Decision on Radiotherapy Unit

The Three Counties Cancer Network, in consultation with the Health Trusts and other bodies, have decided that the new Radiotherapy Unit will be placed at the Worcester Royal Hospital. Our Petition to have it sited at Kidderminster Hospital, signed by six thousand people, was not successful. However, we took the Petition to local people in the three towns in Wyre Forest, and the response was excellent. Thank you to everyone who signed the Petition. I will continue to fight for improved services at Kidderminster Hospital.

Flooding in Mill Street Underpass

I have reported this problem to Worcestershire County Council (WCC) and expect action to be taken as a priority. We must ensure people can walk through this route to town. The underpass is grim enough, without the water!!

Road re-surfacing in Wyre Forest

The belated road re-surfacing programme is being undertaken in some parts of Kidderminster. An “indicative list” was given me after I asked for a complete list of roads to be repaired. Many housholders in Wyre Forest not on the “indicative list” will be very disappointed! I received a sheet of hundreds of roads across the county, some marked yellow or green. As a colour chart it means little or nothing, except the road repairs and re-surfacing could be done from “existing budgets”.
But when will the work actually take place? One County answer was “when the money runs out”. I’m on the case!!

Radiotherapy Flyer

LABOUR – FIRST FOR THE NHS IN WYRE FOREST (New Year 2008)

• The Labour Party is campaigning hard for new services for Kidderminster Hospital.

• The new Urgent Care Centre is a big plus for local people.

• Labour has presented a 6,000 signature Petition asking for a new Radiotherapy Unit to be placed at Kidderminster        Hospital for cancer treatment.

• Wyre Forest patients have to go to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton for radiotherapy treatment.

• Labour says we need the Radiotherapy Unit in Kidderminster. Our Labour Government has ensured funding for our part of the Region.

• The Millbrook Suite at Kidderminster does a fantastic job. We have the opportunity to gain a world class cancer treatment facility here in Kidderminster.

• Why doesn’t Dr. Taylor M.P join Labour and support the Radiotherapy Unit for Kidderminster and stop advocating it goes to Worcester?
• NIGEL KNOWLES says “Ask me for more Petition forms and ask your friends to join our Campaign for the Radiotherapy Unit at Kidderminster Hospital”

Please Sign the Kidderminster Hospital Petition
 

Lea Castle Site

At County Hall on 10th January, County Councillor Nigel Knowles asked the Conservative Council Leader to begin talks with Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust about the future use of the Lea Castle site. C & W NHS  P T have almost certainly decided to close their services on the site, thereby potentially opening the door to alternative uses not in line with what the Wyre Forest community wants.

Councillor Knowles asked the Leader of the Council to give a real committment to help keep the site in public ownership. He was given no such assurance.

Nigel Knowles says, “I asked the Conservative Leader to instigate alternative uses for the Lea Castle site, such as education, health, and community development, and to keep the site in public ownership. He declined. It’s bad news that Coventry and Warwickshire  NHS Partnership Trust is in charge of a centre in Worcestershire when it clearly doesn’t need it. I strongly oppose the Lea Castle site being sold off. It could be a “Beacon Centre”, well worthy of Grants from public, private and charitable bodies to develop the site for social, education, health and charity use. Let local people decide its future, not a distant, non-elected body”.

David Beckham Scores for Gordon Brown

Former England football captain and pride of the English football team David Beckham, attended a meeting tonight at 10 Downing Street with Labour Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

David and the PM discussed advances in sport academies and further development of football coaching in England’s schools.

The footballer, who spoke to the BBC’s Nick Robinson on his way out, said Mr Brown was doing “a very good job”.

When asked his opinion of Gordon Brown by a BBC reporter David said:

“He’s a very good man, he’s a man who’s looking after our country and he’s doing a very good job. I’m very proud to be here tonight.”

You never see David Beckham playing in a blue shirt !

Tories to Slash Incapacity Benefit for 200,000

The Tories show out their true colours this new year by announcing that they will replace Incapacity Benefit with a “much more robust system” that will, in the words of David Cameron, “remove 200,000 claimants from the register.”

This will be a humiliating attack on some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in Great Britain.

Cameron states: “More people need to reliase that they need to be pulling their weight.”
To me this implies that Cameron and his Tory collegaues regard the long-term sick and disabled as work-shy and free loaders.

Can the Tories not win votes any other way than attacking and threatening the long-term sick and disabled?

Happy New Year Wyre Forest

Good news regarding employment. There are 523 registered job vacancies on offer at the Job Centre in Kidderminster for the people of Wyre Forest. The unemployment rate in Wyre Forest is 2.1%. Given the 523 vacancies and 1,062 registered as claimants, we have virtually full employment. New jobs are being created each month,and economic stability is the Labour Governments priority.

Remember the Tory bad old days? Thousands unemployed in Wyre Forest, factory closures, economic slump and sky-high interest and inflation rates.

Economics doesn’t just happen on its own! Gordon Brown as Chancellor fpr 10 years and now Prime Minister, has lead economic growth and prosperity and will continue to do so. David “Flashman” Cameron was part of the Tory “bankruptcy era”.There are no quick fixes for job stability and growth. Labour will continue to put jobs and the economy first.