Hospital action day hopes to prompt signature protest

THOUSANDS of signatures protesting about the threat to hospitals that serve the Fens could soon be winging their way to Westminster.

Malcolm Moss, the MP for NE Cambridgeshire, hopes an action day later this month will produce a massive petition in support of NHS staff.

"If people want to know why their NHS services are suffering they need look no further than Gordon Brown," said Mr Moss.

"His management of the NHS has resulted in the worst deficit in the history of the NHS, stringent cutbacks and closures: the money from Labour's earlier spending spree has been squandered and now staff and patients are paying the price."

Mr Moss has arranged for Conservative councillors and activists to gather signatures in each of the four main Fenland towns on October 14.

"With mounting concern at the £1.3 billion deficit run up by the NHS in the last year, NHS bosses around the country are now pouring over plans to close hospitals, cut jobs and slash services," he said.

"There are predictions of a £1.8 billion black hole this year- the axe is now poised over services for the constituents of NE Cambridgeshire."

Mr Moss said although the East Cambs and Fenland PCT "laudably ended last year with a small financial surplus", the combined Cambridgeshire PCT, launched this month, will carry forward a deficit of £18.1 million.

"Yet again the people of Fenland will be short-changed," he said. "Already between the three hospitals of QE at Kings Lynn, Peterborough and Hinchingbroke, there have been over 600 job losses."

And that's without the 300 bed closures by the Cambridgeshire Mental Health Trust, and the closure of wards at Doddington Hospital "and the threats to run that hospital down."

He added that rumours about the future of the QE and Hinchingbroke as "fully fledged accident and emergency hospitals, continue to gather pace as denials from the NHS top management are not forthcoming.