Responses to Duncan Hames’ NHS inquiry have shown that the NHS needs to be saved from Labour’s cuts, closures and incompetence.A staggering 95% of people who have filled in the survey think that decisions about major changes to our local health services should be taken by local residents and local health professionals.

Local people have praised the work of our doctors, nurses and other NHS staff, but say that the service is badly managed.

Duncan Hames said: "The government is trying to control far too much of what happens to local services from Whitehall, and this is just not working. Local people are the best judge of what is needed where they live!".

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Duncan Hames' plan for a better NHS:

1. End local hospital closures. It’s no way to run the NHS. Keep our nurses and stop cuts to services.

2. Labour spend vast sums on re-structuring and botched contracts. This must be spent on local hospitals and patients.

3. Labour & Tories want to control the NHS from London. Only Lib Dems promise to give more control to local people.


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On Tuesday 30th January2007 , the new Wiltshire NHS Primary Care Trust voted at their Board Meeting to go ahead with plans to make massive changes to the way healthcare is provided in our communities. Hundreds of local people went to the meeting in Devizes to make sure the local health bosses understood quite how much they cared about what was happening to our NHS.
We the undersigned, believe that the Wiltshire NHS PCT's plan to close half its community beds will leave significant gaps in service, and call on the County Council Health Scrutiny Committee to halt the closure of our community hospitals by using their power to 'call-in' the decision and refer it to the Secretary of State for Health.
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Your Comments
A.K. , SN13 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Jul. 3rd, 5:54 pm)

Having attended all but one of the Pathways for Change events, and after consulting with colleagues, we all agree that there was no mention of closing Day Hospital facilities, particularly at Chippenham.Speaking to staff, most people are really unhappy at the lack of consultation from Trust managers. These managers are obviously unaware about the Outreach system that ran in the 90's and which most of the staff really hated. Is it any wonder, then, that people are not applying for the community roles, in the numbers the Trust would have liked?

A.H. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Jun. 23rd, 5:50 am)

These hospitals are invaluable to local communities, from the elderly to the young. The Melksham Hospital minor injuries unit is an essential part of the community and the staff are wonderful!

K.O. , SN14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: May. 31st, 10:23 am)

It is nonsense to think people can be treated by community staff in their home. There cannot be medical resources to hand, let alone an operating theatre. Or is the plan for mobile operating theatres?

E.D. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: May. 14th, 8:15 pm)

Please keep Trowbridge Hospital open!! I had my first child at the Maternity Unit and was so grateful for the calm environment, friendly and comptetent staff and for the fact that I was allowed to stay as long as I needed to in order to get to grips with breastfeeding etc. I specifically wanted a local community unit which was Midwife-led as I had observed and been advised that intervention is much more likely in big Hospitals (for a variety of reasons). I know several people who had their babies at the RUH in Bath and to be frank their stories have frightened me. More than one found the experience very traumatic and went on to suffer serious Postnatal depression for over a year. Larger Hospitals just cannot offer the kind of care that units like Trowbridge provide. Nowadays many of us do not live close by our families, so this kind of support is particularly crucial. It is obvious that the main reason for this decision has been financial and Trowbridge Hospital is seen as 'expendable' in some way. I feel very strongly that the Health and well-being of babies and new mothers should not be viewed in this way.

R.G. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Apr. 26th, 5:23 pm)

Just who are the PCT, who are they responsable to? How do we get rid of them?

P.R. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Apr. 17th, 12:03 pm)

I think it is deplorable what Wiltshire NHS PCT is doing by closeing Melksham hospital & all the other hospital in the area.
What is going to happen when they close all the hospital in the area the R.U.H.cope at the moment,so what is going to happen when they close Melksham & all the other hospital in the area? They should get rid of all the members of the PCT and get some body who will listen to what the people of the area want.

D.W. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Mar. 3rd, 10:54 pm)
Help save Melksham Hospital 

H.W. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Mar. 3rd, 10:53 pm)
Keep Melksham hospital open


P.W. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Mar. 2nd, 9:21 pm)
We have had wonderful service from Melksham hospital both as inpatients when my mother was terminally ill and with outpatient services for my 91 year old father who would now be unable to travel to Bath. The closure of our community hospitals will leave many people, especially the old and infirm, unable to reach much needed services and bed closures will mean long distance travelling for relatives to visit loved ones in hospitals elsewhere and even no beds at all for those most in need. It is about time the PCT came into the real world and realised this is REAL people they are playing with! Perhaps if some of them took pay cuts and started earning reasonable, rather than extortionate salaries, thousands of pounds could be saved for our vital services.Our community hospitals must be kept open to give us the service for which we pay!


C.H. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Mar. 2nd, 11:50 am)
This does not amount to consultancy, as the PCTs solution is not one of the scenarios which were given to choose from. There is no funding for community nursing, and the surgeries in Melksham are already at capacity. The PCT have been deliberately vague in the information which they have supplied, and will be reducing beds by over 50% across the county.



Z.F. , BA13 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 28th, 8:29 pm)
The care myself and my family have received from our local Hospitals has been fantastic. It is an insult to the community to close our local Hospitals. I'm becoming more disgusted that my money and my right to chose are being decided by individuals who seem unable to budget and therefore everyone in the community pays by loss of quality, clean wondefully staffed Hospitals. What happens to all the equipment paid for by local fundraising is it just skipped when they decided to sell off the Hospital to the highest bidder for development, then decide to build on green land to provide a more cost effective Hospital to be paid for by the community for the community! What kind of rob Peter to pay paul society do we live in. I'm due my second child in July and hope and hope to have the baby in Trowbridge, this threat of closure is a concern i should not have to live with.





B.S. , BA12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 28th, 1:27 pm)
Another reason why we are moving to America this summer - with the wastage of money by this PCT and lower standards of healthcare we are about to receive we might as well pay for our healthcare in America and have the very best as opposed to the slashing of health care in West Wiltshire! Are we angry about the way they have squandered our money - you bet - and squandered they have!

E.P. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 28th, 9:49 am)
Westbury Hospital must be saved for the local community because the vulnerable in our community can't get to other centres easily.

M.P. , BA13 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 28th, 9:47 am)
Save Westbury Hospital for the community. Travel from Westbury to other centres, particularly for the elderly, is very difficult.

B.O. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 27th, 5:54 pm)
I am a midwife, and have worked at trowbridge hopital for over 20 years. The government states that women should have a choice of place of delivcry and recommends 'low tech' birthing centres for women with no health risks. Research indicates that women are at higher risk of insstrumental or caesarian birth if they deliver in a large hospital beacause of higher intervention levels. With only one birthing centre to 'choose' from at Chippenham a number of low risk women will deliver their baby in Bath because it is nearer to their home, irrespectiveof whetheror not their risk or health status warrants it! I and other midwives are absolutely appalled at this centralisation of our award winning maternity service and fear that new mothers once delivered will be forced to return home soon after the birth with little midwifery support. This is a public health concern as new mums need lots of help with breast feeding to feed successfully which a local birthing centre provides. If breast feeding rates drop long term morbidity of both mother and baby is likely to increase. The phrase 'don't mend it if it isn't broken' comes to mind. We were initially told that the reaon for these changes were due to the need to save mponey as our 'first class' service is too expensive. Now it seems that these changes arre not to do with money saving but rather because we have to keep up with the times and move on. 'Centralisation' is the name of the game. I do not believe that these changes are in the interest of the women ofr their babies. Neither are they in the interest of the midwives and other staff atTrowbridge maternity unit. Could someone please enlighten me as to who will benefit from these changes if as we are told it is not to save money. The phrase 'don't mend what isn't broken' springs to mind. I would alsolike toknow whether the trust board are aware of all the research which supports the existence and use of small, 'low tech' birthing centres, because there has been not mention of any research evidence for what they are proposing. Strang, since we are living in an age where research based evidence has to underpin all care given to patients. I live in hope that these swathing changes can be revoked.




D.R. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 26th, 10:00 pm)
county town of wiltshire SHOULD have a hospital what a farse





L.M. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 25th, 6:22 pm)
I feel it will be cheaper to look after people in hospital, than 1 or 2 nurses going from house to house. You can get more people on wards, than in a house, it will be safer for the staff as well.

K.M. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 25th, 6:16 pm)
Save our hopitals, where will people go?? they will be found dead.

S.M. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 25th, 6:13 pm)
We all need our hopitals,its the PCT we dont want, they cost to much, with wages and of course they all have cars, thats where the money is going.

T.D. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 25th, 11:28 am)
How can the pct expect people to travel to chippenham or bath with the current poor state of public transport in this area. If you cannot drive then you will not get treatment.

M.J. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 25th, 11:26 am)
The local hospital services are vital for the growing communities in this area, to have no hospitals in West Wilts and only 10 beds at chippenham is absolute stupidity.

D.J. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 25th, 11:24 am)
the pct have said that existing hospital buildings are not fit for purpose, some are only 15 years old and would only need minor modifications to bring them up to modern standards.

S.H. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 24th, 11:02 am)
When doing their cost saving calculations, have the Wiltshire PCT included the fines that will be imposed by the RUH for bed blocking when there are no beds for convalescent patients available in West Wiltshire?

I.S. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 23rd, 3:26 pm)
I think it is digraceful how Trowbridge is losing out yet again. We are the County Town after all, and what facilities do we have. I had 2 of my daughters in Trowbridge and aftercare when I had my 3rd by cesarian.







E.P. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 22nd, 7:04 pm)
I had both of my daughters at Trowbridge hospital. It was wonderful everything was at my own pace. I didn't feel like I was rushed out of hospital afterwards either. I could take time to bond with my babies and make sure I was confident with breastfeeding. I don't think that this would be possible in larger hospitals. I think it will be criminal to close these fantastic midwife led hospitals!!!!!!!!!







J.S. , BA13 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 20th, 11:56 pm)
The action of the PCT is disgraceful. Many people I know are now afraid of growing old and/or becoming ill. We do not consider that we have sufficient health provision for the people of Wiltshire.


B.T. , SN9 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 20th, 12:04 pm)
I feel that if I had another baby i'd be scared that I have to go so far to salisbury when I live in Upavon and I thinks it's unfair that I wouldn't get a choice.

A.G. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 19th, 10:55 am)
This is yet another discrimation on people in rural areas. Those living in cities have no idea how hard it is for rural people to travel long distances to hospital when there is no suitable public transport. Our local hospitals are vital to the well being of the community

H.O. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 17th, 10:35 pm)
Best of luck. Please keep me posted.

N.P. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 17th, 12:51 pm)
As usual its the sick and poor that suffer the most when people wan to save money!








J.W. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 16th, 3:04 pm)
I believe that the closure of these community hospitals will leave the local health service very short on vital,care of the elderly and terminal care beds.

T.N. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 16th, 2:13 pm)
trowbidge community hospital maternity unit is providing a high quality service. how can we justify closing it? how are midwifes supposed to support more than one woman in labour if home births are encouraged and 2 midwifes per home birth are required? The RUH is not able to cope with the demand now with the Trowbridge Maternity Unit still running.
WE NEED A HOSPITAL IN WEST WILTSHIRE. WE ARE THE COUNTY TOWN WITH THE BEST TRANSPORT LINKS

H.C. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 16th, 11:44 am)
why concentrate everything in the North of the county?west wilts and Devizes has no birthing centre now!the PCT has missed a golden opportunity to build a new midwifery led maternity unit on land at semington to benefit trowbridge and Devizes mums to be.this would have restored the public confidence,and been an innovative investment for the future.

J.G. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 16th, 11:23 am)
Keep the maternity unit - this has such a good reputation and brilliant much needed service.
Also, the country is trying to reduce emmissions and the environmental impact that cars have on the world. Taking our local hospitals away will increases pollution not decrease it.
This feels like yet another penalty on rural people, especially those who are elderly or unable to travel for whatever reason.

C.C. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 14th, 7:19 pm)
I would go further and say that the this PCT is a total disaster and should be stripped of its remit, give the NHS back to the people, I don't remember ever voting for privatising the NHS!

J.W. , DT2 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 14th, 6:21 pm)
I am disgusted with this proposal,as these hospitals are a vital part of the local communities who live in these areas. Where may i ask, are these people affected supposed to go for medical care???

D.B. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 14th, 4:40 pm)
As a local from Trowbridge ,I know it is important to keep our hospital.The nearest one being RUH which is unaccesible in the evenings without a car, this is 100% needed for everyone.Trowbridge has lost so many things in the past -this is something we need and deserve to keep.

M.C. , SN12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 14th, 1:50 pm)
The fact that these are integral to the winter plans for RUH at present means that there is no capacity when the system is stretched and the proposals to close in no way reflect the growth of the area of the whole or in particular Melksham where 700+ homes are to be built and the industrial growth of the area means that the commuting population resident 8 hours a day plus also needs to be taken into account and with proposed reduction of rail services as road use increases we can expect more road related incidents. It is not a luxury to keep these facilities open - not only to adequately provide for the current annual needs but an essential. There needs to be more accountability for the financial mismanagement that brings these decisions into the public domain at this time.








G.B. , BA12 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 12th, 7:43 pm)
I cannot see how the loss of maternity beds will work as there is a national shortage of midwives. And why do we have to travel to Bath for major treatment?

A.M. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 12th, 1:40 pm)
Scrutiny MUST call this in - it will be devastating for Wiltshire

C.K. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 8th, 8:40 pm)
We seem to have a PCT that lacks vision and the ability to respond to people's views. Recently the PCT in Cornwall (see The West Briton Newspaper) reversed its decision to close hospitals in the county, and have a rethink. Consequently hospitals have been saved and some of the services have been restored. Why can't our PCT listen to our views and act on them? They do have responsibility to the community!







D.W. (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 8th, 7:06 pm)
To close down hospital beds in Wilthsire Community Hospitals is criminal. The idea that there will be more home visits by community nurses is nonsense. It will never work

A.W. , BA14 (Wiltshire hospitals petition: Feb. 8th, 1:05 pm)
This has to be one of the most shocking consultation exercises ever undertaken. No-one from the patients to the staff and on to senior Government advisors seem to agree with these cuts. The PCT simply can't be allowed to follow through with these cuts and put local people's health at risk.
 
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