Hospital referendum petition is launched
A campaign has been launched calling for a local referendum to give residents a voice over the potential downgrading of Cannock and Stafford hospitals.
The online petiton – set up by Rolfe Pearce who also started a campaign to save Stafford's A&E department that was supported by thousands of people – is calling on local politicians to arrange the vote.
It comes after the dire financial position of Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust was revealed by health regulator Monitor last month.
Following the report, there were fears that services could be drastically scaled back at both sites.
Mr Pearce said it would be "scandalous" to downsize the hospitals after the taxpayer has ploughed in millions of pounds.
He said that he wanted to see them become centres of excellence for dementia and the elderly.
The professional foster carer said: "The Monitor report fails to advise that with more investment to utilise unused facilities, and centring services like dementia services for which the hospital is already rated an centre of excellence, the hospitals could be brought quickly back to viability.
"These are just the type of services which clog other hospitals in the area.
"If centred in Mid Staffs, the trust would quickly become financially viable and all the wards in Cannock would be utilised as the bed stay day count would increase and the NHS funds would flow into the trust.
"We have facilities at Cannock and Stafford and the taxpayer has ploughed millions into making Stafford better.
"We can't look at downsizing just because of the results of the Francis Report – that would be the true scandal. What a waste of money.
"I want to see Stafford Hospital turned around from being a basket case of appalling conditions and treatment to a centre of excellence for the elderly, who they failed to look after before."
Last week, the long-awaited results of the public inquiry into appalling standards of care at Stafford, where hundreds of patients died unnecessarily, were revealed.
They provided almost 300 recommendations to improve the NHS as a whole.
Mr Pearce added: "David Cameron said in the House of Commons that no changes under the Health and Social care Act 2012 can go ahead unless the public agree through a public consultation. "
To view the new petition, visit epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/44998. The deadline to sign is July.
