Local NHS Provision
At their meeting on 18th July, Okehampton Labour Party members discussed the imminent closure of the local maternity unit and unanimously condemned this act, in a rural area with so many potentially isolated and vulnerable residents.
The meeting heard that the 'vision' of the NHS NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group for the Okehampton area is that 'patients will receive the best affordable healthcare available from within current resources and this will be easily accessible to local people'.
A lively debate followed as to how affordability and current resources are entirely dependant on how far the government are prepared to support the NHS and it was generally agreed that the withdrawal of services certainly does nothing to promote easy accessibility.
An explanation was given as to how the Health and Social Care Act 2012, brought into being by the recent Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition Government, created the 211 Clinical Commissioning Groups we have today and had the effect of further distancing the government from accountability for what health services are provided.
This means that the government can no longer guarantee patients a universal service, which was one of the founding principles of the NHS when it was set up by the post-war Labour Government.
The latest rounds of cuts are part of the government enforced 'Sustainability and Transformation Plans' designed to achieve £22bn of 'efficiency' savings by 2020/21.
Members were reminded that our local MP has expressed his disappointment at the planned closure despite having consistently voted with the government in favour of these cuts.
Many of those present were involved in the recent election campaign and reported the level of alarm that is felt by the local population about the ever worsening state of the NHS, that only functions as well as it does through the sheer dedication and determination of its staff.
Members were reminded that a Labour Government would be committed to a fully funded universal healthcare service run according to need and not to satisfy the profit motive nor subject to market forces as is increasingly the case.
The meeting resolved to express their concerns in a letter to Mel Stride MP, asking him to justify his government's retrograde actions.
Ray Aplin, Chair