Editor's blog: Maternity Services campaign
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The fight to keep full maternity services in
Maidstone reaches a critical stage next week. On Thursday local
county councillors will hold a meeting on the subject at Mote Hall
in Maidstone Leisure Centre. They are members of the KCC’s health
scrutiny committee, which has a statutory duty to oversee standard
in healthcare across Kent. The committee referred the controversial
downgrading of services at Maidstone to the Secretary of State
earlier who decided not to order another review of the plans.
Instead he has asked NHS bosses to demonstrate that they have
engaged with and reassured the community and that the changes are
supported by local GPs. Well, it’s easy to do the first bit (apart
from reassurance). We’ve already reported that rather than support
from GPs, there is virtually unequivocal opposition. Today’s KM
reports that more than 100 family doctors right across the
Maidstone, Malling and even the Weald area are against the
proposals.
Local NHS bosses insist that in not ordering the review by an
independent panel, health secretary Andrew Lansley has approved
them. This is not true. If it were, then why impose a deadline?
Maidstone MP Helen Grant has gone as far has describing comments
made by the local health trust as a ‘misrepresentation’. Health
bosses, who are desperate to push through Rose Gibb’s masterplan,
want the public to believe it’s a done deal. If that’s the case,
don’t bother turning up for Thursday’s meeting. If you believe
local GPs, who have the best interests of you health at heart, that
these plans will result in deaths and brain damage for babies, then
get along to Mote Hall on Thursday. It could be the last chance for
a show of public opposition.
Our front page story this week was the
harrowing story of a child abuse victim and how a poem had brought
her attacker to justice. Some might say this falls into the ‘bad
news’ bracket but it's actually far from it. This is a
good news story. Her bravery has brought the evil antics of former
school governor Michael Taylor to justice and in telling her story,
including courageously waiving her right to anonymity, has, by her
admission, allowed her to move on with her life and while not even
totally repairing her has had some sort of cathartic affect. We
publish an excerpt of her poem called Real Life Play. Some of it
made such uncomfortable reading that I made the decision not to
print it in full. Journalists are often accused of being
insensitive, hardened hacks, but everyone in the newsroom who read
the poem was stunned and moved by the power of the verse.
Last week we ran a story about people hiring
out their driveways for people – usually commuters – who can’t find
anywhere to park and want to save a few pounds. Town centre
manager Bill Moss said it was a nonsense that Maidstone was
often ‘full’ when it came to parking spaces. There was plenty of
availability, he argued. So we’ve followed this claim up and today
have a guide showing every car park in Maidstone, from the Mall
with its 909 spaces to the five available at Brooks Place.
Friday, September 03 2010
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