Campaigners take fight for Folkestone Royal Victoria to Westminster

9.48.16am GMT Mon 15th Jan 2007

Lynne Beaumont at the Royal Victoria Hospital

Shepway Liberal Democrats are travelling to Westminster on Tuesday 16th January to take part in a lobby of Parliament organised by the All Party Group for Local Hospitals. They will meet with the Lib Dem Shadow Health Secretary Norman Lamb MP and update him on the threat to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Folkestone.

Shepway Lib Dem campaigner Peter Carroll who is attending the event said, 'Local hospital services all across the UK are under threat. The situation is so bad, that 13 members of Tony Blair's Government have been involved in campaigns in their own areas to oppose cuts. Local people want the NHS to provide services locally - not shut local hospitals and transfer services miles away'.

Lib Dem Cllr Lynne Beaumont who represents the area in which the RVH is located said:

"Central government may have increased funding for the NHS but it's not always how much you spend, it's how you spend it. Local people have told me 'loud and clear' that they want their local hospital to develop - not be sold off. After recent meetings with the NHS I am gravely concerned that they are simply not listening to local people and being driven instead by funding. They won't even confirm that if the sale goes ahead all the money raised will remain in Shepway."

Folkestone Lib Dem Cllr Tim Prater said:

"We will do all we can to keep all current local NHS services, including the Derry Unit, in Folkestone for local people'.

Local people can sign up in support of the campaign to oppose the sell-off by logging onto www.sorv.org.uk