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Virendra Sharma fighting to protect Ealing Hospital Acute Services
I have a longstanding policy of not sharing a platform with Gurcharan Singh because of his divisive and unethical political activities. Yesterday along with all the Labour candidates in Ealing Southall I wrote a letter to David Cameron calling on him to withdraw his endorsement of Cllr Singh as a Tory candidate because of his total unsuitability. Unfortunately this meant I was unable to attend the meeting. I provided a written statement reiterating my total support for the Save Our Services Campaign for Ealing Hospital and outlining the many actions I have taken to protect acute services there. I am happy to meet with any constituent to discuss the issue and let them know what I am doing to protect services at Ealing Hospital.
My Statement that was read out at last night's meeting -
When the Tories were last in power we regularly had a "winter crisis" in our hospitals with patients dying on trolleys in corridors because of a shortage of beds and chronic under-investment in the NHS. Waiting times for treatment were regularly up to 18 months.
Since then Labour has invested massively in the NHS and in these difficult economic times we are now promising to protect health budgets and guard frontline health services.
Under Labour there are now 89,000 more nurses and 44,000 doctors than in 1997 and Hospital waiting times are at there lowest levels since records began with a guarantee of treatment within 18 weeks. Suspecting you have cancer can be a terrifying ordeal, that's why Labour has introduced the two-week guarantee on cancer referrals that the Tories have said they will scrap. The Tories have also said they will scrap the 18 week and the 4 hour A & E treatment guarantees. The Tories can't be trusted to protect the NHS.
I'm fully signed up to the Gazette's "Save our Services" Campaign to protect Ealing Hospital's acute services. I have met with all the key decision makers and the consultants at Ealing Hospital and have raised the concerns of local residents in Parliament, tabling an early day motion and speaking in a recent debate about Health Services in London. In this debate I was given a categorical assurance from the Health Minister that there are no plans to close Ealing Hospital's A & E Department.
My children and grandchildren were born in Ealing Hospital and it is my local hospital, just a short walk from my home, so I know how important it is to local people. I will fight to protect it and all other local NHS services until the day I die.
8 Comments
Labour Party Authors
Steve Pound
Ealing North
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Bassam Mahfouz
Ealing Central & Acton
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Virendra Sharma
Ealing Southall
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And why is it then one of the worst hospitals in the country?
I wonder if your stance may have more to do with appealing to the Unite/Unison... trade union gaggle who work in the NHS and who are helping finance the Labour Party rather than a concern for the well-being of the average Ealing resident who needs to have acceptable medical services available? Have you actually polled the Ealing residents to see if they might not want a new hospital that works better?
"SHAMELESS SHARMA" strikes again! Do you honestly think that it would suffice to just have a statement read out. Unfortunately Mr Sharma, you are on cloud cookoo land if you think you've an unequival confirmation that the services at Ealing Hospital are safe. Do you honestly think that you have single handedly stemmed the tide of NHS privatisation?!?! Even though your own party will not commit to stopping it?!
I really DO NOT want you to represent me. You're useless and your "no show" proves it.
You are not only a complete disgrace but a coward too. Mr Singh has clearly spoken out on policy yet your campaign centres on nothing but smear. You should be ashamed.
If Sharma cared about the hospital, surely he would have attended the debate about it - Lib Dem Nigel Bakhai and Conservative Gurcharan Singh did, but Sharma didn't.
Mr Sharma,
I would like to remind you of the statement you made to the Ealing Gazette:
"I am happy to meet with any constituent to discuss the issue and let them know what I am doing to protect services at Ealing Hospital."
I am asking you as a constituent please meet with me to discuss my concerns. You can use this forum to name the time/ place. I look forward to hearing from you.
Save Lives: Close Ealing Hospital.