Prior to becoming a councillor in May this year I was
already speaking out as part of MP Mike Wood's Save Our NHS group and took to the
streets at both save our hospital marches in Dewsbury.
Since becoming a councillor I have lobbied the joint
health scrutiny panel on behalf of my worried constituents and a local hospital
campaign group, attended Clinical Commissioning Group meetings and questioned
the chair Dr Kelly about their plans as well as responding via letter to Simon
Reevel's bizarre request in the Huddersfield Examiner for the Dewsbury A&E
to be closed.
I have done all this for several reasons; as a rugby
player I was always lucky enough to have a high quality local A&E to call
upon when injured, more recently we have used the services of a consultancy led
maternity ward and having a young family draw comfort from having comprehensive
hospital services within easy reach. Being able to use our local hospital
means not only having good local service
but also the support of family close by which is so important particularly to
children and older people.
During my election campaign many people raised the issue
of the future of our hospital on the doorstep and no one I spoke to believed it
was safe. This why I have and will continue to campaign to safeguard local
services.
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