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SRMoore
Occasional Contributor
63 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Jun 2010 : 13:57:21
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Steve you hit the nail on the head when you point out how the people of Stockton were listened to and supported.
Whilst I hope that Alan Wright was caught using the wrong words, David Cameron did himself say that our hospital will remain open if the conservatives came to power. This promise he kept, whether it was out of principle or not is irrelevant as it is a victory for Hartlepool either way.
I read on the Hartlepool Mail website today (that I now can't find to link!) that Wright, Brash & Drummond are organising a rally in Victory Square tomorrow afternoon as a show of force to the government that they will continue to fight this "illogical decision". They are asking people to come and show their support at 2.30pm tomorrow and also pointed people in the direction of their support site on Facebook "Why don't the Con-Dems care about us?"
I have watched with interest as the number of supporters on this site has remained at 56, which is unchanged since I first noticed it a few days ago.
Capitalising on the large number of people using Facebook in Hartlepool and surrounding areas, I set up a group to
promote the new petition at 3 am this morning and at time of writing it currently has 48 members! Not bad going for the first 11 hours when you compare it to the support in favour of Labours proposal.
I am tempted to go along to Victory Square tomorrow and stand on the Civil steps with a banner saying "The men on the other side of the road want to close your hospital instead of getting back the services they gave away".
Anybody up for joining me?
To join the Facebook group and keep updated with what is going on search for "Petition to restore hospital services to Hartlepool Hospital".
There is no Plan B |
Edited by - SRMoore on 25 Jun 2010 14:50:10 |
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Christine Blakey
Frequent Contributor
1206 Posts |
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steveL
Frequent Contributor
565 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jun 2010 : 14:44:57
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I think everyone should go. It's rare to see the three leading politicians in Hartlepool exposing themselves in public (metaphorically speaking, of course)
Drummond has always hated being exposed to public scrutiny and has tried for years to get out of his obligation to hold yearly 'state of the borough' debates. He's successfully skipped quite a few but last year the council constitution was amended in an effort to force him to comply.
Wright and Brash, for their part, will simply blame the Tories for everything from England's lack lustre performance in the world cup to JEdward - never mind the Hospital issue.
The opportunity to blame the Tories carries more political mileage for Wright in particular, than concentrating on any fight to save Hartlepool Hospital. He no doubt believes that "Tories Scrapped the Hospital" would make good content for his next election leaflet. So now Wright fully expects, perhaps even prays, for Hartlepool Hospital to close.
The local PCT, now all but merged with North Tees PCT, will support the closure of Hartlepool Hospital having been duped into spending millions on the new Park Road facility; the only one of three such planned facilities actually built. The Park Road facility was placed first in the queue and construction was even started well before the go ahead for the Wynyard Hospital was given. The local PCT under the naive leadership of Steve Wallace thought that this was a feather in their caps. In truth, the new Park Road facility, with the full support of North Tees PCT, was the best way of ensuring the closure of Hartlepool Hospital and a safe fall-back position for North Tees Hospital should the Wynyard plans come to nothing. Wallace and his mates should have insisted on waiting until the first foundation stone was laid before going along with the whole idea but the chance to boast about a new health facility in town was just too much for him to resist.
Trying to be polite, we have not been well served by our local politicians and health officials. At each stage of this sorry saga, they have been out-manoevered and out-boxed by cleverer, smarter and more astute people who supported the North Tees cause. |
Edited by - steveL on 25 Jun 2010 17:51:45 |
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Christine Blakey
Frequent Contributor
1206 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jun 2010 : 17:52:13
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Yes Steve, we should all go. After all, it might be the only chance to allow people to note an alternative position - that the current hospital should be saved and we can get benefits from the huge sums of money just spent on decorating, new windows etc.
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SRMoore
Occasional Contributor
63 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jun 2010 : 12:41:03
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OK I have thought long and hard about this since yesterday and I WILL be standing at the bottom of the civic steps today at 2.30pm onwards with a big banner to show our opposition to this unwanted hospital in Wynyard.
I expect that Brash, Wright & Drummond are expecting that they will hold this rally without any opposition and claim it as a success. If any of them are reading this now, I am afraid you are terribly wrong!
I will be there to highlight that it was the elected leaders there today who signed our hospital services away and continue to fight for the closure of our town hospital in favour of an unwanted pipedream!
If anybody would like to join me I would be very grateful. It would be nice to drum up enough support on our side to embarrass them in front of the media they have undoubtedly invited.
There is no Plan B |
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Mate_of_Wilf
Frequent Contributor
401 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jun 2010 : 16:00:01
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North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust was established on 1 December 2007 under the NHS Act (2006) from the former North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust is seeking two non-executive directors. Closing date for applications is 2nd July. The posts are NOT SALARIED but an attendance allowance is paid. Currently £13,500 for 2.5 days a month
The advertisement needs to be revised I think because it is claiming that the Trust has £464m funding to build a new hospital in Wynyard by 2015,
http://sector1.net/job/2-nonexecutive-directors/31248 |
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SRMoore
Occasional Contributor
63 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jun 2010 : 18:19:34
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The Labour led 'rally' today was nothing more than a photo opportunity for all of the Labour leader candidates.
This was nothing to do with what was best for our town or what they were going to do about it, it was all to do with each candidate telling the local labour party what they would do if they were elected as leader of the party. It was a circus!
They roped in a number of the local skateboarders to hold placards for them and make it look like they had more support. This was blatantly obvious when Mr Simmons, sporting his usual red bow tie, collected the placards in off them at the end and we watched as they returned back to the benches around the square and picked up their skateboards lol.
The positives to come out of today were that I made the presence of opposition known, got more names for our petition, was interviewed by the Hartlepool Mail and met fellow HTH users to discuss the hypocrisy of it all afterwards
There is no Plan B |
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steveL
Frequent Contributor
565 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jun 2010 : 18:23:14
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I make that £59.20 per hour.
This 'Jewel in the Crown' of a posting was completed In Time for the Tall Ships |
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Christine Blakey
Frequent Contributor
1206 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jun 2010 : 21:53:18
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Oh SRMoore, I was looking for you on the wrong steps. Had grandchild with me so no laptop to remind me of details!
Glad it went well. Please you talked to the Mail. The reporters and photographers are friendly! Sure they will do a good piece on this.
I was so disappointed that the emphasis was about labour. I really think that damages any re-consideration. It should be about noting strength of opinion. Keeping politics right out of it.
What is needed locally?
How can that be balanced with a huge deficit?
Resolution respecting harmony of the two.
Today, it was about slating the other parties. Maybe they expected a huge turn out and thought they would get more people joining labour.
I really believe politics in any form strays from meeting individual needs and hence the mess we face today?
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steveL
Frequent Contributor
565 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jun 2010 : 11:54:45
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I'm taking it that the '6 weeks to find the money' story in last night's Mail is the prelude to the announcement to close Hartlepool Hospital soon afterwards. It will go something like this:
"We have gone to extraordinary lengths to try to secure funding for the new hospital at Wynyard but sadly have been unable to do so. We have to look to the future and decide on the best way forward and have concluded that concentrating resources at North Tees Hospital is the best option for the people of both Stockton and Hartlepool. Regrettably this means that Hartlepool Hospital will now be closed. However, the new £20m Park Road Facility offers exciting opportunities for improved health care in Hartlepool."
This 'Jewel in the Crown' of a posting was completed In Time for the Tall Ships |
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Christine Blakey
Frequent Contributor
1206 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jun 2010 : 12:34:06
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I did get the chance to speak to Iain Wright about why the hospital and the Wynyard plan was scrapped. He stated that the government have been advised by doctors regarding these plans?
He was obviously busy with the event so I appreciate and was pleased he did not just blank me, especially in front of Diane Abbott as she had just arrived.
I do not know much about the background when the 'save our hospital' campaign started but wondered if people on this thread could explain a bit more?
I think that Iain Wright was saying that they are supporting the hospital build at Wynyard because doctors say that the hospital needs to be super size to serve Hartlepool, part of Durham and part of Tees Valley to be viable. The current hospital cannot be developed to meet the needs of this larger patient base. Anyone got any information on this?
In particular, I wondered if there was something that we could do to follow on from SRMoore's effective action on Saturday. As was picked up in his mail article, this could be the best opportunity to re-establish services for Hartlepool people in the current hospital location. |
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SRMoore
Occasional Contributor
63 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jun 2010 : 19:42:13
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Here is a brief timeline of how the hospital saga has played out since 2003 (courtesy of Save our Hospital)
August 2003 - The proposal for a ‘super hospital’ north of the Tees was first aired, prompting a backlash with the Hartlepool-based Save Our Hospital group campaigning against feared closures and raising a petition of tens-of-thousands.
February 2004 - Health chiefs unveiled the idea of replacing the University of North Tees and Hartlepool hospitals with a £175m “super-hospital”, with Wynyard earmarked as a potential location.
The then Health Secretary John Reid writes to Hartlepool householders vowing the hospital will not close while he is Secretary of State.
August 2004 - Professor Ara Darzi, one of the UK's most distinguished surgeons, is brought on board by the Department of Health to see how the “fullest range of services” can be maintained at Hartlepool Hospital.
July 2005 - Campaigners celebrate as Darzi rejects the single-site option. The future of North Tees and Hartlepool hospitals looked set to be secured as Darzi recommends they continue on two sites.
But a new storm erupts as North Tees is told it could lose its consultant-led maternity and children’s services, including the Special Care Baby Unit, to Hartlepool.
January 2007 - The Wynyard super hospital is back on the agenda as Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt makes public her decision for the future of health services on Teesside.
The shock announcement comes after an independent review and represents a major U-turn from Darzi’s controversial plans to switch doctor-led maternity and paediatrics to Hartlepool.
May 2008 - A three-month public consultation is launched on whether Wynyard or Wolviston would be the best site for the proposed £464m development.
July 2008 - Tempers flare at a public meeting as 150 Wynyard residents come out in force and demand to know why the final
two choices are less than a mile apart from each other, and so close to their homes.
October 2008 - It is confirmed the new hospital will be built at Wynyard Business Park.
November 2009 - Hartlepool Council approved outline planning permission for the new hospital at Wynyard Park.
December 2009 - The North East Strategic Health Authority approved the development.
March 2010 - After more than six years in the pipeline, Teesside’s new hospital was finally given the green light after Health Secretary Andy Burnham visited Hartlepool to give the go-ahead.
June 17, 2010 - The plans for Wynyard are finally axed.
This article that was published in the Hartlepool Mail in September 2006 shows how Iain Wright has completely changed his stance on the issue and is talking complete and utter tosh when he says he is going on the recommendations of doctors.
http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/MP-Iain-Wright-resigns.1750254.jp
There is no Plan B |
Edited by - SRMoore on 29 Jun 2010 19:48:13 |
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Christine Blakey
Frequent Contributor
1206 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jun 2010 : 20:34:57
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Thanks so much SRMoore. That is really helpful. I did not live in Hartlepool at the beginning.
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snowy
Frequent Contributor
161 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jun 2010 : 23:40:23
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I really have come to despise the use of the word 'consultation' in circumstances like this. The 'experts' operate on the assumption that the public are basically thick ... therefore they hold a series of consultations, usually at odd locations at odd times with the sole purpose of selling us their vision, they are not remotely interested in us or our opinions, we are there to be re-educated to their way of thinking, the so called 'consultation' merely a sales pitch.
if we swallow it, all well and good ... if we don't, so what, who gives a toss, they just do what you were gonna do all the time, from the very outset ... How can you take any of this nonsense seriously ...? |
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SRMoore
Occasional Contributor
63 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jun 2010 : 23:49:46
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Snowy, I couldn't agree more. Specifically, anybody who took part in the "public consultation" held by Momentum on the future of hospital services in North Tees & Hartlepool will know that of the options available, there was not one which allowed you to choose a site other than Wynyard or Wolviston.
The only thing I question about your post is, which part of what has been posted up to now are you referring to as "nonsense"?
P.S. You wouldn't be a Snowy Wilson by any chance would you?
There is no Plan B |
Edited by - SRMoore on 29 Jun 2010 23:50:17 |
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Wynyard/Hartlepool Hospital Issue
