The NHS costs each voter £50 a week on average. That's £2,600 a year. We aren't getting our fair share locally. So Charlie Elphicke is campaigning to get Fair Share Healthcare for Dover and Deal. Pictured is Charlie with Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley MP meeting the Dover Hospital Action Group.
In the last ten years, local healthcare has got into a mess:
- Dover Buckland systematically destroyed - Dover may now get a polyclinic, although the Government's near complete incompetence seems to have put even that at risk. The arguing over the best site has taken so long we now risk losing the money for the project - which would leave us with nothing at all
- Deal Victoria's beds reduced - Health chiefs talked about applying the "Dover model" without any beds, but backed off quickly when Charlie made sure everyone knew what they were planning. For now
- Dentistry deprivation - with only two Local dentists accepting NHS patients
- Hundreds of serious infections - in local acute hospitals, as well as problems with maggots, flies and insects
- Britain has the worst cancer survival rates in Europe
Charlie Elphicke and the Conservatives have a plan to fix local healthcare for the long term:
- A proper hospital for Dover with beds and doctor led emergency service. Build the health facility soonest, so the Conservatives can come along and upgrade it to a proper hospital
- Save Deal hospital Keep a proper hospital - no "Dover model" polyclinic. Now or ever
- No polyclinic nonsense so you will keep your local GP surgery
- Action not words The Shadow Health minister has visited and pledged to support a proper hospital for Dover
The Government has systematically destroyed Buckland Hospital. Now they intend to sell it off. Charlie Elphicke and the Conservatives have put forward a plan for a proper hospital. Labour offer a polyclinic - it's an insult to us all. The choice of Government at the next General Election is going to be a healthcare choice too. Conservative for a proper hospital. Labour for a polyclinic. Charlie Elphicke is passionate for us to get our fair share of healthcare.
Get involved! There are lots of things you can do to help us get Fair Share Healthcare:
- Vote below in our online poll
- Sign our online petition, below
- Help us deliver leaflets with ideas on improving local heathcare
- Hold a house meeting where Charlie Elphicke will come and explain to your friends why change is so important (email Charlie direct at charlie@elphicke.com or phone / write)
Facebook
YouTube
Flickr
Centre Right
Centre for Policy Studies
Conservative Home
Conservative Party
Do please feel free to comment - or email me your thoughts!
- Charlie Elphicke
with all due respect chas, that poll asking people if they want a proper hospital is rather crass. who is going to say no? it is like asking us if we would prefer to pay less tax. the real truth is that we will not get a full blown hospital as we do not have the catchment area to justify it. it matters not what colour the governemnt is.
- howard mcsweeney
While I do appreciate you hold this long standing view, I cannot agree Howard. It is true if you believe in monolithic centralised super hospitals, which is the policy that the current Government has been following. On our side of the aisle, we believe in more localised services. That's why the Shadow Health Secretary came, heard how the GPs want to see a proper hospital in Dover and pledged his support to Dover getting a proper hospital. Now it's not going to be an all singing and dancing acute hospital - yet it could be a great hospital with Dr led emergency services and care beds. One where more can be done locally and patient travel can be reduced. It is important that more services are provided locally - and it would be less expensive for the taxpayer too.
- Charlie Elphicke
chas the main plank of the hospital argument locally has always been "what would happen if their was a major incident in the channel". the emergency services have all said that they have plans in place and are not concerned about the lack of a hospital in dover. without their support, nothing will change.
- howard mcsweeney
I have heard that said. Yet more often people talk about the expense of travel, the long trip for an A
- Charlie Elphicke
A town such as Dover should have a hospital that is capable of dealing with urgent medical issues of local people. While nurses are very skilled, they don't have the training and experience necessary to diagnose and treat complicated conditions.. this requires doctors, 24 hour beds and the supporting infrastructure. Our son, Ivan, has major kidney and heart conditions and it has been a great loss to us since the Buckland Hospital has been reduced to nothing. If our son requires dialysis, should we have to travel to Canterbury, where the nearest paedriatic machine is located? I think not!! On a totally different note, if Dover is serious about regeneration and attracting commuters from London, then these facilities must be invested in.
- Lin Hunter-Johnson