Dear Sir,
Please can somebody explain what is happening? The Newton News is staunchly supporting the MRI Scanner Appeal for two scanners, one for Darlington and one for Bishop Auckland. In the Newton News of 19th January 2018, Nigel Boddy is drumming up support for a campaign to “Save the A&E Dept. at Darlington Memorial Hospital” and also, in the same issue, decrying “Whitehall’s” policy on privatisation of the Health Service by financing Hospital building via. PFI Contracts.
I am unaware of any alleged local plan to close the A&E Department. However, having watched Prime Minister’s Question Time, and the BBC’s “Victoria Derbyshire” programme, and indeed, the BBC news, I am well aware of the Labour Party’s agenda to ‘weaponise’ our National Health Service. Personally, I think they are using the National Health Service as a smokescreen to thwart the Leave vote. If you voted leave, and even if you are a ‘lunatic’ and/or a ‘racist’ who voted Leave, be aware of the establishment’s attempts to discredit and therefore ignore, the Leave majority.
The allocation of local Health Service funding is decided locally. I find it hard to believe that, in a predominantly Labour voting area such as ours, the elected Labour Councillors and MP’s cannot (if they have the will) influence the allocation of funding to keep A&E open.
However, be aware, the allocation of welfare finding is also decided locally and, before the austerity cuts, the Labour run Durham County Council decided to close Care Homes and buy-in this service from the private sector.
Just to be clear, “Whitehall” does not decide on how public money is spent, this is decided by the Government of the day. 70% of the current expensive PFI Contracts were awarded under a Labour Government and our local Health Services are burdened by these excessive costs.
Please can our local MP’s (Sedgefield, Darlington and Bishop Auckland) and a spokesman for Durham County Council advise your readers, and their electorate, what they are doing to ensure that, when the Scanner Appeal is successful, there will be two A&E Department’s ready and able to use them for the benefit of the local subscribers. While the MP’s are explaining about their attitude to local health services they can also explain how, after being elected on a Brexit Manifesto, they intend to implement the wish of the LEAVE voters.
Whatever the truth in this matter, it is clear that there is turmoil in the local Labour Party such that the electorate, and their membership, do not trust them to do what the people want. That is, as a minimum, safeguard local A&E Departments and get us out of the EU!
Alastair P.G. Welsh
