Christopher Pincher Meets Health Secretary to Raise Peel Concerns

Tuesday, October 28th, 2014
Christopher Pincher and Jeremy Hunt in the Department of Health last week

Christopher Pincher and Jeremy Hunt in the Department of Health last week

Last Wednesday Tamworth’s Member of Parliament, Christopher Pincher, secured a private meeting with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt MP at the Department of Health to highlight his concerns about the proposed change to services at the Robert Peel hospital, which are being pursued by the Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Mr Pincher told Mr Hunt that the Burton Trust wants to transfer day case surgery to other hospitals. He said that will leave patients at risk of having to travel further and wait longer for their day surgery. He spent over half an hour in a private meeting with the Secretary of State.

After the meeting Mr Pincher said, “I am pleased I was able to see the Secretary of State and raise my concerns about the Burton Trust’s proposals at the highest level. Mr Hunt was very concerned by what he heard and has promised to look into the situation urgently.

“We all accept that the NHS is not set in aspic and is not immune to change. It has changed a great deal over the last sixty years in response to new medicine and new needs and it must continue to adapt to meet changing demands from an increasingly ageing population across our country. But changes, which unfairly disadvantage local people, are not acceptable. We also need to hear from the Burton Trust what new services they will operate from the Sir Robert Peel in response to changing patient needs.

“I will let local people and hospital staff know when I hear back from Jeremy Hunt. Meanwhile, if people want to raise the issue with me, they can do so by emailing christopher.pincher.mp@parliament.uk or by writing to me at 23 Albert Road, Tamworth B79 7JS.”

Earlier this year Mr Pincher highlighted his concerns about potential changes at Sir Robert Peel in a special debate on the issue in the House of Commons. Together with Andrew Griffiths, MP for Burton, he also led a local health delegation to see junior Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter.