19th October 2011

BRIDPORT: Petition to stop hospital cuts

By Tom Glover

THE whole town must “rise up” to save services at Bridport Hospital is the message from a leading town and district councillor.

Last week it was reported that key departments at Bridport Hospital could be closed in six months time following a review of services.

The outpatient clinics, day surgery, therapies and radiology department are all under threat as Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust looks to review services in a number of community hospitals.

There are already concerns over the future of the Minor Injuries Unit and the Hughes Mental Health Unit at Bridport Community Hospital.

A 3,800 strong petition has been presented to Dorset County Council in order to prevent cuts in opening hours to the Bridport Minor Injuries Unit and the Hughes Unit. Group Supporters (HUGS) met with Oliver Letwin MP last week as they continued their fight to stop the Hughes Unit from losing its seven beds.

A new petition has now been launched, in the wake of the latest announcement from the DCH NHS Foundation Trust, aiming to prevent the closure of key departments at Bridport Community Hospital.

Bridport town councillors and campaigners collected 1,400 signatures of support, in four hours, at the weekend.

Town councillor Anne-Marie Vincent said: “I’m looking forward to the consultation and I really hope that they do take on board people’s concerns, because it really is such an important facility in this area.

“We have to ensure that these types of facilities are not closed down, we have to fight tooth and nail, it’s seriously important in this community.

Bridport Town and West Councillor Ros Kayes said the town needed to rise up together, in the same way residents in other parts of Dorset had saved their services.

“When a whole community rises up and really fights hard then the county council do tend to listen, I know that’s how they managed to save the service in Swanage, which, like Bridport, gets cut off very easily,” she said.

“They think it’s easy to cut funding to it because it’s on the edge of the county. Basically the whole town rose up there, people of all persuasions, political views and sections of the community, and that’s why the county council listened, because they realised it was the whole community.

“I don’t think Bridport should be punished because of Dorset County Hospital’s financial mismanagement.

“It’s nothing to do with the national scene it’s about local mismanagement in Dorchester and it’s not right.

“Everybody needs to come and sign the petition, write letters to the local health authority and to DCC about it. We want to get as many different people as possible from the community making their point because that is the only thing that’s going to make them change their mind.

“It’s not a done deal, it’s a pity we have to fight for services like this but I know that we can do it.”

The petition to stop cuts to the Minor Injuries Unit will be discussed by the Dorset County Council’s Health Scrutiny committee on Tuesday, November 29th.

A public meeting to discuss the latest threat from cuts will be held at the Bridport WI Hall at 7pm on Thursday, November 3rd.

PICTURE 1: STOP CUTS - Councillors Anne-Marie Vincent and Ros Kayes with the 3,800 strong petition to stop cuts to opening hours at the Minor Injuries Unit

PICTURE 2: NEW PETITION - Bridport town councillor Lauren Glover helps collect signatures in Bucky Doo Square at the weekend

BRIDPORT: Petition to stop hospital cuts

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