We had a massively successful day in Goole today collecting signatures against Labour's cuts to the local NHS. The number of people who stopped me to say how let down they felt about this government and how concerned they were about the local hospital was really surprising.

A number of people expressed concern about the way GP services are operated locally and about the future of Goole Hospital. It is fair to say that Goole Hospital is very well regarded by local residents. I myself had the pleasure to visit the hospital last Wednesday to speak with a Consultant about his concerns over the way the local NHS is being run down by Labour.

We gathered a huge number of signatures and got a lot of leafletting done too. My thanks must go to Timothy Kirkhope MEP who joined me for the day, party activists and of course the local CF members who are being a fantastic source of support. Many thanks to Martine Martin for the photos.


After our visit to Goole I went to Scunthorpe Hospital to discuss further health concerns with Rob Waltham who will be contesting Gunness and Burringham Ward for us in the May local elections. Rob is helping me fight Labour's cuts in that part of the constitunecy and I am grateful for his help.

This Saturday will see the launch of my NHS petition. Anyone wanting to pop along and give the team and I hand is most welcome. Just drop me a line and I will send the details.

Recent NHS cuts in Brigg and Goole include

- The closure of the Rivers Ward at Goole Hosptial

- The re-organisation of the mid-wifery services from Goole to cover a huge geographical area. The midwives themselves have expressed alarm at these changes.

- The loss of a number of NHS dentists such as at Snaith

- The rationing of services at Scunthorpe Hospital

- A demand by the government, via the Strategic Health Authority, that North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust return over £4 million pound to Whitehall.

Add into this what is happening at a national level and it is clear that Labour can't be trusted on the NHS.

Worse still, the local Labour MP, as a whip at the Treasury is directly responsible for the mess the Treasury and the government in general have made of our health services. The people of this area deserve an MP who is answerable to them and not to Gordon Brown and Tony Blair!

I am delighted to have played my part in helping Shadow Home Secretary (and neighbouring MP) David Davis raise £1400 for the Cancer Care Centre at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham.

However, I cant claim quite as much credit as David as he is the one who abseiled off the top of the North Tower of the Humber Bridge, raising not only a great deal of money for a good cause but also setting a world record.

I am proud however to have played a smaller part in contacting local residents and businesses to help raise money. I am delighted that ABP Ports in Goole contributed, as did many local residents.

Castle Hill does an excellent job of caring for cancer patients from across the Humber region and next year will see the opening of a new Cancer Centre at the site.

How wonderful would it be if bridge tolls for cancer patients could be removed in time for the opening of that centre? I shall certainly be campaigning for action from the government to remove these unfair tolls on cancer patients.

I had the pleasure today of attending the Hook Ladies Lunch at the Viking Hotel in Goole. Not only was the company most enjoyable but the food was fantastic. The Hook Ladies Group was apparently set up in the village of Hook, nr Goole some 56 years ago and some of the original members were in attendence today! Now that's service for you. Not only do they provide wonderful social events they also help raise a lot of money for that all important campaigning.

I am pleased to say that the ladies did not let me down today as they merrily handed over a cheque to the local party chairman Sir Reginald Sheffield after lunch. I am already planning how we can spend that on campaigning locally.

Thank you ladies and thanks for the donation to funds. I just hope I am better at winning elections then I was at winning the raffle!

I might only have been selected as the candidate for Brigg and Goole for a few weeks but it is clear already just how angry people in this area are with Labour. Everywhere I have been up to now people have told me how let down they feel by the government and by Labour locally.

The NHS seems to be top of people's gripe list, and quite rightly too. Here in Brigg and Goole we face serious cuts to our local NHS services. Goole Hospital has already announced the closure of the mental health in-patient Rivers Ward which provides an invaluable service to elderly residents with mental health problems. North Lincolnshire PCT is millions of pounds in debt with the government, via the SHA, demanding £4.4 million back from the PCT this year alone! Then of course there is the unpopular midwifery re-organisation which the midwives themselves have said will damage patient care.


What has our local Labour MP, who is a whip at the Treasury, had to say about this? Not much it would appear. Last Thursday local Conservative MP Graham Stuart secured a debate in the House of Commons on mental and sexual health services in the East Riding. Our local MP was apparently unable to attend which is a shame because I would have liked him to explain why he is helping his boss Gordon Brown push through millions of pounds of cuts to our local NHS.

The photo above show me launching my petition calling for an end to the cuts and I will be out on the streets on December 2nd to secure signatures from local people. Drop me a line if you want to get involved!

Blog Created: 4th November 2006
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Adapted by: Martine Martin

All opinions expressed on this blog are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Brigg and Goole Conservative Association or the Conservative Party.