BOB LAYZELL
VICARAGE RD came to a standstill at one time yesterday 10/1/07 not because of football,but due to traffic trying to turn into the hosp.As far as I can find out it wasnt due to any emergency.Perhaps H/H
Hosp. will be opened during the football season so as not to interfere with the
hornets
BOB LAYZELL
Its not just closures as a 75yr.old diebetic,Ican no longer get my feet checked at the chirpoedy clinic. To go private will cost £72 every 10/12 weeks for my wife and myself.Because the
chiropedist insists on one session each at £36 for half an hour
NG
For some (mistaken) reason, people are under the distinct impression that the Government and its various departments/ministers have even the slightest interest or concern in the care and welfare of the citizens of Great Britain. They don't! the only real concern is 'balancing the books'. ALL decisions of this nature are taken (primarily) with 'financial constraints' (as they are diplomatically termed) in mind. Patient care etc are way, way, way down on their list of priorities. It is an unfortunate reality of life in the UK, MONEY RULES EVERYTHING. The sooner we understand, recognise and accept this basic principle, the sooner such decisions will be dealt with rationally. In the eyes of Governement ministers, we are all just little '£' signs walking around, we either make money for the treasury &/or cost money. Nothing else matters, which is a shame because most of us deserve far better than that.
MJ
It is bad enough at Watford without putting more into it. It has to be one of the most unclean hospitals around !!!!!!!!People cant travel for mile to get to a A&E department. Where does all the council tax go !!!!!!!!
C N
Think it is appaling and that patient care has not been considered. The traffic between towns to get to the other side of the county could cost lives!
J THOMAS
No Mr Law, Watford doesn't have good cardiac facilities but there is a fantastic new Cardiac Catheter Lab at Hemel Hospital so why close it?
peter w s
I only hope the people who make these decisions have to face the same situation as those who undoubtly will suffer in traffic jams as the rest of us
R Farmer
What a surprise - the only acute services in Hertfordshire will be in the two places with marginal Labour seats.
Has anyone budgeted for any law suits that arise as people in West Hertfordshire die before they get to Watford. Does anyone making these decisions have the remotest notion what the traffic is like trying to get from Harpenden or St Albans to Watford. Do they care?
Gordon Enstone
These Measure were recommended in 1997 in a paper by the NHS saying That each county should have 1 A&E dept per 500.000 of the population its only now that they have introduced it under the disguse of no money.And it Was stated that the two hospitals for Hertfordshire would be Lister At Stevenage and Watford general So why are people suprised now
David Angell
I was not suprised to see Claire Ward and the Trust try to invoke the claim that the people of Hemel Hempstead are 'small minded' because they are concerned about Hemel Hempstead Hospital first and foremost. That's a no-brainer, we live there. What she is trying to do is divide what is a united cause - a cause that believes all areas should have local services.
If you visit the campaign sites, you will see 1000's of her own constituents supporting the Save Hemel Hospital campaign and likewise, the Hemel Hospital Campaign supporting her own hospital.
In fact it can be said Mrs Ward is an 'IMBY' - 'In My Back Yard', similar to 'NIMBY', but instead believing that everything should be in her back yard regardless of the needs of the whole region.
Paul Emerton
82% voted to keep services. The board voted 9 to 1 to close Hemel A&E and shut down the major part of Hemel Hempstead Hospital. This was after the consultation had closed and people from St.Albans and surrounding areas were fooled into thinking the Hatfield Hospital would be built.
As such, hundreds are now calling for the total resignation of the WHHT board. Of the proposed 750 who are to be sacked due to debts, I suggest David Law (WHHT Chief Exec) and Thomas Hanahoe (WHHT Chair) be the first to go - since they themselves admitted they were accountable for the debts and the state of the Trust.
The people of Dacorum, and those from everywhere in any catchment area of the WHHT Hospitals simply do not trust the Trust.
Philip G Bell
Trauma Centres must be situated so that where ever an emergency happens there is minimum time elapsed to get treatment. If a Chief Executive cannot accept that over costs then the CE is not doing the job paid for and should be sacked. Manage the situation. Point of Care staff and facilities should be protected at all times. If money has to be cut then look carefully at admin - just like industry has had to do!
John Andrew
This is just the start on the decline of our NHS facilities in Hertfordshire, and considering the poputation growth and age profile of the area it will lead to a very poor service for some of us. I live in Hertford and we were promised a new hospital at Hatfield but this is on hold and now they are considering to do the same as with Hemel Hempstead to the Lister at Stevenage and QE2 at Welwyn.
I feel that this is totally
unacceptable and that we should all do as much as we can to ensure our services and fully supported and closers are kept to a minimium.
Ian Walker
I am disgusted at the health authorites decesion to close Hemel Hospital's A & E. 3 big towns and several smaller ones all meant to attend an old Watford Hospital A&E next to a big football stadium. Oh well done! Nevermind the NHS has had its best year Hewit says! People should riot!
BARBARA GUNNING
I AM A WORKER AT HEMEL HEMPSTEAD HOSPITAL, IF I GO TO WATFORD I NEED TO RE APPLY FOR MY JOB, I THINK THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS, AND WOULD I HAVE A JOB AT THE END,
John W. Hemel
So the choice is to place emergency care in an old hospital that shares roads with a residential area, a football club and a rugby club. Hemel may be smaller but road access from the M1 and M25 is down unrestricted dual carriageways and bus only routes. Sadly I have had to make high speed emergency runs to Watford. Only a callus bean counter who lives to the South of Watford would even think about closing Hemel’s A&E.
TRACY MIDDLETON
THE EMERGENCY FACILITIES AT HEMEL SAVED MY BROTHERS LIFE WHEN HE SUFFERED A BURST APPENDIX. IF HE HAD TO TRAVEL TO WATFORD DURING THE RUSH HOUR HE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE DIED
Tom Jones
And the QE2 Hospital is also to close with centralization of services for East and North Herts at the Lister, Stevenage. God help the people of St. Albans!
freddy
Clair Ward the MP for Watford said on radio that
this closure will prevent
people being turned away when scheduled for operations because beds are
taken by emergency cases !!
Anyone with 1/2 a brain
might ask numerous questions
about such a stupid statement (and person as an
MP) - how does closing an
A&E help free beds up ?
shouldn't beds be used to
the max - and so sometimes
scheduled ops have to be
dropped due to emergencies?
She seems to live on another
planet and be against access
to the NHS and good use of
its resources. Sad really that this is the quality of
politician we now have in
the UK.
Sandra Hill
Why not sell the site at watford hospital to the football ground as the want to expand it - that will give them enough money to either enlarge hemel & st albans or build a new hospital- at the moment if there is a football or rugby match at vicarage road the traffic level around a hospital with an A & E dept is dangerously high
John Percival
I hope that the electors in the Hemel Hempstead area will express their views when the next elections come around.
They will have a chance to voice theit opinions through a boycott of the polling booth both in council and state elections.
If we are to lose all or part of our hospital then a witholding of part or all of council tax must be a serious consideration.
I could envisage, and I hope that it will never come to that, a progression towards civil Dissobediance should the wishes of the Hospital catchment area be wantonly ignored in this way.
Robin Peter
The whole situation within the NHS is an absolute disgrace. Labour have promised so much but now they are delivering so little in real terms in improving patient care. The goverment waste little time laying the blame at local management, whilst carefully ignoring two important facts; the way that funding works means that Trusts cannot balance the books and secondly, the incompetent management systems and the people delivering them were put in place by the government. I live in North Watford but work in West London in a senior nursing post. Against the very difficult prevailing financial circumstances I work very hard within my department to provide an efficient and effective service.
David K - St Albans
I live on the North side of St Albans, We have lost our Cities A & E, Now Hemel Hempstead Hospital and I understand QE2 in Welwyn Garden City is under threat.
It is hard to survive a journey to Watford if you are healthy, never mind if you are sick.
luke gurney
this is a load of crap how are we suppose to go all the way to watford in the event of an accident. the goverment will kill more people in the end
Catherine S
I can't see how this will improve care, more people will have to travel longer distances and probably wait longer times when they get to A&E due to the extra numbers using the facilities. It will also push people at the edge of the area into other health authorities A&E's i.e. Stoke Mandeville or High Wycombe which will just mean the financial pressures become someone elses problem!
julia balmer
It breaks my heart.I worked at the hospital for 22years. In the end it was staffed with management that were only interested with their autonomy not the people of hemel hempstead. I am a pensioner now and it's quite obvious all we now need is legal euthenasia
R. Empson
If your are on a fixed income, and need to attend the hospital, how are you supposed to get there? WALK.
Gavin Chapman
I've used the Hemel A+E a couple of times, and the standard of care is excellent, I'm appalled that an area as large as Hemel and it's surrounding areas is going to not have an A+E within it. It makes no sense, watford is at least 10 mins away at ambulance speeds, that amount of time could be critical in a life and death situation.
Jacqueline Bolton
A couple of years ago a close relative fell and damaged a hip, nearby to Hemel Hospital, it was distressing, and very painful, just being wheeled a few metres for treatment, - I can't imagine the additional suffering that would have been if there had not been facilities close by.
Hemel has existed as a 'new town for fifty years, we have been fortunate to have the hospital, which has grown with the town. Many of the residents are the original 'Migrants' from inner city areas, or their children, and so I guess the population would have a large number of people 50 -90 years, - just the time in life when one is most likely to need good NHs facilities close by. For those who have been fortunate enough to have private medical insurance (Perhaps through employment) they may not escape the misery of no NHS Hospital nearby, - if they find that as they get older the premiums (Which inevitably increase with higher risk of claim) are not affordable. Private healthcare also becomes irrellavant if one has been involved in an accident, which occurred in an area where there is not an appropriate private facility. We can not choose the geographic location, where we get injured, or be taken seriously ill.
SC, Hemel
I had to go to Watford General the other day at non-rush hour time and it took me 40 minutes from Hemel. Luckily my life wasn't in danger. I am pregnant and dreading Watford because of distance and also hoping I do not go into labour on match day as I will probably end up giving birth in the car. We don't have much in Hemel as it is..closing schools, hospital.what next - I dread to think.
John, Hemel
I was fuming when I heard Clare Ward on the radio this morning. She said it was good because now people who had hernia operations cancelled in Watford because of the pressures on A & E could be taken to St Albans. Excuse me. But there's TIME to sort out a new date for someone with a hernia. what about the people of St Albans and Hemel who have had a heart attack or who have been in an accident and a matter of MINUTES could make the difference to whether they lived or died?
Caroline, St Albans
I am very sad and angry. I live in St Albans and I remember when they took our A and E away. They said that it was OK because we could go to Hemel A and E. And now they are taking that away too. On my side of St Albans they've been taking us to the QE2 in WGC. Now they say that might lose its A and E too. Where are we supposed to go? Have you ever tried getting to Watford hospital on a match day or a shopping day - i.e. any day!
