No doubt aided by our thriving tourism trade, the number of pubs we have on the Isle of Thanet has remained stable since 2001. Additionally, we are seeing higher growth in employment in this sector than the national average. Figures released this week by the Office for National Statistics show a sad, steady decline in the […]
News and opinion
IC24 is failing NHS patients
A GP out-of-hours service provider in Kent has made the news this week over safety concerns. IC24 (Integrated Care 24 Limited), based in Ashford, has the contract to provide the 111 non-emergency call service and GPs across the South East. I was extremely concerned to hear that a manager at IC24 was warning that the […]
Don’t put more pressure on NHS staff
At last additional protection at work for front line NHS staff. Shocking figures released recently show the true extent of violence against NHS staff. 10,000 members of NHS staff have reported being attacked at work. Some NHS staff are so concerned that they have taken to wearing body cameras. The BBC invited me on to Lembit […]
Options for hospital and local care services – have your say
There is a hospital and care services consultation currently taking place across Kent. Residents are being asked to let the clinical commissioning group (CCG) know which of two options they prefer. Which are basically: Option 1. Potential option 1, an estimated £160million NHS investment, to enable: a much bigger, modern, A&E at William Harvey Hospital, […]
Was the Farage factor responsible for hate crime?
I used to be a keen fan of Spitting Image. I think ITV should bring it back just for jokers like Henry Bolton, ex leader of UKIP and now a member of another minority far right wing party. He certainly made me giggle on air! You’ll have to take a listen to our hate crime […]
Life expectancy stalls as austerity and social isolation increase
Life expectancy in the U.K. is slowing down. The latest official figures show that between 2015 and 2017 life expectancy at birth remained at 79.2 years for men and 82.9 years for women, the first time that there was no improvement whatsoever from the previous data. This morning I was interviewed on BBC Radio Kent alongside […]
Striking NHS staff in Margate highlight privatisation threat
NHS estates staff at Margate’s QEQM Hospital have completed five days of industrial action over plans to transfer their jobs to a new subsidiary. Such a strike by NHS staff is a rarity. Picket lines were in place for five days from September 24 in Margate and Kent and Canterbury Hospital, plus William Harvey in […]
Will a holiday homes tax benefit or damage Thanet?
A proposed policy which increases the council tax on second homes used as holiday homes will bring benefits to those in Thanet currently without a home. The Labour Party has rightly employed some radical thinking to tackle our housing crisis head on. £560m could be raised based on the number of second homes in England. […]
Stroke Unit Decision – Tories should be ashamed
The decision to close the stroke unit at QEQM in Margate in favour of three HASUs (Hyper Acute Stroke Units) sited in Dartford, Maidstone and Ashford is a slap in the face for Thanet residents. This is an undemocratic decision as the CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) are not listening to the concerns of many thousands […]
District & County Council Report, August 2018
I hope everyone has had the opportunity to enjoy some of the fantastic weather we have had in Ramsgate. I’ve been pleased to share some of the summer break with my grandchildren, who are growing up fast. It’s such a joy to be able to use Ramsgate Main Sands. There are also many fabulous local […]