Hospital petition

Conservatives in Copeland are collecting signatures on the following petition to support our hospital services and express concern about the CATS proposals.


"WE THE UNDERSIGNED,

· Insist that District General Hospital services, including maternity, Accident and Emergency, Orthopaedics, and Paediatrics, must continue to be provided in Copeland

· Note that the great majority of local clinicians and NHS managers believe that the government’s CATS contract, if imposed in its original form, could result in service closures in West Cumbria

· Call on the Department of Health, Strategic Health Authority, and PCT not to impose the CATS model on Cumbria either in its original form or any other variant which is likely to reduce either Acute or Community hospital provision in West Cumbria or elsewhere in the county."


This petition is not entirely dissimilar to one set up by local doctors which has had 10,000 signatures already, and is meant to complement and support the doctors' campaign.

The CATS proposals - this stands for "Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Support" - would involve a number of diagnostic assessment and treatment centres which are part of and paid for by the NHS but also involve the private sector. The initial proposals are based on a standard national contract. Unfortunately the national model does not look right for Cumbria - the Chief Exec of the Acute Services trust has said that if implemented in the wrong way (e.g. in as per the initial proposals) CATS could "decimate" hospitals in Cumbria.

If you would like to support this petition, or would like me to send you a paper copy on which to collect signatures, please post a comment here or send me an email at chris4copeland@btinternet.com