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.
10,000 leaflets on their way for Hospital campaign
Richard and Paul of our leafleting team collecting our leaflets from Marie at Seaton Print and Design this afternoon. Soon they’ll be on their way to every house in Seaton, Colyton, Colyford, Beer, Branscombe, Axmouth and Musbury.
On Saturday at 10 am, we’ll be leafleting and collecting petition signatures in the centre of Seaton (meet outside Tramway), Beer (Mariners) and Colyton (Market Square).
JOIN US!
Seaton top of TV news as Scrutiny backs us
Jack Rowland and I addressed a crowded Devon Health Scrutiny Committee meeting yesterday and were very well received. The Committee asked for a full report at their January meeting, and agreed to request the ICB and NHSPS to pause disposal and to negotiate seriously with us in the meanwhile. We got really great TV coverage, with Seaton leading the regional news on both channels for the first time I can remember!
Leafleting, Petition and Day of Action. 10,000 leaflets will be available from Seaton Print this Monday or Tuesday – please contact us to help deliver in your area, if you have not already done so. We will be leafleting and petitioning on Saturday 18th as planned, meeting outside the Tramway in Seaton and the Mariners in Beer.
Petition. Please sign and share online (https://www.change.org/p/save-seaton-hospital) but we also need to collect physical signatures wherever possible people, including where leafleting. The first sheets are already being returned.
- Please help get the petition forms into local shops, etc.
- Please note that completed forms should now be delivered to the League of Friends shops in Fore Street in envelopes addressed to Kirstine House.
OTHER NEWS. The Steering Committee will meet at the Hospital on Thursday 16th. Sarah Wollaston. Supporters have received emails saying that their letters will be ‘sent to the appropriate department’ – please insist that they are sent to her personally and copied to other members of the Board. Emails to some addresses have bounced back. Please check with friends who were at the meeting to see if they’re getting these emails, and if not ask them to contact me to make sure their correct addresses are on the list.
Hospital campaign latest
After our fantastic public meeting on Friday, 50 supporters crowded into the restaurant of the Old Picture House on Monday to organise the campaign.
TOMORROW (Thursday)
- We are meeting outside County Hall from 9.30-10.15, then going into the meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee where Jack Rowland and I will present Seaton’s case. Spotlight will be covering us again!
- Please join us if you can – park in the visitors’ parking. We have placards although you can make your own too if you want! Lifts are available from Seaton and Colyton – let me know if you need one.
PETITION
- We agreed to organise a printed petition. We want these completed by the end of the month – I will let you know shortly where completed forms should be left.
- There is also an online petition – https://www.change.org/p/save-seaton-hospital – please sign and share via email/Facebook.
LEAFLETING
- Signatures will be collected together with leafleting of the whole area, starting early next week. If you’d like to help leaflet your area, please email valnightingale67@yahoo.com as soon as you can.
DAY OF ACTION, SATURDAY 18th NOVEMBER
- We’re hoping that this will begin with church bells ringing in mourning for the threatened loss of part of our hospital – details to follow.
- We’ll be meeting outside the Tramway in Seaton at 10 am, and then spreading out to go leafleting and signature-collecting. Also in Beer outside the Mariners – contact John Cllr Heath – and hopefully in Colyton (to be confirmed).
OTHER NEWS
- Richard’s Adjournment Debate in Parliament is on the 13th.
- I’ve been asked to speak to Seaton WI on the 21st.
- We have a campaign website: seatonhospital.wordpress.com (my personal site will also carry news, but revert to its original title to avoid confusion). We’re also on Facebook – search Save Seaton Hospital.
- I am in the process of fixing a date for our first Steering Committee meeting.
Let me know if you’ve any suggestions for things we could be doing.
Getting ready for Thursday’s hospital protest at County Hall
Signs showing the famous ‘hospital brick’ given to the original donors to the Hospital in the 1980s, in preparation for the protest outside the Devon Health Scrutiny Committee at County Hall on Thursday at 9.30. Jack Rowland and Martin Shaw will be presenting the Seaton case to the Committee.
We’ll be joining with Teignmouth campaigners who are also addressing the Committee, to make the case to Save Devon’s Community Hospitals. All welcome and bring home made placards if you can!
Seaton & Colyton MATTERS 