NHS Campaign group Fighting for Hartlepool Hospital (F4HH) have attended an emergency meeting with Mike Hill MP to discuss the plan to build on Hartlepool Hospital land. Representatives from Fighting for Hartlepool Hospital (F4HH) campaign group met Mike Hill MP for Hartlepool on Friday morning.
At the meeting, F4HH representatives stressed that they believed the health village was just part of the Naylor Review, where by Trusts sell off land and estates in exchange for extra money from the government. The Trust in recent articles have confirmed the groups fear as being the reason that the land was offered for sale. Just another attempt by the Government and NHS England is sell off and privatise our NHS.
The group attended the 13 Housing Group consultation held in the foyer of the Hospital where plans where offered for public viewing. Kathleen Mathieson, F4HH campaigner said, “The group left the consultation with more questions than answers, it was just a mere housing development with a Health Village title. That’s why we wanted to arrange an emergency meeting with the MP to discuss it.
The meeting on Friday morning attended by 4 administrators from the group including Angela Hughes, who said:
“F4HH provided the MPs with the reasons the group was set up and our major concerns including the land sale, cutting of services to Hartlepool Hospital, which appeared to be a covert way for the Trust to dismember our hospital under the Naylor Review and the Sustainability and Transformation Plans.”
Kath Mathieson, went on to say; “we discussed in great detail the term Health Village and how we need to clearly define the term in future attempts. We believe that our hospital services should be reinstated and that the land should not be sold to a profit making company to build houses even if they are built under the heading ‘Health Village’. The land at Hartlepool Hospital was given the town folk, which subsequently has found it’s way in to the hands of the Trust – not good enough”
Mike Hill MP said “keen to look into this convent that states it belongs to the town and strictly enforce that it can only be used for Health reasons.” Angela Hughes said “Labelling Health Village is a way for them to get round this statement but clearly from the proposals it was a very watered down plan to include Health.
The group found the meeting very useful with questions answered and the offer of partnership work with the MP in fighting this clear attempt to sell off our Hospital Land for sale and return services to Hartlepool Hospital. Mike Hill MP also confirmed he would help with a Social Evening the group are planning in March, highlighting the issues effect our hospital but also the NHS as a whole. Please look out for more information relating to this on the groups Facebook page ‘Fighting for Hartlepool Hospital’