Questions over NHS shortages

CHEK campaigned for the acute hospitals in East Kent between 1997 and 2002. Our purpose was to restrict the downgrading of the Kent and Canterbury hospital and we were successful in keeping the Kent and Canterbury as a specialist diagnostic, acute teaching Hospital.

There were reports of patients in corridors for days due to lack of beds and indeed CHEK was involved in secret filming over fears of the safety of patients, and pressure on staff.

We are lucky to have such brilliant staff in all our acute hospitals. There are so many stories of excellent lifesaving care received by the people of East Kent. There have been plans called the STP sustainability and transformation Plans produced that are set to have major changes in healthcare in Kent and Medway. These have focused our attention on the acute hospitals in East Kent and in particular on the K&C and its urgent care centre.

We see serious consequences for the Kent and Canterbury Hospital in that the acute services may be moved to the other two hospitals. CHEK will campaign to keep the acute services at the Kent and Canterbury.

We want to make it absolutely clear that we would not advocate carrying on with any service in any location if it was felt unsafe for any reason whether it was lack of beds or staff, and we would not want any staff put under undue pressure.

CHEK is questioning why we have got to the position we are in. Why the trust has a lack of consultants and nurses and why there is a possibility that services could become unsafe. Ken Rogers Lower Road, Faversham remembrance both at Dover and Zeebrugge, highlight the tragedy of that event, and the effect on so many lives, both at the time, and today. However, few realise, or remember, that later that year (December 20, 1987) there was a collision between the Philippines’ ferry Dona Plaz and the tanker Vector. Of the estimated 4,386 passengers on board the ferry (the exact total has never been confirmed) only 24 survived.

This remains the highest loss of life from any ship sinking in peace time, followed by the Senegalese vessel Joola (estimated 1,863 dead), more than the Titanic’s 1,514.

These are all eclipsed by the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustaff during the Second World War with an estimated 9,400 lives lost.

Had the Herald of Free Enterprise not ended up on the sand bank which prevented a complete capsize the number of dead would have been far greater, but still far below that of the Dona Plaz. David Spencer Dering Close Bridge

I don’t know the laws around who owns what parts of the highway but if Station Road East had a temporary traffic flow change exclusively for buses and taxis only so that buses and taxis could enter at the snooker club end and exit at Wincheap roundabout effectively providing a temporary bus lane it would help all the businesses and regular commuters involved. Graham Cutress Coniston Drive, Aylesham