I have been on BBC Radio Kent this morning ahead of today’s demonstration at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM).
Once again, Craig Mackinlay accuses us of making political milage out of a threat to NHS services.
This is political! The austerity measures of Craig’s government are putting people’s lives at risk. Closing the stroke services in Margate means over an hour in an ambulance to Ashford. Who knows how long a victim would wait on a trolly in a corridor?
A Labour government under Jeremy Corbyn would invest in the NHS.
We would undo the damage caused by the austerity Craig believes in.
We would make it a more attractive place to work and fill those 40 thousand nursing vacancies.
We would bring back bursaries for nurses and midwives and create a learning environment fit for home grown talent.
And when it comes to vital services like acute stroke units we would not be closing them – we would be investing in them – investing in the local staff, investing in the local facilities and in doing so, investing in the communities who use them.
Closure of the stroke unit in Margate is not an investment in Thanet.
It is a withdrawal of life saving services and I cannot believe that Mr Mackinlay is actually comfortable with that hanging over the heads of his constituents.
The demo is at QEQM in Margate from 12 tip 2pm today, Saturday 3rd February 2018.
If you cannot make it, please take the time to sign our petition at https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-qeqm-stroke-service