Cross party support for motion on local NHS
COUNCILLORS at Leicestershire County Council have joined forces to raise concerns about the local NHS.
Councillor Amanda Hack proposed a motion at a full council meeting at County Hall , which gained cross party support, calling for her colleagues to note concern about cuts and pressures faced by the health service.
Councillors put on record their concerns about the lack of a sustainable transformation plan (STP) and said they are worried about the running of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s three clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).
Mention was also made to the ‘lack of democratic accountability in the NHS decision making system’.
Councillor Amanda Hack spoke about the recent winter crisis as she proposed the motion.
She said: “We still see ambulances stacked up outside A&E and winter pressures have seen planned operations cancelled, including cancer patients.
“This reportedly cost £10 million and caused extra worry for patients and their families.”
Councillor Pam Posnett seconded the motion and said: “There is a lack of clarity around the timescale of the STP publication.
Cllr Terri Eynon added: “I hope this message will get from this council to Jeremy Hunt in a polite and respectable manner.
“The NHS is the most beloved institution in our country, I hope that we can start to put this right.”
Cllr Hill: “CCGs need to explain themselves.
“People have a lot of concern and we need to be certain that every last penny is spent in the proper way.”
Cllr Betty Newton added: “We want our NHS to last another 70 years. We need to encourage CCGs to work together to deliver the STP and deliver our community hospitals.”
Councillors voted unanimously to support the motion which will also see the authority ask for more information about proposed reductions in bed numbers and pledges to work to protect community hospitals and district nursing services.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr Hack said: “I’m so pleased that we’ve got cross party support on this.
“The NHS is a really personal thing for a lot of people, they feel connected to it. It’s imperative that we know where local services are going and at the moment we don’t.
“There is no accountability and what worries me is that decisions are being made behind closed doors.
“If we don’t know what’s going on, the public don’t know what’s going on and that’s why I proposed this motion.”