Campaign aims to "stop downgrading of services" at Ipswich Hospital

from Mary Foord-Brown

Consultants at Ipswich Hospital ate taking action to

"stop the downgrading of services" at Ipswich Hospital.

High on their list of concerns is what they consider to

be the erosion of services - including the Head and Neck

Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, the Diabetic Centre and

Sexual Health facilities.

Concerns have also been raised at patients suffering heart attacks or strokes being taken on long distance ambulance journeys to Norfolk or Cambridge - it is argued that the timings of these journeys may reduce survival chances.

The local media reported the doctor's concerns: 100 top doctors voice hospital fears

A petition has been set up, asking for supportive people to sign in agreement with the doctor's concerns: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/IpswichHospital/

A local campaigner said that the downgrading of services was simply a symptom of a wider problem. "Target setting is really creating an awful atmosphere for working conditions. Ipswich does have a new wing, Garratt Anderton... built of course on PFI, this is currently underused as they can't afford to fully staff it. Ipswich has had no help to shift historic debt and is now suffering as a result...now there is this idea of private contractors running things.... very convenient and I do not believe it to be a co-incidence."

Interestingly, one of the campaigners' arguments is that it is not environmentally friendly to be transporting patients to various parts of East Anglia for specific treatment and has attracted support of green activists.