Our health is just too important

On Tuesday I attended the Scrutiny Commission for Health Issues meeting of councillors, with leaders from Adult Social Care, Community Health Board members, plus the GP members of the Clinical Commissioning Group all speaking and in attendance.

Earlier I had listened to the news reports of the shortage of beds at our City Hospital, due we are told by the high numbers of those members of the public attending A/ E and a number of the elderly patients being unable to to return home.

Of course the closure of the council- run homes weargued so vehemently that weshould keep, never got a mention, except when Councillor Fitzgerald appeared to pat himself and others on the back for a smooth transmission on the closures and on how much better the situation was now. At that moment I could not stomach any more so left the meeting.

What we needed of course at this meeting was the presence, if fit enough, of all those worried about the hospital cancellations, friends andrelatives along too, and to really express their indignation at such a happening. Our health is too important to simply sit back and not resist this situation.

And to all of the elderly residing here or in hospital - no signing up to the End of Life Strategy Register OR the Liverpool Care Pathway ( LCP) - because mark my words your time may not have come yet, but you can bet your life that improvements to this situation of bed cancellations would come remarkably quickly. We are simply becoming a disposable commodity aren’t we?