Month: February 2013

Catastrophic PFI Contracts Threaten Cambridgeshire Health Services

08:24 Thursday 7th February 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: MPs have delivered their verdict on what has been described as one of the worst reports ever seen within the NHS. “Catastrophic” was a word used to describe the Private Finance Initiative for Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Trust. The future of two of the county’s hospitals is inow in doubt, although we have heard this morning that Peterborough will not be closed. Stewart Jackson MP for Peterborough has that guarantee from the Health Minister. But regional health bosses and the Labour Government have been blamed for what went wrong here. Earlier, MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson, who called for the investigation by the Public Accounts Committee, had this to say. (TAPE)
STEWART JACKSON: I’ve had a personal guarantee from Secretary of State that Peterborough Hospital will not be closed. It’s not a situation where either of the hospitals are likely to be closed. But there will be some difficult decisions, reconfigurations, and some cuts in clinical services, to keep jobs and clinical care at the Hospital. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: He also went on to say he didn’t think either hospital would close. But he went on to blame other people for what was going on, including the last Labour Government, and said that Andy Burnham, the Health Minister at the time, needs to be called to account. Well we can speak to Ed Murphy. He was the Labour Parliamentary Candidate in Peterborough at the least election. So Labour have to shoulder some blame here Ed, for what they did, and particularly Andy Burnham. Continue reading “Catastrophic PFI Contracts Threaten Cambridgeshire Health Services”

Health Minister Reacts to Francis Report

17:05 Wednesday 6th February 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: A public inquiry into “appalling failings” within the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust, believed to have contributed to the deaths of at least 400 patients, has called for a zero tolerance approach to poor standards of NHS care in England. In his second highly critical report, Robert Francis describes a failure of NHS systems at every level. (TAPE)
ROBERT FRANCIS QC: This is a story of appalling and unnecessary suffering of hundreds of people. They were failed by a system which ignored the warning signs, and put corporate self interest and cost control ahead of patients and their safety. I have today made 290 recommendations, designed to change this culture, and make sure that patients come first. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: And later in the Commons David Cameron offered an apology. (TAPE)
DAVID CAMERON: This public inquiry not only repeats earlier findings but it also shows these wider systemic failures. So I’d like to go further as Prime Minister, and apologise to the families of all those who suffered, for the way that the system allowed this horrific abuse to go unchecked and unchallenged for so long. On behalf of the Government and indeed our country, I’m truly sorry. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: But all this comes too late for Christine Dalziel. Her 64 year old husband George died at the hospital after surgery for bowel cancer. She says he was so scared of the nurse, he didn’t ask for help. (TAPE)
CHRISTINE DALZIEL: He was frightened to drink. He was frightened that he would actually mess the bed again, because she was so nasty with him, and he had to call her. They were just completely left on their own all the time. And if they rang the bell, it was very rare the nurses or anybody came to see them. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: Well earlier I got reaction to the report from the Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter, who’s also the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich. Continue reading “Health Minister Reacts to Francis Report”

Andrew Gilbert On David Cameron

08:21 Wednesday 6th February 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: David Cameron’s plans to legalise gay marriage have overwhelmingly been approved in the Commons last night. But at what cost to him? More Conservatives opposed the idea than supported it, and the measure only went through with the help of Labour and the LibDems. So what does it mean for the Prime Minister? Is he holed beneath the waterline? Well Andrew Gilbert is a Principal Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University studying the Conservative Party as part of his PhD. So, is he a sunken ship? Is he an injured soldier? What’s going on here? Continue reading “Andrew Gilbert On David Cameron”

The Gay Marriage Vote – A BBC Analysis

Tuesday 5th February 2013
Mark Forrest BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

20:00
[G]RAHAM BARNARD: Government plans to allow gay couples to marry have cleared their first Parliamentary hurdle, but it’s thought many Conservative MPs voted against the Bill. MPs voted this evening by 400 to 175 to support same-sex marriages, a majority of 225, but the large number of No votes suggested that many Tory backbenchers took advantage of the free vote to register their opposition to the proposals. The Conservative MP Tim Lawton insisted the No vote wasn’t a revolt. (TAPE)
TIM LAWTON: Let’s just put this into perspective. This is not Conservative Party policy. It was a free vote, and therefore MPs are free to vote as their conscience leads them, accountable to our own constituents. This is not a rebellion against the Government, against the Conservative Party, or even really against the Prime Minister. This is a clear body of concern on this specific issue. Continue reading “The Gay Marriage Vote – A BBC Analysis”

Stewart Jackson On Gay Marriage

11:20 Monday 4th February 2013
Andy Harper Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDY HARPER: Now I know that we have talked about this before, but we are now on the eve of this debate in Parliament. The Times leads with “Tory gay marriage rebels are told you are out of touch.” Do you think you are out of touch with the general public and your constituents?
STEWART JACKSON: Absolutely not. I’ve had about 350 letters and emails about this issue, over 300 have expressed a very strong opposition to the proposals and the legislation, including some very high up officials in the Anglican Church living in my constituency, and about less than 20 in favour. And my view is that if the legislation is of such great importance, then why wasn’t it in our manifesto, and why isn’t it in our forthcoming manifesto for the 2015 election. Not one Conservative Member of Parliament was elected on a mandate to disregard traditional marriage and force a hierarchy of equalities, whereby equal marriage campaigners are saying your religious tolerance is less important than my right to get married to a same-sex person. And I think that’s absolutely the wrong attitude. It’s unnecessary. There’s no mandate. And it will cause endless legal problems in our society. Continue reading “Stewart Jackson On Gay Marriage”

The Subversion Of Local Democracy

Monday 4th February 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

06:05
[L]OUISE NEIL: A Peterborough councillor is planning to write to the Prime Minister to ask why the city needs 57 councillors. Charlie Swift says the outsourcing of services has left him feeling pointless. Katie Prickett reports:
KATIE PRICKETT: Traditionally local services were provided directly by local councils, but in recent years housing, libraries, care and bin collections have all been outsourced. And more and more schools are becoming independent of local government control. Peterborough City councillor Charlie Swift says it’s left him unable to intervene if somebody has a problem, and feeling as if there’s no place for a councillor. So he’s planning to write to David Cameron to ask why there are so many councillors, and what their role actually is now.
Continue reading “The Subversion Of Local Democracy”

Peterborough Council Withholds Data On Solar Panel Income As MEP Joins Critics

07:20 Friday 1st February 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: An East of England MEP has got himself embroiled in the solar farm row in Peterborough. He’s going to meet with local councillors and activists over plans to build this farm later. UKIP’s Stuart Agnew will meet activists as consultation closes on proposals for this 900 acre site. Peterborough City Council says the farm, which will be built on agricultural land, could make £100 million for taxpayers. But Stuart Agnew the MEP says the proposal is heavily reliant on subsidies. Continue reading “Peterborough Council Withholds Data On Solar Panel Income As MEP Joins Critics”