Brake puts the Government under pressure again on St Helier
May 22, 2009 6:29 PM
In Parliament this week, local Lib Dem MP Tom Brake raised the stakes higher in his ongoing campaign to secure the funding needed to redevelop St Helier Hospital.
Week after week, Tom is increasing the pressure on the Government to save St Helier Hospital. This new parliamentary debate comes after concessions given by Gordon Brown and Alan Johnson earlier this month.
This week it was the Health Minister Ben Bradshaw's turn to challenged by Tom to take personal responsibility for ensuring the business case for approving the investment needed to refurbish St Helier passes through his department without any hitches or delays.
In his response, Mr Bradshaw confirmed that the Department of Health will review the business case at the same time as NHS London, rather than afterwards, in order to speed up the process of granting the investment needed in our local hospital
Tom commented:
'Approval is needed by both the Department of Health and NHS London - I am pleased that Mr Bradshaw confirmed to me in the debate that his department will review the business case at the same time in order to speed up the process of granting the investment needed in our local hospital.
'In a short period of time, I received three strong guarantees from Governmental sources and I am confident for the future of our local hospital.
I also would like to take the opportunity to thank local residents for their continued support for my campaign to secure the investment needed to bring St Helier Hospital into the 21st century and safeguard local jobs for local people, and local beds for local patients.'
Earlier this month, Mr Brake secured further concessions from the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson. In an answer to Tom in Health Questions in the Chamber, Mr Johnson confirmed that the redevelopment of St Helier "is the type of project that we (the Government) want to succeed". He went on to say that bringing St Helier into the 21st Century is "absolutely essential."
Residents can add their name to the Lib Dem petition to 'Save Our St Helier' at www.tombrake.co.uk/petitions/
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