Doctor tells politicians to 'tell the truth' about hospitals (From Bucks Free Press)
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Doctor tells politicians to 'tell the truth' about hospitals
7:30am Thursday 13th September 2012 in News By Lawrence Dunhill
Dr Phillip Lee
POLITICIANS who argue their local hospitals can continue providing a full range of acute services are accused of "lying" by a former Bucks GP.
Doctor Phillip Lee, who is Conservative MP for Bracknell, was in Marlow on Friday to present his radical plans for a new regional hospital at Junction 8/9 of the M4 (see related links).
And he told the public meeting at Great Marlow School: "I got quite tired generally as a voter when politicians didn’t tell people how it is... when they told voters what they want to hear.
"The era of district general hospitals is gone, it’s past, it’s never to come again.
"There’s a lot of emotion attached to these sites.... But anyone saying the local hospital model can be delivered is kidding you... is lying."
For any councillor or MP to call for the closure of a hospital in their town is widely seen as political suicide - but Dr Lee seems to have gained respect in some quarters for doing just that.
His plan would mean the full closure of Heatherwood Hospital, which has already sparked controversy within his constituency.
Dr Lee says there is consensus within in the medical profession that dozens of hospitals across the country should be closed, but the subject is politically toxic and strikes fear into governments.
When first elected in 2010 he said he asked the Department of Health if they had a hospital closure plan, but said there was "no acknowledgement at all of where hospitals are now and where they need to be".
He added: "Civil servants don’t seem to get it or don’t want to deal with it. I think I’m unusual in that I’m saying something openly about reconfiguration."
He said some health professionals have already started taking an interest in his work, but warned "vested interests" mean some will favour the status quo.
Comments(4)
Darren Hayday
says...
10:18am Thu 13 Sep 12
But then again – what was wrong with these services that we had before these units were taken away from us in the first place?
It always seems to me that the past solutions (i.e. to pay for new hospitals using PPP structures) have not worked and the Trusts have been badly mis-managed.
Ironic that after the 1st and 2nd world war that we had all of these District/Local hospitals for the past generations and now – we seem to be going backwards – perhaps we are going back into the Dark Ages again and we shall all get treated with leeches or by witch doctors?
demoness the second
says...
5:48pm Thu 13 Sep 12
Darren Hayday wrote:Oh shut up!
…or perhaps we should have super hospitals but at least - let us keep some wards locally (i.e. Birthing, SCBU, A&E) they type of services whereby we are not forced to travel miles to a hospital in the middle of the night in an emergency, etc
But then again – what was wrong with these services that we had before these units were taken away from us in the first place?
It always seems to me that the past solutions (i.e. to pay for new hospitals using PPP structures) have not worked and the Trusts have been badly mis-managed.
Ironic that after the 1st and 2nd world war that we had all of these District/Local hospitals for the past generations and now – we seem to be going backwards – perhaps we are going back into the Dark Ages again and we shall all get treated with leeches or by witch doctors?
*feels better* :)))
DonRockell
says...
7:07pm Sat 15 Sep 12
Stoke is hard to get to and even Wycombe is a problem for those who don't live in the most built up parts of the area and rely on public transport
Maybe we should look at Smaller -well equipped units where A&E, outpatient and anti natal linked to GP services can be provided at a local level
Then and as long as they provide transport links to any bigger and better equipped Supper Hospitals would make some sense
But not what they are proposing now
Darren Hayday says...
9:07am Thu 13 Sep 12
So I'm also assuming that he's calling me a liar for daring to argue or fight to keep a Hospital in Wycombe?
As a humble and lowly tax payer and user of Wycombe hospital, how dare I want the hospital in Wycombe to stay?
Is this guy for real in what he's saying?
It's already been reported that hospitals are now overstretched and aren’t able to deal with the increasing number of emergency patients that come into A&E (including Stoke Mandeville) bearing in mind that the powers that be took this service away from us in Wycombe.. But this Government are still pushing (as were the old bunch) for super hospitals based miles away from where you live - unless you are called Doctor Phillip Lee and the proposed plans are on your doorstep (I'm assuming that he lives in the constituency where he's represented?)
This is almost as funny as the spinning that we used to hear from Alistair Campbell and the New Labour Party.
“Look into my eyes, not around my eyes - you are now under:
Listen to me: Black is white and white is black from now on - and you losing a hospital is a good thing. Complaining about it is a bad thing.
Now open your eyes.
I have spoken - the truth by Doctor Phillip Lee....”
Don’t take us for fools!
Give us our hospital back and acknowledge that it’s needed.
By us the tax payer – that pay your wages matey.