North Surrey: MP’s challenge over downgraded hospitals

Esher & Walton MP Ian Taylor has challenged the Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt over the downgrading of local hospital services affecting his constituents.

In a question in Parliament, Mr Taylor said: "Epsom hospital is losing its general hospital status quite rapidly, and three community hospitals (Cobham, Thames Ditton and Molesey) are being starved of revenue because the primary care trust is encouraging patients to move out of a general hospital straight home, which has led one local GP to say that there were unsafe discharges."

He added: "There are serious revenue problems, so how will the Secretary of State’s announcement about her capital spending plan help my constituents?"

After the debate Ian Taylor commented: "I don’t feel that the minister fully appreciates the difficulties downgrading of hospital services creates for my constituents.

"There is already removal of full acute and maternity services at Epsom and three local community hospitals are unclear about long term commitment to NHS funding.

"This is not a happy situation"

Presumably, then, Ian Taylor will not be approving the payment of billions of pounds extra to the EU, when the EU budget deal comes before Parliament.

Given paying 63% more to the EU is completely unjustified while auditors cannot approve how the vast majority of the money the EU already receives is being spent, would he not rather see the extra £2.5bn a year at stake spent on preventing the downgrading of local hospital services, or even improving them?

Complaining about cutbacks to services, but quietly voting billions of pounds away to the EU that could otherwise be used to rectify the problem he is taking a stand against will leave Mr Taylor open to charges of hypocrisy, likely to seriously hit his support at the next election.