Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
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Baker to highlight sorry state of NHS services in East Sussex in Parliamentary debate
Norman Baker MP will introduce a debate to the House of Commons on the state of the NHS services in East Sussex next Tuesday, the 9th May 2006.
In his debate Norman will particularly concentrate on the dire financial situation the Brighton and University Hospital Trust finds itself in and the downgrading of the DGH in Eastbourne, both of which will seriously affect many of Norman’s constituents. He will also call for much better health facilities in Seaford, including the establishment of a community hospital in the town, and for the reopening of the closed wards at the Newhaven Downs.
The debate comes at a critical time for the NHS, which is facing severe job cuts and far-reaching reconfigurations of its services in order to reduce debts. Across Sussex, the level of debt the hospital trusts are facing totals £100 million and job cuts are expected. Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Trust will lose 325 jobs, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare, 400 and East Sussex Hospitals, 250.
Brighton and University Hospital Trust is likely to have £11.3 million of debt by the end of the year and will have to cut 325 jobs, approximately 7% of its workforce. Norman recently wrote to Patricia Hewitt asking for the Trust’s accumulated deficit to be written off in return for the introduction of measures to bring the Trust to financially break even but has so far received no response.
Eastbourne DGH is facing a possible downgrading to effectively a cottage hospital status, which could mean at worst the removal of its A&E department.
Commenting ahead of his debate Norman said:
"It does seem rather perverse to see our local NHS in such severe financial difficulties at a time when there has apparently never been more public money being invested in the NHS. There is no question that the service to local people will suffer if the hundreds of proposed job cuts go ahead.
"I also want to highlight the major threat to the status of the Eastbourne DGH, which serves my constituents in Seaford and Polegate in particular, I am totally opposed to any downgrading of the hospital, which could see the loss of the A&E and the maternity facilities.
"I will also use the debate to draw attention to the totally inadequate health facilities in Seaford. A town this size needs its own community hospital and minor injuries unit. Instead, all we have is the clapped-out and wholly underused so-called day hospital. Seaford deserves much better."