Jane Howell who sits on our committee has written to the Hunts Post over the concerns that she and the campaign feel will happen if the hospitals eventually merger.
She writes, “The Hands Off Hinchingbrooke campaign group had a very feasible. Many questions were asked but no clear answers given, forcing Mr McCarthy to repeatedly assure committee members and members of the public that nothing has been decided yet, and won’t be until the results of the full business case are available at the end of September.
This rush to merge the two hospitals is worrying, particularly for Hinchingbrooke which could be downgraded overnight and Peterborough has more to gain financially from a merger than Hinchingbrooke, also this short-term plan takes no account of the new housing planned for the area in the next five years. The campaign group will continue to collect petition signatures in Huntingdon and at farmers markets against the proposed merger. Mr Djanogly MP still has an online petition: www.jonathandjanogly.com/ hospital_petition. He also opposes the merger and every signature will help.
I have a personal connection to Huntingdon in that my parents lived there. In their later years they were in and out of Hinchingbrooke and the care they received could not be faulted. I was very grateful for the support they received. I live in Haddenham and at the moment my GP can offer the choice of a referral to Hinchingbrooke or Addenbrooke’s. I fear that this will no longer be an option if Peterborough is allowed to acquire Hinchingbrooke.”