Experts and the Infirmary!

Posted By: Greg Couzens
Date Posted: 06/09/2007

Firstly, Can I say as a father of 4 children born in Rochdale that I am bitterly disappointed that we stand to lose services such as A and E, Child Care and Maternity Services at Rochdale Infirmary.  The decision made by the new Labour Secretary of State for Health goes against logic.  This has been a long campaign and it is certainly not through want of trying that we, like Salford, Bury and Trafford have lost our battle.

Many people have expressed concern over this and our committee will be examining the decision in full and its ramifications.  I would like to point out hypocrisy of the highest order by the local Labour Party.  Firstly, Councillor Farooq Ahmed gained our respect when he spoke out against the cuts last week (Rochdale OB – 28/08/07) He quite rightly said, “…What they have done to this service is damning.”  He, like thousands of Rochdale residents like me spoke of compelling personal reasons for retaining maternity and A & E locally in Rochdale.

What a difference a week makes…  In the Rochdale OB (Talking Politics – 5/09/07) he claims, “The change most people are worried about is the need to travel.  Set against the huge gain of securing better and safer services I believe is worth accepting… Sometimes you have to look at the facts yourself, listen to the real experts and make your own minds up.” 

It sounds like Councillor Farooq can’t make his own mind up and I am surprised at him.  I really cannot believe that the same person who wrote the Talking Politics piece for Labour was the very same person who slammed the Labour Government the week before.  It seems to be a desperate attempt by the Labour Party to justify these cuts.  Labour is putting up a smokescreen to hide the failing of Labour nationally.  This is an insult to nearly 50,000 Rochdalians.  It was at a meeting of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee earlier this year that it was revealed that only 225 out of 44,477 supported the proposals. 

The Labour line that has followed is a sham – if Cllr. Ahmed wants expert’s opinions then how about 2 independent reports produced by Sheffield and De Montfort Universities, the latter being commissioned at this Council’s request.  Dr Sally Ruane who led the research stated that proposals “… do not make any sense.”  This report systematically dismantled every argument that health bosses made.  How about evidence in a recent Emergency Medicine Journal that claimed that, “Mortality rates increase by one per cent for every extra 10km travelled.”  This was following the report drawn up by experts from Sheffield University who monitored over 10,000 calls to ambulance services across the country.

I was at an event last year organised by health bosses, about the time when they claimed that ‘Petitions weren’t worth the paper they are written on.”  Dr Zaklama, a respected and much loved member of the medical profession spoke movingly and with passion about the consequences of any cuts.  His views were echoed by David Lewis, a consultant in emergency medicine of 25 years standing at the Infirmary, in a letter in November 2006.  He said, “Patients will be disadvantaged and some seriously so by the cuts.”

So please Steven Burke, Councillor Farooq Ahmed (last week’s version) and the rest of Labour, the experts have spoken about against devastating losses.  The Friends of our Hospital led by Father Arthur Nearey have spoken against the losses.  Our academics and clinicians have spoken against the losses.  Midwives including Carole Ashworth-Lord have spoken against the losses and yes; Paul Rowen and Lib Dem and Conservative politicians have spoken against the cuts.  The attitude of the majority of our local Labour Party is at odds with Rochdale.  255 people have agreed with Labour – compared to 44,477 against.  Labour locally and nationally has let us down and I as a father first and foremost will never forget it!

Councillor Greg Couzens