Stella Creasy, Labour's Candidate for Walthamstow in the general election on May 7th, is organising a Public Workshop:
"Protecting Our NHS, Building a Health Service for the Future"
It's on Saturday 11 April 2015 2pm in Central Walthamstow.
Stella writes:
"Hello!
I'm writing to invite you to a community discussion I have organised for this coming Saturday 11 April at 2pm in central Walthamstow on this topic.
My track record shows protecting our NHS is a key priority for me- and at this election the stakes could not be higher. Whipps Cross Hospital has gone into special measures and our GPs are overstretched, as our NHS comes under threat. Frontline staff are doing their best, but cuts to services and this Government’s hated Health and Social Care Act have made their job almost impossible.
Whilst some of the problems with our local healthcare are longstanding, the fragmentation of responsibility this legislation created has allowed different organisations to blame each other for problems. Without action, early diagnosis of conditions will become only for those who can afford to pay for treatment, and residents will continue to experience poor health outcomes as a result. We need a plan not just to resolve the problems with Whipps Cross hospital, but also with access to all healthcare services locally so that they remain free at the point of need. We also need to ensure our services meet the needs of our changing population. That means not just investment in services but also joining up mental, social, public and primary healthcare so that everyone can get the support they need to be well throughout their lives.
At this meeting we will hear first hand from healthcare practitioners and patients about their experiences and ideas for how to tackle these challenges. The meeting will go on for no longer than 90 minutes and all Walthamstow residents are welcome. If you would like to come along please
RSVP to me for details of the venue - and if you plan to invite other people to attend please do ask them to
RSVP to me as well so we can ensure we have enough materials for all participants to contribute. If you cannot attend but would like to know the outcome of this discussion please do
let me know.
I hope you will join us for what should be a powerful afternoon, working together as a community to protect our NHS- if you would like to know more about this issue and our campaign please
do get in touch"
