8 October 2008
On October 16th Andrew Lansley MP, Shadow Health Secretary is visiting Horton General Hospital. This follows the decision of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on the future of the Horton.
Andrew Lansley will be having a private meeting with Andrea Young, Chief Executive of the Oxfordshire Primary Healthcare Trust. He will then be touring the Horton Hospital, visiting the paediatric, maternity and other key departments. Following this he will meet PCT executives, senior consultants and key nursing staff at the hospital.
Andrew Lansley will be accompanied on the tour and the meeting with PCT executives and hospital staff by local MP Tony Baldry.
Once Andrew Lansley has completed his visit to the Horton he will go to Horsefair Surgery to meet local GPs where he will discuss their concerns about changes to GP practices, in particular the proposed Darzi centre in Banbury.
Following this at 3.10pm there will be a Press Conference and Photocall at Horsefair Surgery.
Andrew Lansley said at the recent Conservative Party Conference:
“Top-down pressure to shut local maternity and A&E services will be ended. We are already winning our battle against cuts to those services.
“At the Horton Hospital in Banbury, and at Eastbourne, our arguments have won. At both hospitals, consultant-led obstetric services will be retained.
“We will carry on the fight to ensure people will get the choice and local access they expect.
“And because we will put power and responsibility back in the hands of GPs, no longer will it be possible for top-down plans to impose distant, impersonal polyclinics, undermining trusted family doctor services.”
