Bexleyheath, Welling & Crayford Chronicle August 2008

Local Conservatives have expressed their anger at the decision taken by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts to cut A&E and Maternity Services at Queen Mary’s Hospital and pledged to continue the fight to stop it from happening. Bexley Council Leader Teresa O Neill said, “I can assure all Bexley residents that we will continue to campaign to fight this dreadful decision. Details of our campaign will be released over the coming weeks and I hope that all our residents will join us in the fight to overturn the decision. ” The campaign was welcomed by James Cleverly who represents Bexley & Bromley on the London Assembly, “Boris Johnson and the Conservative Group on the London Assembly fully support keeping these services at Queen Mary’s. ” James Brokenshire MP the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Old Bexley & Sidcup said “The whole process has been a sham. The decision to downgrade and cut services at the hospital was clearly taken long ago and this process has been nothing more than a rubber stamping exercise. We need to fight to keep high quality facilities in Sidcup for Bexley residents. ” David Evennett Commenting on the announcement by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts that Option 2 of the A Picture of Health consultation had been recommended, David Evennett, MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford, said “This proposal is the worst possible option for the people of Bexley, with a reduction in choice and medical provision. “I believe the decision has been taken for financial and political reasons and I am very concerned about the consequences for my constituents. My fear now is that Queen Mary’s Hospital will face terminal decline”. Deeply disappointed It will be devastating for local people, if Queen Mary s Hospital in Sidcup is downgraded to a borough hospital, and it loses its emergency services, including A&E, children s and maternity department, under A Picture of Health proposals. I have campaigned for Queen Mary s Hospital, including marching alongside the thousands of local people who want to retain the important services it provides, and am committed in my opposition to closure or downgrading of any hospital services, unless equivalent or better ones are already up and running. I am deeply disappointed by these proposals and will do everything I can to help the residents of Bexley in their battle to keep the important services provided by Queen Mary s. I have already stated that I will give evidence if the Government refers the case to the independent reconfiguration panel. As Mayor of London, I believe that a key part of tackling health inequalities is retaining vital services that local communities can rely on. If the proposals go ahead and Queen Mary s loses these services, it could set a precedent for the whole of London, meaning some areas are more poorly served than others. This would not be progress and we must do all we can to ensure it does not happen. Boris Johnson Mayor of London Derek Conway Old Bexley & Sidcup MP Derek Conway has fiercely condemned the consultation process by the NHS London Board for the future of Queen Mary’s Hospital. He said, “There are no surprises with this pre-ordained outcome. The NHS London Board was determined to go down the route chosen and whatever the response, even if hundreds of thousands had replied ‘no, not this’, it would have made no difference. This was a sham and pointless consultation from the outset. A sham public relations exercise on a misguided plan that will leave pregnant women more at risk, people with serious injuries and illnesses less quickly treated”. He added, “At the end of the process I very much doubt any money will be saved. Like all the great NHS reform schemes we end up with lower quality access, huge but distant centres of ‘excellence’ and the public in Bexley less well served than before”. Mr. Conway concluded, “The Borough of Bexley deserves better from Labour Health Ministers and their appointees who have ridden rough-shod over the reasonable wishes of the residents of the area”. Your Local! NEWS • MOVIES • THEATRE • MOTORING • LIFESTYLE 40p Where Sold Chronicle Bexleyheath,Welling & Crayford T h e Vo i c e o f B e x l e y h e a t h 26 Movies19 Motoring18 Weddings AUGUSTwww. bexleychronicle. com August 2008 Special Creative New Menu (only available on Wednesday) TAKE AWAY SERVICE AVAILABLE Telephone 020 8298 9233 258 Sherwood Park Avenue Sidcup. 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Enjoy this unique “South-East Asia” Chinese meal Call free 0800 163 186 53 The Oval, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 9ER 5 Lessness Ave. , Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 5SH *Free Spring Check* on Alternators, Batteries & Starter Motors Cutting the cost of Spring repairs Batteries for every make of car BRAKE DISCS AND DISC PADS AT LOW PRICES Seating for 150 people Councillors unsure of Slade Green needs! Bexley councillors in the North End Ward of the borough are in a quandary about the needs of residents living in Slade Green! The Bexley First scheme to redevelop the civic centre site in Bexleyheath and selling off properties housing different departments is at the heart of the problem. In Slade Green there are proposals to redevelop the Howbury centre site. Local residents want a new school and community centre but this appears to have fbeen missed by local councillors. The Bexley First Committee, their consultants and councillors in the Ward are clearly out of touch with their constituents needs so the leader of the council has had to appoint more consultants, WM Enterprise, to undertake research into the need for new community facilities in Slade Green. She says “WM Enterprise have substantial experience advising on the development of community facilities”. The Chronicle suggests residents in Slade Green alert their councillors before the consultants start writing up their recommendations which, they say, will ‘capture the views of local residents’! If any reader in the area would like to know who their councillors are drop a note to The Editor, The Chronicle, Andrew House, Granville Road, Sidcup, Kent DA14 4BN FIGHT TO SAVE QUEEN MARY’S Got a story? The Chronicle wants it! Email: newsdesk@bexleychronicle. com 020 8302 6069