Goodman to meet health chief over hospital (From Bucks Free Press)

Goodman to meet health chief over hospital

11:00am Sunday 18th October 2009

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WYCOMBE MP Paul Goodman and former town mayor Darren Hayday will meet with Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in a bid to gain support for Wycombe Hospital.

The pair will meet the Conservatives' health chief at the House of Commons on Wednesday, November 11 and will take a petition signed by Bucks Free Press readers with them to show the strength of feeling against the hospital changes.

Mr Goodman hopes the meeting with the Tory big-wigs will be a step on the road to foundation status for the Hospitals+NHS+Trust">Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust and has fully backed the BFP's campaign.

He said: “The case for closing women's' and maternity services has never been proved and the all-party Save Hospital Services campaign was right to fight the move.

“In the absence of a clear case for judicial review - which no-one's produced yet to my knowledge - the clock can't be turned back to 2005.

“So where does Wycombe Hospital go from here?

“I've long argued the key for the Trust is to obtain foundation status - which it's trying to do at present - so that a new board can be set up with a majority of elected members.

“Foundation status would help to address the main complaint over the cuts and closures - namely, that we've next to no democratic control over our local NHS and popular opposition to cuts and closures are steamrollered by unelected bureaucrats.

“In the longer-term, I'd like to see Wycombe and Stoke become independent NHS hospitals with foundation status..

“However, this course may not be practical and it would be irresponsible to raise any false hopes.

“None the less, it's an idea that I want to discuss with the Conservative Health team.

“For these reasons, I believe that the Bucks Free Press campaign is well timed, and should be supported. At the very least, foundation status for the Trust is essential.”

Mr Hayday added: “A town the size of High Wycombe cannot lose its hospital services – everyone appears to be pointing fingers – but we should be fighting for our hospital's future.”

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