PRESS STATEMENT 11th June 2001

Members of this week sent congratulations to Richard Taylor, the retired hospital consultant from Kidderminster. Dr Taylor scored an historic victory for "people power" in last week's General Election, trouncing the sitting M.P. - a former Junior Minister - over the issue of downgrading at the local hospital. Richard Taylor's campaigning group, "Health Concern" has been fighting the closure of Kidderminster Hospital's A&E Department for the past two years.

spokesperson Marna Blundy said this week: "There are many similarities between the cuts in Kidderminster and the proposals for Penzance. Dr Taylor was told that acute services in Kidderminster had become unsafe, that there were not enough patients, not enough specialists, or facilities for cardiac services. These arguments sound strangely familiar! I suspect that hospital managers both down here and up there have been on the same "hospital cutbacks training course" - they all speak the same language! However, Dr Taylor's astonishing victory at the polls gives us great encouragement. He has demonstrated that people are passionate about local health provision and will go to extra-ordinary lengths to demonstrate their feelings." (Dr Taylor won the election at Wyre Forest with an 18,000 majority.)

"Here in West Cornwall we are fortunate in that all the parliamentary candidates stood with us in fighting for the retention and enhancement of hospital services in Penzance. Our re-elected M.P. Andrew George is tireless in his support for health services in this area. So too are the parish, town and district councils, along with the League of Friends. The alliance is formidable, and demonstrates the strength of people power which, when harnessed, will we believe be invincible."

Co-ordinator: Marna Blundy, 4 Botallack Moor, St Just, PENZANCE, Cornwall TR19 7QH
Tel / Fax 01736 788107
Email: westcornwallhealthwatch@yahoo.co.uk