Month: November 2023
ICB discussing our request to put Seaton Hospital back on their agenda on 6 December
Jack Rowland and I wrote to the ICB at the end of last week to request that the Hospital be back on the agenda at their meeting on Wednesday 6 December, with an opportunity for us to address them and to present our petitions – the online petitions currently have over 3,000 signatures and there may be even more on the paper forms, which we are currently collecting in.
You can read our letter to the ICB HERE. The ICB have told me that they will let me know in the next two days what the arrangements will be, and we will then update all our supporters.
COMPLETED PETITION FORMS: please bring these to tonight’s meeting at the Old Picture House, or drop them at one of the League shops in Fore Street (envelope marked Kirstine House), or post to M Shaw, Lynwood, Seaton EX12 2PX
‘Ultimately more NHS capacity is needed’
The bottom line from tonight’s Spotlight survey of the NHS in the South West. Not the time to be closing part of our hospital.
And why was there NOTHING for the NHS in the Government’s autumn statement?
WI backs Seaton Hospital campaign
I was very pleased to address almost 40 members of the Seaton Women’s Institute this afternoon, to explain the situation about the Hospital and what we are doing to save the threatened wing. It was a lively meeting with lots of questions and everyone shared our concerns.
I was delighted to hear that the Seaton WI will now bring the issue to the attention not only of the Seaton Group of WIs (Beer, Colyford, Colyton and Musbury & Whitford) but also of the WI across Devon and nationally.
Thanks to all the WI members who made this such a rewarding meeting to speak at!
Seven churches will ring their bells to begin our Hospital day of action this Saturday
Seven local churches will be ringing their bells to mark the beginning of our day of action.
- At Seaton St Gregory\s (see attached photo) a bell will be slowly tolled from 9 am; also at Beer St. Michael, Axmouth St. Michael, Musbury St Michael, Colyford St Michael, Colyton St. Andrew (from 10.00), St. Winifred’s Branscombe – other churches which don’t have bells are also supporting us!
Hospital supporters will meet in the main centres to leaflet shoppers and collect signatures (in Seaton we’ll have a loudhailer and there will be speeches at the start).
- Please come along in Seaton (outside Tramway), Beer (Mariners Hall) and Colyton (Market Square). We expect BBC Spotlight will be here again!
Supporters have begun distributing 9,000 leaflets in all the towns and villages of the local area in the last 3 days.
- Petition forms are also being widely circulated & everyone is signing. Two online petitions have already gathered over 1500 signatures between them.
The campaign is greatly heartened by the support of the Devon Health Scrutiny last Thursday and in the parliamentary debate obtained by our MP, Richard Foord, on Monday.
- We believe the Devon NHS Integrated Care Board and NHS Property Services must now listen to our case. Seaton paid 100 per cent of the threatened wing and we need it to be used for local health provision without paying exorbitant rents.
The Steering Committee, elected at the Colyford meeting, met today (see photo below) and is beginning to prepare a detailed Seaton case to submit to the ICB.
ANOTHER DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: Campaign organising meeting on MONDAY 27th NOVEMBER at 7 pm in the Old Picture House, Harbour Road.
More expensive junk mail from the party that sabotaged Seaton Hospital
I’m feeling rather cross about this. Royal Mail have delivered yet another lavish piece of propaganda from the party that sabotaged Seaton Hospital. It’s filed in my special place for them (pictured) but before I add it to my recycling, a reminder of the Conservatives’ 5-point plan for Seaton Hospital:
- Hand over the hospital – which Seaton people paid for – to a property company, NHS Property Services, which charges market rates to use it (2016).
- Switch Seaton’s beds to Sidmouth to save the skin of Tory MP Hugo Swire, then use the Tory majority on the Scrutiny Committee to defeat our attempt to block the decision (2017)
- Let NHS Property Services turn down Seaton’s proposals to use the empty space because we can’t afford to pay market rates to use our own hospital (2020).
- Accuse anyone who expresses fears for the hospital of scaremongering – yes, that’s what they did to me when I stood for re-election (2021).
- Allow the NHS to hand back the underused wing to NHS Property Services for disposal (2023).
Our Liberal Democrat MP, Richard Foord, who we elected in last year’s by-election, hasn’t got the big money backing that the Tories are using to pay for this propaganda.
Richard is doing a brilliant job supporting Seaton Hospital. I’m not a Lib Dem, but I think we need to raise some funds for him to compete with this corporate propaganda.
Health Scrutiny minutes make clear what is expected from ICB and NHS Property Services by 24 January
The minutes of the Scrutiny meeting on 9 November have now been published and make clear that the Committee – which has power to refer decisions to the Secretary of State – has made very specific demands on the ICB and NHS Property Services. The decision was:
(a) the Committee requests a report for its next meeting in January 2024 from both Devon ICB and NHS Property Services to consider the outcome from meeting the League of Friends and explore the options for delivering increased health and wellbeing services in the town for the next five years and beyond;
(b) the Committee requests that NHS Property Services includes a proposal for a Community Health and Wellbeing Hub in any future options for the former ward space; and
(c) the Committee asks the Devon ICB to fully engage with the Seaton Hospital League of Friends and local steering group, including the divisional member, to explore and discuss the long-term future provision of NHS/health and wellbeing services for Seaton and Colyton residents including how collaborative working may assist with bringing forward a business plan for a health and wellbeing hub at Seaton Hospital.
(d) the Committee requests that no final decision on the proposed disposal of Seaton Community Hospital is made without further work in line with recommendations (a) to (c) above.
Seaton & Colyton MATTERS 