News Release

16th May 2002

HARD FOUGHT HOSPITAL BATTLE ALMOST WON

The hard fought battle to maintain a maternity unit in Lichfield is almost won with the decision last night of the Burntwood Lichfield & Tamworth Primary Care Trust to include the unit in the proposed new hospital. Michael Fabricant says "I congratulate the Board of the Trust for making this bold decision and overturning the previous reservations of the old South Staffordshire Health Authority which has been abolished.

"I have no doubt that if health managers had continued to listen to the so called 'business case', we would have lost both our maternity unit and the dialysis unit as well as 20 beds from our 52 bed unit for this was the original plan. It was the bravery of midwives standing up to the Health Authority and the dedication of people from Lichfield and Burntwood by marching through the streets of Lichfield which made this proposal untenable. The cynicism of the Health Authority announcing these closures just one day after the General Election last year was staggering!

"But we are not through the woods yet. We still need a commitment of a further £3 million from Whitehall and I will continue to press the Health Secretary and Prime Minister over this. The rest of the £11.8 million will come the sale of land and from the Regional Health Authority. Meanwhile, we must remain vigilant. We must ensure that there will be no loss of beds and I will continue to fight for the preservation of day surgery in Lichfield which we are scheduled to lose. We must also ensure that there is adequate car parking provision at the hospital site and room to expand the hospital with a growing population. The closure of Hammerwich hospital also needs addressing. Meanwhile, Alan Snuggs (Chief Executive of the Primary Care Trust) has told me it is his aim not to charge for car parking on the new hospital site in order to minimise any disruption to residents adjacent to the proposed new hospital. I am grateful to him for this.

"This change in policy is a first class example of local people working together towards a common aim - and succeeding".