FISHER FUELS HEALTH FEARS IN CROYDON

In a week where nurses and doctors in Croydon and the country have been working on fighting the worldwide flu pandemic, Councillor Fisher, the current Council leader, has been caught out playing politics with peoples lives. He has shown his complete inability to grasp the facts about what might be best for Stroke services in Croydon.  

His ill-judged calling of an extra Council meeting at short notice, and at a cost of thousands of pounds to the hard pressed taxpayers of Croydon, has now been exposed as a shallow and desperate attempt to piggyback onto Andrew Pelling’s campaign regarding Mayday. 

Cllr Alison Butler said: 

‘Cllr Fisher has called a debate to retain a “hyper acute stroke unit at Mayday”. The only problem is there is not one there to retain!

As his own health expert and Conservative Councillor Bass has already informed him “Maydays role is safeguarded as a recognised stroke unit within the new framework” (G Bass 27 April 2009). Clearly the key issue here is that Croydon’s residents have access to world class facilities 24 hours a day.’ 

Alison added:

‘Whether through sheer incompetence, or something worse, Councillor Fisher is misleading fellow Councillors, but more importantly in a week when people are already concerned about swine flu he presumably thinks it right to add to their worries’ 

Cllr Maggie Mansell, Labour Health Spokesperson commented: 

‘Councillor Fisher would be well advised to spend a little more time studying the facts, before pontificating on issues he clearly does not understand. Instead of frightening people, he should be welcoming the hundreds of millions of pounds the Government have, in recent years, invested into Mayday Hospital and other local health services, that have, frankly, transformed NHS services for local people.’ 

Labour Councillor for Fieldway Ward, Carole Bonner said:

‘As someone who spent almost two weeks in Mayday Hospital at the end of last year, I have nothing but praise for the standard of clinical care and the dedication of staff at Mayday. As it is clear Councillor Fisher is unaware of what services are provided at the hospital, I am sure either myself, or Councillor Graham Bass, will gladly give him a guided tour at a time of his choosing.”