The Proposal and un-edited video is at the bottom of this page.
Last night we attended the extra-ordinary town council meeting called by the #saveleekhospital (SLH) chairman and Town Councillor, Pam Wood.
The chambers only hold 108 people and all seats were occupied. Some concerned residents of Leek were turned away as we were at capacity at 19:00. The meeting started at 19:15 and concluded at approximately 21:30. On the whole it was positive and the Councillors thanked the attendees for their decorum throughout the meeting. A seven point proposal was submitted by Councillor Stephen Wales (seconded by Pam Wood) and a further two points added before it was voted on, which was unanimously ‘In Favour’ or ‘FOR’.
Before the actual vote, one of the Councillors ‘John Povey’ actually said he would be voting ‘AGAINST’ (1:47:00 in the video) but when the vote was cast he did a U-Turn (popular move amongst the Tories at the moment) and decided to vote ‘In Favour’. Maybe his conscious got pricked when one of the attendees pointed out that we put him in the council job and he works for the residents of his constituency.
The nine (was seven) point proposal is listed below.
This proposal sets out to make Leek Town Council more involved and accountable and to be measured.
The town council (LTC) used to meet ten times a year, but reduced it to six at the last AGM. LTC were asked to revert to the ten meetings a year, but they replied that they couldn’t without an AGM. It was proposed that they would call more of these ‘extra-ordinary’ meetings to abide with public demand (the public who voted these Councillors in).
There are some interesting and articulate points raised throughout the meeting and is definitely worth your attention if you are concerned / worried about the state of our beloved Leek Moorlands Hospital
Here is the Proposal:
SEVEN STEPS TO SAVE LEEK MOORLANDS HOSPITAL
Proposal on adopting this 7-stage program
Named vote
1)LTC to issue a public statement on what it will do to ensure the services at Leek Moorlands Hospital are maintained and improved for the long term, including the beds and a full range of services on site. Keeping the public informed of key developments ongoing through press and media.
2) Leek Town Council to issue a public statement that recognises the value of the Leek Moorlands Hospital facilities as a major current public investment, and that it highly values its state-of-the-art facilities as fit-for-the-future in meeting the immediate and growing needs of our community
That it will therefore fight to ensure the hospital site is central to the future planning of our health services.
3) LTC to regularly review ongoing developments in the delivery of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan and respond robustly – and keep the public informed.
4) LTC to appoint appropriate Town Council spokespersons to monitor and lead on health services issues. Arrange attendance along with the Staffordshire District Council and County Council delegates to any meetings or briefings with the CCG.
5) LTC to challenge the CCG that it must act within its legal mandate. This given the closure of the 37 beds without consultation, its transfer of phlebotomy and physiotherapy to the UHNM without consultation, and its recent attempt through a formal application to the Staffs County Council Health Scrutiny Select Committee to transfer ten major outpatients’ services to the UHNM without public consultation. These actions are threatening the viability of the Hospital.
6) LTC to challenge the CCG as it should now be behaving in an open, transparent and honest manner in its engagement with the public – as in its commitment following the severe criticism received from the Independent Reconfiguration Panel after its closure of the 37 beds. For instance, we will not accept the outrageous misrepresentation by the CCG that care at Leek Hospital is “bed- based,” with patients left in beds
Leek Hospital patients were up and dressed and receive a full programme of physiotherapy, speech therapy occupational and motivational support to reach the fullest recovery.
7) The evidence shows the CCG is still repeatedly acting beyond its legal mandate, in a way that is not open, honest, and genuine in its public engagement, and that it has failed to learn the lessons following the severe criticism from the IRP. We recall it was only on this basis of promised improvements in this regard that the IRP did not refer them at that stage to the Secretary of State for Health.
In view of the above evidence Leek Town Council should now formally request that Staffordshire County Council as the designated health authority now refer the CCG to the IRP for review.
Proposed Cllr Stephen Wales Seconded Cllr Pam Wood
Passed unanimously
2 addendums were
- to invite involvement from parish councils in the Moorlands
- and that the SMDC have more officer involvement
Here is the un-edited Video: