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  Tom, you are correct in what was told to you .
  
  About 1996 onwards the major review of hospitals took place.
  
  Forum members may remember the biggest issue was the downgrading of Kent & Canterbury, which at the time was the major A & E centre for East Kent in many peoples view.
  
  The options put on the table for decision were Ashford & Canterbury, Ashford & Thanet with Whitfield as the large stand alone District General Hospital , downgrading the the other three.
  
  The deabates went on for years & has still not been resolved in the case of Canterbury. The biggest loser was Buckland/Whitfield new hospital. The medical & Westminster/local politics in the end determined that Ashford & Thanet won out as the two major centres on geography & perceived [evidence based] need.
  
  Decision time followed the 1997 General Election & a combination of Frank Dobson & Alan Milburn at Health made the government political decision on the re-configuration.
  
  We now have another re-configuration taking place now with Ashford the favoured option for major trauma A & E also taking other services from Thanet.
  
  So Tom, Whitfield was on the agenda ,forget about donations that had nothing to do with the decision making. Frankly despite the logic of road connections to service all East Kent, the case was not supported & the Dover lobby was drown out by the Kent & Canterbury campaign ,which many in our community vocally joined.
  
  I was not a DDC member between 1995-1999 but was Chairman of the South East Kent Community Health Council & saw first hand what was going on.
  
  Watty

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