'Community Times' article on the proposed closure of St. Michael's

4.19.58pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 4th Sep 2007

This is the text of April's Aylsham 'Community Times' article:

The Wrong Decision

It absolutely amazes me that the Norfolk Primary Care Trust, the body of people that holds the purse strings for healthcare services in Norfolk, have decided that St Michael's Hospital should close.

With many of you, I've attended every public meeting in a process which is supposed to consult local people on health services in their area. I have heard different "reasons" for the proposed closure at each meeting, but the one which sticks in the mind was given by Mark Taylor, Director of Provider Services. He stated that the PCT cannot afford to provide the sort of service St Michael's gives in the future, as there will be too many residents needing that service. Now, if I were to say to, for example, our local council, I'm sorry but I cannot afford to pay my council tax, I would not have the choice of paying less for a reduced service - in fact, I would be prosecuted and quite possibly jailed.

What the PCT ignores is that we have all paid already for a degree of care in our health service that is being rapidly eroded in Norfolk, and I have serious worries as to where it is leading. All the PCT is interested in at the end of the day, is balancing the books and paying off the £47,000,000 debt it has started with, in a year. This is a completely unreasonable timescale, and is being forced on them by the Dept of Health.

You all need to be aware that there are many other areas of healthcare that have been lost in recent months in Norfolk. Respite care which gives full-time carers a hugely needed break 2 or 3 times a year, is now impossible to get on the NHS - it has to be paid for. The elderly and infirm are now being made to pay for such basic necessities as baths. What sort of care are we giving where an elderly person has to choose between a bath and eating or putting the heater on? Believe me, this is happening NOW!

We need to join forces and make our feelings known to the Dept of Health, because it is from there that the money for healthcare in Norfolk is allocated. Norfolk quite clearly needs more money than it is getting if we are not to allow healthcare to fall to dangerously inadequate levels.