I was really upset to read about the latest attack on our hospital in last week’s Journal, which was brilliantly reported by Suzie Pike – it was good to see both sides of the debate reported so diligently, but how can two sides of one debate be so far apart?
Why is the new management team at OUR hospital so seemingly hell-bent on taking away one of our most vital community facilities?
There are a lot of people in this town – and if ‘Growth Point Status’ is anything but an SKDC pipe-dream, it will only get bigger – and I seriously wonder how it would impact on people’s health, considering the next nearest A&E department is Boston or Lincoln.
If you need urgent medical treatment, the travel time could be the deciding factor in whether you live or die. It doesn’t bear thinking about.
Whenever myself or my relatives have been at the hospital, we’ve received brilliant care from the nurses and doctors and within a reasonable time frame.
They know what they’re doing, and I rarely have to travel to other hospitals to get the care I need.
I personally think that replacing doctors and consultants with GPs isn’t a good idea. It’s a bit like manning fire stations with people who can only work a fire extinguisher – it’s bound to create extra delays for people coming into A&E who need expert care IMMEDIATELY.
As for MP Nick Boles’ comment last week, frankly I’m shocked at his lack of concern for our A&E department and the proposed changes. The fate of the hospital has been an ongoing issue over the years, so it doesn’t surprise me that there are rumours of our A&E being downgraded. I don’t have much faith in his ability to fight our corner should this ‘scandalous scare story’ be genuine.
If our hospital is under threat, I fully expect that Grantham will see a repeat of the 2005 protests and rally against the changes. Don’t let them win - save our hospital!
by Alison Robson