NEWS
31 July 2005 - Successful Public Meeting Held In Jubilee Hall
Aldeburgh residents turned up in force for a crisis meeting to protest against planned bed closures at the Aldeburgh Community Hospital. The Jubilee Hall was packed with several hundred people from throughout the Suffolk Coastal area, including some from Saxmundham, Leiston, Yoxford and Felixstowe. Many more listened from outside the building as numbers overflowed.
It was agreed that an action group should be formed and letters should be written by as many as possible to the Health Minister Patricia Hewitt.
The panel was chaired by Deputy Mayor Celia Leggett and included Nina Parkinson, the matron at Aldeburgh hospital, Aldeburgh GP Dr Simon Ball, President of the League of Friends Dr Ian Tait, Chairman of the League of Friends Sheena Griffiths and Dr Lockington a Consultant. They all spoke to the public about the dire financial crises gripping Suffolk's health system, and Aldeburgh in particular.
Dr Ian Tait said the "wonderful turnout" was "a huge testimony of the feeling we all have about Aldeburgh hospital. "We are, of course, concerned, and some of us are furious," he said of the bed closures.
"It's cost-effective, it's close to home, it's close to our hearts and the PCT should look elsewhere to make savings," said Dr Ball. 'We must win this battle now'
Nina Parkinson said they were looking at ideas for using up the spare capacity within the hospital that will he caused by the cut in beds, and the imminent closure of 11 temporary social care beds. One idea being explored was investing in a kidney dialysis machine to save patients long journeys to major hospitals. Another was providing more day care for patients.
A number of speakers condemned the PCT for failing to send a representative to attend the meeting. The meeting was told that Suffolk East PCT's chief executive Carole Taylor-Brown had sent her apologies but had a prior engagement. She met with members of the hospital trust last week and was said to have reassured them that the PCT was “committed to the future of the hospital”.
The meeting decided to set up an action group to fight for the survival of the hospital. THIS HAS NOW BEEN SET UP. See www,ahag.org.uk
A full note of the meeting is downloadable here.
