now our MP Charlie Elphicke joins in with this latest statement ...just in !
Charlie says....
“I am sad that Cllr Cowan and the local Labour Party do not want a proper hospital for Dover. It’s a real shame they do not want to see the beds and Doctor led urgent care that is supported by local GPs and people.
“I have heard that Cllr Cowan hopes to be the Labour Parliamentary candidate for Dover & Deal. I am not sure that reminding people how Labour systematically destroyed our hospital is the best way for him to secure his nomination. Nor reminding people that the hospital will not be built this year owing to the incompetence of the previous Labour Government.
“Clearly tough choices are being made because Labour bankrupted the country. The Coalition is doing its best to protect front line services and the least well off.”
Labour Puts Pressure on MP to Deliver a Hospital for Dover.
Extra Pic/Item Added Below.At the full council meeting of Dover District Council on Wednesday 28 July, the Labour Group introduced a motion to support the urgent construction of a new community hospital for Dover.
Gordon Cowan, Leader of the Opposition Labour Group, said: “Since the general election the Conservatives and Lib-Dem majority on Dover District Council have been silent on the question of whether they still support the building of a community hospital in Dover. The Coalition Government, that they represent, seems hell bent on slashing all building projects no matter how much they are needed. From the reaction in the council chamber it was clear that the Coalition councillors were more interested in giving their friends in Downing Street an excuse for not building a new community hospital... than in getting one.” Various sites for a new hospital have been proposed over the years, and the newly elected Conservative MP has been vocal in urging the case of a general hospital with doctor-led emergency care at Whitfield.
Cllr Cowan added: “Doctor-led emergency care means a full scale Accident and Emergency service with all the back-up facilities that that requires. That would mean closing Canterbury hospital, cutting services at Ashford or Margate, and scrapping a lot of newly bought expensive equipment at those three hospitals. The current MP may have been able to use his “big idea” for health to get elected, but his local colleagues have now clearly backed a community hospital. The MP needs to stop playing politics with our health and to show that he can deliver a much-needed community hospital for Dover before his chums in Westminster cut the project completely.” End
In the comments below discussing this hospital topic our Associate Editor Howard McSweeney mentioned the recent-ish hospital promising visit by Minister for Health...Andrew Lansley. Here is the picture on the left marking that occasion. It was sent in to me about a year ago and was a picture used in almost all the Conservative leaflets at the recent general election. There are a few very familiar faces there...most notably Deputy Mayor David Hannent background left, Government Minister Andrew Lansley foreground left, Reg Hansell centre, and the now MP Charlie Elphicke foreground right. This was the group aligning themselves with an all singing all dancing full blown general hospital. It was an eye catcher for the voter.As I understand it this new Labour proposal is asking that Charlie Elphicke ditch this original stance and go for the most achievable option at this time, a smaller community hospital. Leading local Tories like Paul Watkins were originally in favour of the Community Hospital in an inner town location. Paul Boland.