Mark Garnier, Wyre Forest's Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman, today reported that 800 Wyre Forest residents have signed his local NHYes campaign. The campaign was launched across Worcestershire in October last year to highlight Government cuts in health services nationally.
In Kidderminster, Bromsgrove MP Julie Kirkbride and Redditch Parliamentary Spokesman Karen Lumley came to help launch the campaign last October, collecting signatures with a team of local Conservative activists. The campaign continued with newsletters being posted throughout the district for the next few months. 800 local residents signed up to stop Gordon Brown's cuts.
But the support of Wyre Forest residents comes just as a disturbing new development emerges. A+E departments across the country have been closing due to financial deficits - this Is not new. What is new is that the Department of Health has been investigating proposals to cut more.
Currently, A+E departments serve, on average, local populations of 250,000. But it now seems that the Department of Health is looking to cut A+E departments so that each one will cover local populations of 450,000. For the West Midlands, this could mean a closure of 11 of the current 23 A+E departments.
Commenting, Mark Garnier said:
"I am delighted that so many local residents signed our petition to prevent more cuts. Wyre Forest is no stranger to health cuts after the Labour Government slashed services at Kidderminster hospital in its first parliament. But Wyre Forest residents are asking: why are the cuts accelerating when we have a single issue health campaigning local party?
"Wyre Forest, already decimated by Labour's health cuts, will almost certainly not see any further cuts to services locally. But the important issue is this: a well meaning single issue health campaigning 'independent' MP will never, ever be in control of the NHS. The choice is clear - more cuts, more bureaucracy, more interference and lower morale amongst staff under Gordon Brown's Labour Government; or less interference, less bureaucracy, greater local control and better staff morale under David Cameron's Conservatives. Local residents increasingly understand the situation: Gordon Brown wants Wyre Forest to support Health Concern - that is the only way he can stay in 10 Downing Street and continue his misguided mismanagement of our services."