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An Open Statement from
Councillor Sue Prochak
At Rother District Council's Overview and Scrutiny meeting held on 11 June, councillors heard presentations on the controversial plans by the local Primary Care Trust to cut services in order to 'modernise' the hospitals at Hastings and Eastbourne. They also had the opportunity to hear an explanation of a fifth option put forward by medical experts behind the Hands Off the Conquest Campaign.
In the questioning, it became clear that the PCT could provide no convincing explanation that their Options were not driven by anything other than the need for financial cuts. The other concerns were that the proposals took no account of the rural areas.
The Lib Dems on the Committee proposed support for Option 5 and won the vote with the Tories sitting on their hands. This recommendation was passed on the to Conservative Cabinet, who ignored the recommendation and voted unanimously for Option Four, the option to save the specialist maternity unit at Hastings and strip Eastbourne of this service. What was even more astounding to the Lib Dems was that Cllr Starnes, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny spoke against his own Committee's recommendation.
Lib Dems think that the only safe option is Option 5. It has cross party support, except it seems from the Tories in Rother. Their view is that the local Tories have rolled over to accepting cuts to services in East Sussex. There is no justice or merit in accepting any downgrading in either of the two towns. Rother Councillors have no opportunity to debate or revise this decision as the Cabinet's view does not to to the Full Council for decision.
Cllr Sue Prochak
Leader Lib Dems
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