We have more time now as the transfer of 12 community hospitals in Eastern Devon has been deferred from 1 June to the autumn.
Here’s what you can do to help the cause:
This morning’s protest demo outside Ottery Hospital, where around 250 people and a pantomime horse turned out on a cold, windy and rainy Saturday.
Residents from around the Ottery parish and beyond are expected to gather tomorrow morning at 11am outside Ottery Hospital, to express their anger at NHS Property Services acquiring Ottery Hospital (and 11 others across Eastern Devon) charging the local NHS huge commercial rents for the building.
There are fears that if the local NHS (currently around £80m in debt) cannot pay the rents the building may be sold off, as has happened in other areas of the country.
Local people fundraised around £250,000 to help build the hospital just 20 years ago - and now the government is deliberately putting our hospital’s future at risk.
NHS Property Services is a limited company wholly owned by the secretary of state for health - see http://www.property.nhs.uk/
The company’s job is to ‘manage’ the NHS Property portfolio and sell off buildings that are “surplus to requirements.”
Hope to see lots of you tomorrow to send a strong message to our MPs and to central government.
Bring your placards!
Ottery Town councillors voted by six votes to five against EDDC councillor, Roger Giles becoming the parish’s mayor, instead voting in Glyn Dobson to serve another term.
Cllr Giles speech is below ...
I was out delivering some of the 6000 leaflets re the demonstration outside Ottery Hospital next Saturday at 11am.
Ottery isn’t the only hospital of course that is threatened by NHS Property Services acquiring it and ruthlessly imposing commercial rents. There are 11 others across Eastern Devon. If your hospital is at risk please do join the demo to express your views.
At this stage it is unlikely we can change the outcome but we can certainly make our feelings known!
Please bring your placards!
And share a car as parking will be limited.
Devon County Council’s full council meeting will consider my motion to tighten up the rules on suppliers who avoid paying their fair share of tax, this Thursday (12 May).
The meeting will be preceded at 1.40pm by a protest demonstration on the council steps, organised by Christian Aid.
I was unexpectedly invited for interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning about a truly excellent scheme that I believe will ultimately turn the tide for independent candidates in general elections and offer them a credible platform along with vital funding.
This will be published as my Express & Echo column this Thursday. After today’s revelations about the conservative candidate there is even more reason to vote for Bob Spencer!
During my general election campaign last year – and particularly during my public meetings, one of the issues that seemed to draw universal derision was the subject of police and crime commissioners (PCCs).
Alison Hernadez, the conservative police and crime commissioner candidate for Devon and Cornwall is now being investigated by the police force she hopes to scrutinise if she is elected!
Channel 4 News has this exclusive report this evening - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQDStoCwVfA&feature=youtu.be
Even more of a reason to vote for the excellent independent candidate, Bob Spencer.