Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price Says Time To Back The NHS & Stop Playing Party Politics on Orsett Hospital

01 Aug Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price Says Time To Back The NHS & Stop Playing Party Politics on Orsett Hospital

Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price This Week Said Time To Back The NHS & Stop Playing Party Politics on Orsett Hospital!

Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price said “This year we celebrate seventy years of the NHS.  It looks after every single one of us.  Every political party supports our NHS.  I am pleased that the Government I am part of will be giving it a funding boost of £20bn a year.  All political leaders should get behind our NHS and stop using it as a political football.”

She added “The decision to close Orsett Hospital and relocate its services to new health centres in the community is one that has been taken by the NHS.  It is supported by our local NHS leaders who all believe that this is in the best interest of patients.  I feel very strongly that clinicians are better placed than I or any other politician to decide what is best for patients.  For that reason, I am supporting the decision made by the NHS.

“I understand that many people will be anxious about this decision.  I cannot emphasise strongly enough that all NHS providers have pledged that they will continue to run their services at Orsett until they are able to relocate them in the new facilities.  Until that time Orsett will remain open.  Put simply, no new services – no closure.

“The facilities at Orsett no longer meet appropriate clinical standards.  I have spent a lot of time there over the last couple of years and it really is time that the people of Thurrock were able to use modern facilities and for staff to work in better conditions.  It will be to the benefit of patients across Thurrock that new facilities will be located closer to where people live.  The new centres will be located at Corringham, at TIlbury, at Purfleet and at Grays.

“By far the biggest item in my post bag is the difficulty residents face when trying to see a GP. It is for that reason that the proposal was made to develop new GP services in medical centres which would also provide for hospital outpatient services.  The new services will offer much better local health services than those we currently enjoy.

“It is disappointing that both the Labour Party and the Thurrock Independents are seeking to exploit people’s natural anxieties when good community leaders ought to be trying to reassure the public.  We can rely on the NHS to want to do the best for patients and I expect community leaders to get behind these proposals and make them work.  To fight for the retention of services in a building which is past its sell by date really lacks ambition for our local health services.  If we want the best possible services it is time to get behind the NHS and support these proposals.