I've called a House of Commons debate on the future of Kent & Canterbury Hospital, so I can tell the Government how strongly people feel about the potential loss of acute services at this hospital.
I will explain that people rely on this hospital and are worried about having to travel to Ashford or Margate for treatment. I understand that Junior Doctors are being temporarily moved for safety reasons, but I do not want the hospital to be permanently downgraded.
What we really need is a new hospital on the outskirts of Canterbury and a medical school to make Kent a centre of excellence in healthcare. I’ll be calling on the Health Secretary to – at the very least – consider this option in my debate. I’ve also requested a meeting to put my concerns to him directly.
Today [16 June] I'm attending a public meeting convened by CHEK [Concern for Health in East Kent] to question East Kent NHS managers and give an update on my work campaigning for a new hospital and medical school.
