Labour should do the right thing on Wanstead Hospital wards

What a disheartening experience it was to sit through the recent health scrutiny council committee meeting at Redbridge town hall. An ill lite chamber, populated by a number of councillors sitting, cut off, in horseshoe formation in the middle of the chamber.

The public were allowed to have their two minute say, which a number did. Problem was the councilors were not listening. Committee chair Labour councilor John Howard was scrupulous to ensure that no member of the public had more than two minutes but he failed to hear their pleas.

The impression from the whole proceedings was of councilors, especially the ruling Labour group, cut off from the public. The decision to do a U-turn on the closure of the Heronwood and Galleon wards at Wanstead hospital shows once again that this part of the borough is being treated as the poor relations when it comes to healthcare.

Labour councilors in particular need to realise that they are not there to uphold the gradual erosion of health services for the people of this borough. If they are so naïve as to believe the spin that cutting a service will provide a better quality of service then they have no right to be representing people in this area.

All that is being asked is that they refer the decision to close these wards to the Secretary of State. They have the evidence, they have the signatures of 5,000 people in this area who want this service to remain open. All that is being asked is that Labour councilors put aside their geographical differences and do the right thing by the people of the borough – is that so difficult?

 

- see: Ilford Recorder - 16/7/2015