howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
As I said after the last meeting you can have your say at the N.H.S. meeting at the Town Hall Dover on the 22nd of November at 1830hrs ,I am hoping to get there but it is a Tuesday and I have a council meeting that night,but hoping to get there for the first hr.It is for members onlyand their Guests,but you can be a member yourself very easy just write to the Membership Office,QEQM hOSPITAL.Margate CT9 4AN.
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Consultation will be a waste of time.As always they have made their decision.
Hospital Rally .....................If you care be there.................Date to be advised.............Watch this space.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Reg .That might be so,but you can not say that because you do not know,anyway the public should always go,they can change things if they turn out in number.You are saying it is a wast of time,but in the same post you are asking the public to turn out for a Hospital Rally, so are you saying that will not be a wast of time,but the meeting will! How come?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
vic
it is a con not a consultation too many coments have been made by the people in control of these things.
what they have done is ask people in east kent where they would like birthing units.
the majority of people live in or around canterbury ashford and margate, so they will vote for those places - hence they will come out with the line that people in dover and deal do not want a local unit.
all a very old trick.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
Sorry Vic but I have to disagree with you.
The word CONSULTATION these days is a dirty word, to the public it means it's already done and dusted as has been proved time and time again.
19 or 19.000 at a consultation wouldn't matter a jot, people out on the streets do.
Go for it Reg.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
great minds think alike ian.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
This was the bit I liked....................
Assistant head of midwifery Abina Brown said increasing numbers of people having their babies at acute birthing centres at Margate or Ashford mean parents are already "voting with their feet".......
When the unit at Buckland was closed because of the shortage of midwives mothers to be had no choice if they did not want a home birth. I can see an increase in ambulance or back of the car births if the closure goes ahead.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
another sad day for buckland hospital,another case of stealth closer.
still good news for house builders though,another vacent building plot.kerching.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
agree with both of the above posts, downgrade everything until nobody uses it, then say no demand.
i think it will go to housing.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Sorry but I do not agree you must never give up,if you want a birthing unit at the new Buckland Hospital then do not just roll over, keep on fighting for it,but it must be done in numbers at that meeting ,if you do not turnout in numbers then you are giving the N.H.S. an easy ride.They will turn round after and say ,"Well no one turnout so they must be happy with it going to Ashford, or Margate.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
vic,to many factions pulling in to many directions.and besides if its not there you cant use it.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
Vic, do you remember what you did along Alkham Valley when no one took action?
You got out there and took action yourself.
So I must ask you, after all of these consultations and they still decide to close it down, what are you going to do?
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I am going to do just like the pass just keep on to them what Dover needs in the new Hospital and if it does not happen at first still keep on,and on and on.As for the Alkham Valley that was not done just by myself,there were other groups working for the same thing,as I said it is all about numbers the more that turnout the better.
sadly the truth is a lot of mums to be would love to give birth there but we dont get the choice so much paperwork with daft rules etc and the non doctors situation means we automatically got bounced to ashford or margate , miles from home with no direct transport .
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Hospital Rally........................If you care be there.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Dover Maternity Services were discussed recently at a DDC Scrutiny Committee meeting.
There were lots of information given out and reasons why there is a recommendation to close the Dover and Canterbury birthing units.
DDC is sending a strong recommendation NOT to close Dover's birthing unit.
Some of the reasons are:
1) How it will adversely affect those in areas of greatest deprivation in the district, particularly in respect of low car ownership levels in wards such as St Radigunds who would have the most benefit (if they stay).
2) The problems of poor public transport links to Ashford and Margate from many areas of the district.
3) The impact of Operation Stack on travel by road to Ashford.
4) The potential increase in demand for maternity services as a result of the new homes to be built in the district over the next twenty years.
5) Is it fair to take away the option of local low-risk births in the Dover district while providing such an option to women in Ashford and Thanet.
There is also of course the possibility that while these services are being eroded, they'll never come back and so we will be told that we don't need a hospital for so few services, so we'll end up with no hospital at all, just a cheap health centre.
The consultation is not a forgone conclusion, but if you all stay away, then it will be; go in force, give your reasons and don't stay at home and grumble.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
thanks for that roger, scrutiny are right on all points.
have to disagree with your conclusion though, the consultation will be the usual sham where the public speak and concerned looks come fom the platford with some studiously pretending to take notes, then they close buckland.
better to go the way that reg suggests, a noisy protest march with all the media notified in advance for maximum publicity.
The fact that most people will say yes to emergency assistance being avaliable within a short period if needed ( It wont be as blatently worded as this ) will give the justification to shut the unit .
I absolutley am not picking on you or what you have posted Roger but just trying to give the "closure" interpretation of most of your points
1 ) deprived areas have the highest levels of birth complications/ interventions therefore close unit and centralize specialist services to meet this need.
4) Increased need for services , equals increeased need for most efficent delivery , current health economy that means centralization , to stop duplication of costs
5) Low risk births can still be handled at Thanet and Ashford with the backup of on site advanced interventions if needed . There fore giving the choice but providing the additional services for these women if needed.
I need to think a little harder about 2 and 3 but suspect that there will be an arguement along the lines of average journeys to MAternity services , centres of excellence and public demand for emergency interventions within a set time frame and some refrences to the fact that A and E services are based at these hospitals without proveable detriment to care .
As I said I do not hold these views necessarily but suspect the points being raised by representatices from Dover will be answered in the following way . Ther will also be some refrence to the major shortfalls in midwife numbers and the need to ensure units are staffed in the most effiecent manner to ensure appropriate cover etc etc etc