Liberal Democrats restate opposition to Queen Mary's closures

2.52.03am GMT Fri 5th Dec 2008

Simon Hughes, Duncan Borrowman, Brian Paddick & Tom Papworth on the march to save Queen Mary's, Sidcup

Local Liberal Democrats have restated their opposition to the the closure of the Accident & Emergency and Maternity units at Queen Mary's Hospital following a story in the Bexley Times that

Michael Chuter, the Chair of the Joint Committee of PCTs which decided to slash Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup (QMS) of its A&E and maternity unit, delivered leaflets for the Liberal Democrats last weekend for the East Wickham by-election.

East Wickham Liberal Democrat candidate Grace Goodlad has written to the Bexley Times saying:

In the summer, Duncan Borrowman the local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate and I met with Michael Chuter, the Chair of the Joint Committee of PCTs which decided to slash Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup (QMS) of its A&E and maternity unit, for three hours to raise our objections to the plans of his committee. We put across in the strongest possible terms our opposition to the Queen Mary's closures.

I have recently had surgery at QMS, it was my hospital of choice. I wished to support my local hospital.

Duncan Borrowman's daughters were both born in the maternity unit there.

As a former NHS finance professional I am strongly placed to look at the plans, and it is my view that the decision to close Queen Mary's A&E and maternity is wrong.

Michael Chuter accepts my opposition to his committees proposals, he knows that if I am elected to Bexley Council in the East Wickham by-election I will be a strong and knowledgeable voice on the council against the plans. I have told him that if I am elected I will fight him tooth and nail over the QMS closures.

However, Michael Chuter does support the Liberal Democrats on a whole host of issues and he has seen me in action as a councillor fighting for local people, and he therefore did help me last weekend by delivering leaflets through doors for me in East Wickham. But it should be clear that Michael Chuter's views on the future of QMS are not mine or those of the local Liberal Democrats.

Yours sincerely

Grace Goodlad

East Wickham Liberal Democrats

Duncan Borrowman, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Old Bexley & Sidcup says:

"Michael Chuter is not a Liberal Democrat candidate, or councillor. He is of course, in his PCT role allowed his views. I respect that he has those views. I also respect that he believes his views are the right future for local health services.

"I am of the view that the PFI contract for the PRU in Bromley awarded by the Conservatives when Orpington Conservative MP was a health minister, and the PFI contract for the QE2 awarded by Labour have sucked health services in South East London of cash and are the root cause of the problems we have.

"As a child Queen Mary's fixed my arms when I broke them. Both my daughters were born in the QMS maternity unit. Both my paternal grandparents spent their last days at QMS.

Grace recently had surgery at QMS, she had the choice but picked our local hospital.

Grace and I will continue to fight to save services at Queen Mary's. We could have told the Bexley Times that if they had asked us."