Just as it becomes public knowledge that Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group wants to do away with both Halifax and Huddersfield A&Es as we know them, Greater Manchester Keep Our NHS Public (KONP) has slammed Greater Manchester NHS bean counters’ decision to strip emergency surgery from Wythenshawe, Tameside, Wigan, Bolton, Bury Fairfield and North Manchester hospitals.
“Healthier Together” is Greater Manchester’s version of the Right Care Right Time Right Place hospital cuts and closures scheme that Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield NHS bean counters have been trying hard for over a year to foist off on us.
Manchester KONP Spokesperson Hugh Caffrey said:
“Today’s decision means moving lifesaving services further away from hundreds of thousands of people, and adding to the overstretch of healthcare across Greater Manchester.
These cost-driven cuts will lead to more cuts, putting a question over the continuation of A&Es and maternity services at Wythenshawe, Tameside, Wigan, Bolton, Bury Fairfield and North Manchester. It will repeat the disastrous experiences of downgrading Rochdale Infirmary and Trafford General, on a grand scale.
Healthier Together was dead in the water after only 1% of adults in Greater Manchester took part in its so-called consultation last year. Now it has been resurrected by an unholy alliance of Tory government ministers and local Labour politicians under the false flag of the bogus devolution ‘Devo Manc’ project, which the public haven’t even been offered a vote on.
There is zero public support for this slash-and-burn of our NHS. Greater Manchester Keep Our NHS Public will be convening a major anti-cuts public conference in the near future to fight back against these plans, under the headline “Getting Together Against Healthier Together”.
You can contact the organisers on konpmcr@hotmail.com for details as they are announced.
Relatedly, all are invited to join the reception committee for DevoManc Deficit Doctor George Osborne Friday on 11.30am, Friday 17th July at 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester, M15 4FN
The Tory privatisation of our NHS is in full swing but still many members of the
public don’t seem to be concerned. We have got to get through to them before
it’s too late.Apathy is as big a problem as the Tory governments plans, We must
wake the public up to what is going on right in front of our eyes.
Interested in your ideas for how to do this?