| The consultation has been a complete sham. 7 months ago on July 5th the CCG started a consultation on pre-determined options. Throughout the consultation, or the review carried out before, we never got any information or any sense that showed they had actually listened to the clinical staff, or the people of South Tyneside. Ken Bremner Chief Executive of South Tyneside Foundation Trust (STFT) and City Hospitals Sunderland admitted at the meeting of the CCGs announcing these decisions that two years before he had told the CCG that "no change was not an option". However this was before he was Chief Executive of STFT! So this was pre-determined and it was no wonder that there were never any options in the consultation that gave the people of South Tyneside anything other than worse access to hospital services and the moving of services to Sunderland. Our solicitors have written to the CCGs saying that any decision based on this consultation will be unlawful and we reserve the right to challenge these decisions. Nothing in the consultation, or their decision says that we don't have a right to these services at our hospital. Our clinicians and the people of South Tyneside should decide not those that are in the pockets of the government's down grading of our NHS and its privatisation. We are still here. We are unvanquished as a united campaign to save our hospital services and we fight on because people have a right to these services at our hospital. Health Care is a Right! It is our Hospital and our NHS! |