Richmond Park MP Susan Kramer's claims Kingston's maternity and A&E Units are under threat were shouted down at a public Question Time style meeting on Thursday 26th February. She took to the floor along with Conservative Parliamentary hopeful Zac Goldsmith and Labour hopeful Eleanor Tunnicliffe.
The pair ganged up on her claims Labour is secretly planning to close vital units.
Mr Goldsmith labeled the so- called findings as 'scare mongering,' while Ms Tunnicliffe was backed up by the hospital's head of nursing who said they were confident the hospital was safe.
There were also claims from the audience that the Lib Dems were using scare tactics to win votes in the forthcoming elections. Ms Kramer however, says the hospital cannot be safe when £300 million worth of cutbacks are needed across the NHS.
February 2010
Zac responds to rumours of a threat to Kingston Hospital
February 2010
Letter from Labour, Conservative and Green PPCs for Richmond and North Kingston
Sir,
We are all committed to protecting Kingston Hospital. It is a non negotiable service and utterly vital for the community. If there is a threat to it, we will all drop everything to protect it.
But the new Lib Dem campaign to “save Kingston Hospital” appears to have been invented for political reasons. As a result, thousands of residents have been alarmed by their claims that Kingston Hospital is to lose its A+E and Maternity services.
There are many people who have chosen to live near the hospital because they or their loved ones depend on it. The Lib Dem campaign has caused them immeasurable anguish. Senior spokesmen for the hospital, meanwhile, have said that the claims are damaging staff morale and will make it even harder to recruit vital new staff.
The Chief Executive of the hospital has stated categorically that there are no secret plans to cut services at Kingston. NHS Richmond and NHS South West London have angrily dismissed the claims, saying: “We strongly refute any claims that there are secret plans to close A&E or maternity units at Kingston Hospital or any hospital.”
During a recent visit to the hospital, the Shadow Health Minister said: ‘I simply don’t see a real threat to the hospital closing. The A+E or maternity services are essential to the local community.”
Mike O’Brien, the Health Minister, said in Parliament that; “the Liberal Democrats have a record of running scare stories and asking people to join the campaign by sending in their addresses, petitions and email addresses. They can then canvas those people. It is all about elections.”
The fact that Susan Kramer’s ‘Save The Hospital’ website was registered as long ago as December 11th 2009, five weeks before she launched her ‘urgent’ campaign, suggests the campaign was timed to coincide with the election. Daily Mirror Associate Editor Kevin Maguire’s report that he overheard a Lib Dem activist boasting that he had ‘cooked up’ the scare story at his ‘kitchen table’ also reinforces that view.
The three of us will doubtless disagree on many issues in the run up to the election, but we all agree that for politics to serve a community, politicians must stick to the truth and avoid scaremongering for political ends. Zac Goldsmith, Conservative PPC Richmond Park and North Kingston Eleanor Tunnicliffe, Labour PPC Richmond Park and North Kingston James Page, Green PPC Richmond Park and North Kingston
February 2010
Shadow Health Minister Mike
Penning visited Kingston Hospital yesterday with Conservative
Parliamentary Candidates Helen Whately (Kingston and Surbiton) and Zac
Goldsmith (Richmond Park and North Kingston).
They met KHT Chief
Executive, Kate Grimes, the Chairman, Christopher Smallwood, KHT
Medical Director Jane Wilson and a number of hospital consultants and
Directors. Also present were Dr Howard Freeman and Lucie Waters of
South West London NHS.
The
visit was planned before the Liberal Democrats launched their campaign
to ‘save Kingston hospital’, but the issue was discussed at length.
Mike Penning commented;
‘I
was hugely impressed by the professionalism dedication and commitment
of all the staff and was proud to meet some of the hospital volunteers
that give their time to the hospital to help the many visitors to the
excellent Kingston Hospital. However I was deeply disappointed that the
exceptional high morale of staff was being undermined by a campaign by
the Liberal Democrats. I simply don’t see a real threat to the
hospital closing. The A&E or maternity services are essential to
the local community and it would seem completely illogical even for
this Labour government to close these units. But if a
Conservative Government comes to power and there is a threat to the
hospital we will immediately impose a halt to the cuts and instigate a
clinical review. Our policy for Maternity Units and A&E units is
very simple. Government money will follow local demand for excellent
services, and there is no question that demand is high for Kingston’s
hospital.”
Helen Whately said;
“Kingston hospital
has the clear backing of the Conservative front bench. If David Cameron
becomes Prime Minister, such a busy, high performing hospital would not
be allowed to loose its A&E or maternity unit”
“The hospital
management confirmed that there are no plans to close Kingston's
A&E or Maternity services, but if Labour wins the election and
continues its NHS cuts then one of South West London’s hospitals could
be downgraded. We must not be complacent, but nor should we exaggerate
this threat”.
Zac Goldsmith added;
“The surest way
to remove any threat to the hospital is to change the Government.
Locally we will simply not allow the hospital to be compromised, and we
will have the full backing of a Conservative Government. But I want to
stress that the hospital is in a strong position. Before launching
these sorts of campaigns, politicians need to be sure of their facts or
they risk alarming a lot of vulnerable people. It’s not fair, and it’s
not right.”
Zac Goldsmith visiting Kingston Hospital with the Shadow Health Minister, Mike Penning. They met the Chief Executive, the Chairman, the Medical Director and senior representatives of South West London NHS.
January 2010
Kingston Hospital: A Lib Dem Scare Story?
As you probably know, local Lib Dem MPs launched a campaign to ‘Save Kingston Hospital’ on Monday, claiming that Kingston’s A&E and maternity units are threatened by “secret Labour plans”.
First, I want to reassure you that if there is a threat to Kingston Hospital, local Conservatives will campaign with every ounce of our energy to protect it. And we will be backed up by the Conservative Party nationally.
It is accepted that nothing can happen to the hospital before the General Election, and if Conservatives form the next Government, David Cameron has repeatedly promised; "We will stop Labour's forced closure of A&E and maternity units".
I have also received assurances from Andrew Lansley, our Shadow Health Secretary, that if we win the election, he will impose an immediate moratorium on proposed closures of A&E and maternity units across the country, including those that may be in the pipeline at Kingston.
However, that said, I have been investigating the Lib Dem claims about ‘secret plans’, and have written to Susan Kramer asking her to share the information that has triggered her campaign.
My fear is that the Lib Dems have exaggerated a problem in order to create an election opportunity. If so, they will have needlessly frightened vulnerable members of the community into believing they will lose a valuable local service.
That is certainly the view of a very senior spokesman for Kingston hospital who has told Mike Penning, the Shadow Minister for Health that the Lib Dem campaign will demoralise staff and may compromise patient care.
Here are the facts: the hospital has been under an NHS London review for many months, along with a number of other hospitals, and since the launch of that review, nothing has changed.
At a Hospital Board meeting this morning, the Chief Executive and Chairman stated categorically that there are no secret plans to cut services at Kingston, and no site closures are under consideration. The chairman described the Lib Dem campaign as “irresponsible”, citing the damaging affects on staff morale and patients.
Sian Bates, Chair of NHS Richmond and sector chair of NHS South West London has also angrily dismissed the Lib Dem claims, saying: “Healthcare for South West London strongly refutes any claims that there are secret plans to close A&E or maternity units at Kingston Hospital or any hospital. This work is at an early stage and has not considered any specific sites for closure nor have we agreed any numbers of hospitals that will be required to deliver A&E, maternity, complex surgery, critical care or specialist children’s care.”
It has now emerged that the Lib Dem campaign site - www.savekingstonhospital.com - was registered by Susan Kramer on December 11th – more than a month ago. If the threat to the hospital was so urgent, why did the Susan Kramer wait so long?
And today the Daily Mirror Associate Editor Kevin Maguire has reported that he overheard someone boasting on a train about getting the Evening Standard to report that Labour has a secret plan to shut Kingston Hospital. In his twitter posting, Maguire adds "Train bloke now boasting the hospital scare story was cooked up at his kitchen table". Maguire managed to take a photograph of the man, and surprise surprise, he has been identified as local Lib Dem activist Dan Falchikov.
We are all fed up with Labour. But when we criticise them, it must be based on facts. We’ve all had enough of fabricated threats from politicians. These sorts of campaigns have to be honest, or real peoples’ lives are affected. I will keep abreast of this issue and if anything changes, I will let you know.
On Monday, local Liberal Democrat MPs launched a campaign to
‘Save Kingston Hospital’ claiming that Kingston’s A&E and maternity unit are
threatened by “secret Labour plans”.
Any threat to Kingston Hospital
will be vigorously resisted both by local Conservatives and the Conservative
Party nationally.
Zac Goldsmith, Conservative PPC for Richmond Park and
North Kingston, said:
“If there is a threat to Kingston Hospital,
local Conservatives will campaign with every ounce of their energy to protect
it. And we will be backed up by the Conservative Party nationally. Nothing can
happen to the hospital before the General Election, and if Conservatives win,
David Cameron has repeatedly promised; "We will stop Labour's forced closure of
A&E and maternity units".”
Helen Whately, Conservative PPC for
Kingston and Surbiton, said;
"If Kingston Hospital is under threat
we will fight to protect it and the vital services it provides. We have received
assurances from Andrew Lansley, Shadow Health Secretary, that if Conservatives
win the next election there will be an end to top-down closures of A&E and
maternity units”.
Andrew Lansley has told both PPCs that if the
Conservative Party forms the next Government, it will impose an immediate
moratorium on proposed closures of A&E and maternity units across the
country, including those that may be in the pipeline at Kingston. He added;
"Unlike the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives have committed to
increase spending in the NHS and reinvest all efficiency savings into improving
patient care".
However, both Helen and Zac have been investigating
the Lib Dem claims about ‘secret plans’. They have written to Susan Kramer and
Edward Davey asking them to share the information that has triggered their
campaign. So far, they have received no response
Helen attended the
Hospital’s Board meeting this morning, where the Chief Executive and Chairmen
stated categorically that there are no secret plans to cut services at Kingston,
and no site closures are under consideration. The chairmen described the Lib Dem
campaign as “irresponsible”, citing the damaging affects on staff morale and
patients.
Sian Bates, Chair of NHS Richmond and sector chair of NHS
South West London has also angrily dismissed the Lib Dem claims, saying:
“Healthcare for South West London strongly refutes any claims that
there are secret plans to close A&E or maternity units at Kingston Hospital
or any hospital. This work is at an early stage and has not considered any
specific sites for closure nor have we agreed any numbers of hospitals that will
be required to deliver A&E, maternity, complex surgery, critical care or
specialist children’s care.”
Commenting, Zac said: “The hospital
has been under a NHS London review for many months, along with a number of other
hospitals, and since the launch of that review, nothing seems to have changed.
My fear is that the Lib Dems have exaggerated a problem in order to create an
election opportunity. If so, they will have needlessly frightened vulnerable
members of the community into believing they will lose a valuable local
service.”
“We are all fed up of Labour, and I won’t defend them,”
he added. “But we’ve had enough of fabricated threats from politicians.
These sorts of campaigns have to be honest, or real people are
affected.”
Helen commented: “I am worried the Lib Dems are
exaggerating the threat for political purposes, particularly after the
assurances we were given by the Hospital’s management at the Board meeting. If
so, this would be deeply irresponsible.”
That is also the view of a
very senior spokesman for Kingston hospital who has told Mike Penning, the
Shadow Minister for Health that the Lib Dem campaign will certainly demoralise
staff and may compromise patient care.
Helen added, “To the extent
that there is a threat to Kingston Hospital, Labour cuts to the NHS are the
driving force. The best possible security for the future of the Hospital would
be a change of Government”
At the board meeting, the Chief Executive
urged patients to continue to support the hospital. It is in a very strong
position particularly because the maternity unit is so popular, and it is vital
the community continues to support it.
Helen emphasised her personal
support for the hospital, “Having had my son in the maternity unit at
Kingston and as a current patient, I know how incredibly popular the unit is.
Cutting the unit would be crazy - what it needs is more investment so it can
cope with the level of demand from local mums and
mums-to-be".
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