BFP urges Brown to look again at hospital cuts

9:19am Friday 9th May 2008

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TODAY the Bucks Free Press urges readers to hold Gordon Brown to a promise to listen to voters and look again at cuts to Wycombe Hospital.

Writiing today in your paper the prime minister hails the 'vital role' of newspaper campaigns - and pledges 'we are listening'.

Yet four years ago tens of thousands of readers opposed plans to remove doctor-led births from the hospital through a BFP campaign - to no avail.

This week we print a form for you to complete and send a clear message to Mr Brown, which you can also complete by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.

We argue the changes at the hospital - particularly birthing services, which are massively delayed - must be looked at again.

It comes after worried residents packed into a public meeting in Marlow to voice their anger over the plans.

Terry Price, who organised the meeting, said: "We support the Bucks Free Press in making this call to Gordon Brown and demanding he listens to us."

A staggering 40,000 of you objected to plans to move doctor-led births out of Wycombe Hospital in our Hands Off Our Hospital' campaign, which began in 2004.

Yet health chiefs pressed ahead with the changes despite the strength of feeling from the public.

They argue the move will give patients better care as specialist doctors will not be spread across hospitals.

Yet, despite the decision being made in November 2004, the changes to birthing services have been massively delayed and will not happen until the end of this year. Emergency trauma services have already moved away from Wycombe.

Many residents are outraged that efforts are not being made to keep the services in Wycombe - and worries persist about travel times to other centres and pressure on beds.

Writing to papers across the country this week as part of Local Newspaper Week, Mr Brown says: "I want readers of this newspaper to know that when you participate in these campaigns, we are listening to you."

He said: "Local newspapers do not just hold the Government to account for the local impact of the changes we are making. They also play a vital role in campaigning for the changes which local people want to see."

However, Terry Price, of Marlow 50+ Action Group, said a public meeting called last week to discuss the changes showed many felt they had not been listened to.

And there were concerns whether Aylesbury's Stoke Mandeville Hospital - where mums can choose to go - will be able to cope with the extra demand.

He said: "There has been a massive influx of people so consequently the estimates of population growth in 2004 are now totally out of date."

Estimates used by councils and the NHS show Aylesbury Vale will see 20 per cent more people to 2026 - compared to less than one per cent in the rest of Bucks.

Hospital bosses last month said European migration had been underestimated' and said projections were being reviewed - though the PCT said this was not correct'.

Mr Price said people were dismayed by the trust declaring during the 2004 Shaping Health Services' consultation that no change is not an option'.

Mr Price said: "We found that to be extremely arrogant. There was not enough information given about what would happen if there was no change."

Yet Anne Eden, who took over as chief executive of Buck-inghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust in 2006, said of the birthing changes: "The fact of the matter is that builders are already on site at Stoke Mandeville and have been for some time."

The new-look services were a reality', she said, but she accepted the delay was too long' but it had been partly caused by the damning investigation into super-bug deaths in Aylesbury.

When doctor-led births go, only midwives will deliver babies at Wycombe Hospital. Ms Eden said the real involvement I believe the public can have now' is to choose to give birth here. In 2007/08 just 126 women used the facility - bosses warn it will close unless this rises to 450.

The changes could have been referred for Government decision by members of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for Public Health Services watchdog panel, but members refused. Its chairman, Councillor Mike Appleyard, said debate had been one-sided' against the plans.

He said decisions should be made on the basis of facts and not opinion' and the changes meant an improved service'.

Wycombe MP Paul Goodman said readers should try to effect change when the trust gains foundation status. These have thousands of members' and are run by governors'.

Mr Goodman said this meant residents could choose what services they wanted in the future at Wycombe Hospital'.

Complete the form and we will take them all to Downing Street.