CARES OPEN LETTER REGARDING CLAIMS IN THE CHAMPION NEWSPAPER FOR POSSIBLE NEW KIDS’ A&E UNIT
Is this week's Champion newspaper (11th July 07) and Southport’s MP six months out of date with the news or are they just out of touch with current events?
Southport MP John Pugh - in touch with current events or...?
On Friday 12th January 2007 9.30am CARES met with Sefton Primary Care Trust (PCT) Chief Executive, Leigh Griffin.
Please see this link for details:
http://www.cares.ukhome.net/agenda_12_jan_07.htm
CARES representatives asked Mr Griffin numerous questions including the following:
What is planned for the future in Southport? Bootle and Liverpool are well catered for, but as yet we in Southport (not North Sefton) have nothing other than our own doctors. Our visitors’ doctors may be 200 miles away, so unavailable to them. Many come on public transport so do not have a car to their disposal. This also applies to many of the elderly and those on low incomes. What provision is to be made for these?
Mr Griffin responded by saying he would like to ensure that parents have a clear pathway of care. He went on to say that he sees a potential need for some form of 'enhanced healthcare in Southport for children' and also wishes to raise the levels of communication with the public. Mr Griffin believes that for children in Southport there may be a need for 'some form of local service provision greater than is currently available', albeit short of an A&E department.
We reiterate for clarification. The fact remains that the PCT had, six months ago, told CARES that greater provision and “some form of enhanced healthcare in Southport for children” was needed.
CARES representatives with Lee Griffin of the PCT during their meeting of 12th January 2007
CARES fairly reported this news on their website and forwarded this information to the local media, including Dune FM Radio. Later the CARES Co-chairperson was interviewed about this vital issue on that radio station and the show was publicly broadcast. Therefore, this exciting news was well-established and publicly available by January 2007 – over SIX MONTHS AGO!
Why, we ask, has it taken the Champion and our MP John Pugh so long to catch up with the positive PCT response gained in our Jan.07 meeting, subsequent to four years hard campaigning by CARES and other concerned residents?
Why did the Champion fail to contact the CARES team for an important update last January, or in effect at any other time?
Are we dealing with ‘concerned’ individuals herein or are we simply seeing yet another example of rank, political capitalisation being fostered on the largely unaware Southport public?
Moreover, the Champion’s front page article of 11th July 2007 is rather misleading in other ways too for the headline announces:
‘New hope for kids’ A&E Unit’
However, later in the article we are informed that health chiefs are considering placing a “walk in urgent care centre” in town. Is this the same thing as a proper and stated A&E unit for our children?
Whilst CARES applaud any ‘serious’ attempts to regain lost health services we must take issue with politicians and media that possibly use our children (and our previous and easily available campaign efforts) to advance a certain agenda. Cries of 'political engineering' have previously been heard in some sections of the the Southport press, via health issues, so what of this latest offering? Are we seeing double standards and political spin within?
CARES volunteers have been freely working hard for worried residents behind the scenes with various health chiefs since the town first lost its health services. Much of our essential information has ‘not’ been reported (in fact largely ignored) by the Champion for some unknown reason yet Southport is now treated to ‘news’ which was first initiated by us over six months ago.
Just what on earth is going on and what are they playing at?