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Campaign against plans for Ipswich Hospital gains momentum

Conservative County Councillor Graham Newman has joined the fight to keep vital heart and pancreatic cancer services at Ipswich Hospital.

Following reports that the regional Strategic Health Authority was planning to take away the hospital’s capacity to treat all but the most minor heart attacks, Councillor Newman has written to the Director of Commissioning at the Health Authority expressing his “deep unease” at the proposals.

He has highlighted three key concerns :-

1. Difficulties for rural communities in Suffolk – someone who has suffered a serious heart attack will have to travel to a hospital in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire or Essex. That’s a journey time of a minimum of 1½ hours, plus potentially the same time again for an ambulance to be summoned, and for the patient to be transferred to the operating theatre on arrival at hospital.
2. The downgrading of Ipswich Hospital – following the loss of head and neck cancer services last year, this latest proposal reduces further the ability of Ipswich Hospital to serve the people of Suffolk, particularly in the east of the county.
3. Lack of any proper consultation – these plans are being rushed through while the County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee is not operating due to the elections.

As a result of these concerns, Cllr Newman requests :-

1. That the consultation period be extended, so that the County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee can study the plans properly

2. That any changes are delayed to allow for proper consultation with the public at large

3. That the Strategic Health Authority informs us of its long-term plans for Ipswich Hospital, so that any changes can be looked at against the wider context

4. That they also provide detailed accounts of how the ‘carbon cost’ of these changes was calculated – the implications for travel to and from alternative hospitals could be extremely significant

5. That they tell us whether they have plans for another unit in the areas which can perform these specialist services.

Cllr Newman finished by stating - “Should the current Conservative administration be re-elected on 4th June, we shall pursue this important matter as a top priority.”

Taking Suffolk Forward – Suffolk Conservatives Plan for Four More Years

Suffolk Conservatives have launched their manifesto for the County Council elections on 4th June, proclaiming “a record of action and a promise of more”. The document – Taking Suffolk Forward – outlines the Conservative’s far-reaching plans for Suffolk, to build on the achievements of their first four years.

The four priorities for a second term will be :-

1. Leading Suffolk through the recession
2. Protecting the most vulnerable
3. Improving education and skills
4. Making Suffolk the Greenest County

All the pledges will be built on the bedrock on sound financial management.

Key policies for Suffolk include :-

1. Four more years of doing all we can to keep council tax rises down
2. Free home visits offered to the over 80s and other vulnerable older people, to advise on home and fire safety, and to check for any care needs
3. A transformation of the County Council’s older people’s care home
4. A Suffolk Apprenticeship Scheme – to nurture training opportunities across the county
5. Press ahead with the school rebuilding / refurbishing programme and the re-organisation of secondary education
6. New community transport schemes, and the roll-out of real-time passenger information across Suffolk

Jeremy Pembroke, the Conservative Leader of Suffolk County Council said, “In our first four years we have prepared Suffolk for the next forty - restoring the county’s finances, strengthening the infrastructure, protecting the most vulnerable and delivering more services to more people than ever before. “We are now planning to take Suffolk forward: helping everyone by working to keep council tax down, while further developing our services for those who depend on us, and improving the education and training opportunities for our young people. Conservatives in Suffolk have a proud record of achievement, and a passion to build on this over the next four years.”

Suffolk Sets Lowest Ever Increase In Council Tax at 2.45%).

It compares with an estimated national average increase of 3.5%. So far, definite proposed increases around the counties include: Norfolk 2.95%, Herts 3.5%, Lincs 3.5%, Devon 2.9%, Kent 2.9%, Cambridgeshire 4.7% and Bucks 3.9%. Full Story

Conservatives provide Practical Help for Repossession-hit Homeowners

Suffolk County Council Leader Jeremy Pembroke has welcomed the new Repossession Advice Pack issued today by the Conservative Party, calling it ?Simple, practical help for homeowners hit by the recession?.

On the day it was announced that the number of homes being repossessed last year had increased by 54% on 2007, the Conservatives have issued a practical advice pack for anyone concerned about losing their home during the recession.

The Pack gives step-by-step advice to households who are struggling to keep up their monthly mortgage payments while steering people away from making their situation worse. Full Story

Everyone?s a loser as Labour?s NHS Database Fiasco Continues

Graham Newman, Conservative Portfolio Holder for Adult and Community Services at Suffolk County Council, has today called for the Government to start investing in people rather than computers, after Labour?s plans to impose a centralised NHS IT system hit yet another set back.

The NHS IT programme, which is already four years late, could experience further delays after a contract with Fujitsu, a key supplier, was terminated. £12.7 billion of public money is now at risk. Full Story

New poll has Conservatives at nearly 50% Support

The Conservatives have secured nearly 50% support in an opinion poll published today.

The poll, carried out by YouGov on behalf of The Sun, showed David Cameron?s resurgent Conservative Party on 49%.

Meanwhile, the bad news continued for Gordon Brown, as Labour Party slumped to 23% - its lowest rating since records began in the 1930s ? and 26% behind the Conservatives. Full Story