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I think if there was a new hospital it should be town based , no one liked the buckland hospital site, i didnt agree with the whitfield idea so the town the all round best option close to the port as we are the busiest shipping lanes. Also i would like to see a full maternity service in this new hospital , full a&e too. Lives will be lost in the long run if we keep allowing to be taken to margate or ashford, even simple appointments are now mostly canterbury . These hospitals are over streched as it is .

3 August 2010 at 7:59 am

 

The Mid-town flood-risk issue does need to be resolved, whether the hospital went there or not.

We have discussed this at length many times on here and I appreciate that new members come along who weren't part of that discussion.

Southern Water, the Environment Agency and KCC all have a responsibility to sort out the underground/river, flooding.

It was scheduled a couple of years ago to be in a couple of years time, so should be imminent, I'd have thought.

I did think at the time that these bodies need pressuring into bringing this flood-risk relief up the queue.

There's something like 90 (maybe more) properties who are at risk, plus any future Mid-Town development; so this work urgent for all sorts of reasons.

I don't know how long the flood-mitigating meassures will take, but longer than five minutes, so the sooner they start, the better for everyone - including Chris's Mum.




Roger

3 August 2010 at 5:58 am

 

Sorry you can talk till the cows come home about this site but why?it is not going to happen and thats it, so please move on with what can be done I have told you come to our meeting in Canterbury and have your say I will take you ,but do not keep on about this site.

2 August 2010 at 11:08 pm

 

I suggested a ground floor staff car park with hospital facilities above . Job done

2 August 2010 at 10:15 pm

 

My mother lives in Maison Dieu Road, directly opposite the proposed site, and has been flooded out twice in the last few years. She has raised doorsteps to cover most heavy rain and the water has gone over these and left a foot of water sloshing around her flat. Both times the flat has required pumping out, a long drying out, redecoration and new flooring. Despite requests neither the landlords nor the water companies have been able to 'come up with something' to prevent it. And this has only been from rainwater, without the added bonus of the river overflowing.

2 August 2010 at 9:52 pm

 

Be interesting to know when the last 'proper' flood was in Dover -not something that drained off in an hour or two.

Also for example - Vic will know - did the Engineering Works flood with a river running through the site and has it flooded since it was covered over ?

2 August 2010 at 9:05 pm

 

exactly jan, a few shops close in the town every so often as they have to sweep the water out after a big storm.

hardly a tsunami.

2 August 2010 at 7:22 pm

 

I meant 'proper' flooding not just a very thin layer of water that would not even reach above a small step.

2 August 2010 at 7:02 pm

 

Hi Jan,Maison Dieu Road floods from the Frith Road Junction and of course there has been flooding near the Health Centre car park in the past,but this is the 21st Century and I am sure if they wanted to find away round it they could.

2 August 2010 at 6:16 pm

 

With regard to the mid town site, does anyone know if that area of town has ever flooded. I would have thought it unlikely.

2 August 2010 at 6:04 pm

 

David if you look at Charlie's latest statement above he advocates a..and I quote.." a proper hospital". This was the election policy too in all his leaflets. Difficult to decipher what a proper hospital is maybe, but generally people would take it to be a... ermm... a proper hospital, full blown.

Okay but with no singing and dancing. I concede that one.



2 August 2010 at 4:39 pm

 

barry

the environment agency declared the mid town site as a flood risk, despite all the businesses operating from there.

the agency find a reason to stop anything, basically covering their backs.

2 August 2010 at 4:01 pm

 

I notice with regret that Paul is still amending words to prejudice the discussion. No one has ever suggested an "all singing all dancing full blown general hospital" I have answered this statement many times but there are none so deaf....

2 August 2010 at 4:01 pm

 

Barry by the last administration,do you mean the Tory District Council who did want the Hospital at Dover,even though Charlie wants it at Whitfield,if we have lost the £20 million it is probably because one side of the Tory Party can't agree with the other side.Result confusion.Cllr Watkins was all for the mid town site and as far as I know still is.Sort em out Barry.

2 August 2010 at 3:01 pm

 

No Howard - the last administration failed Dover dismally. Identifying a site and not considering flood risk - oh really..... complete idiots.

2 August 2010 at 12:31 pm

 

the next election is nearly 5 years away, gordon and charlie have started campaigning very early.
the failure of the hospital was not due to the last administration as charlie stated, the money was provided, just local infighting that lost it.
the phrase "tough choices" seems to be a way of saying that there will be no money for a hospital from the government.

2 August 2010 at 12:04 pm

 

exactly paul, egos and personal agendas have lost us the hospital and countless other things in the past.

1 August 2010 at 8:09 pm

 

Dover has lost out because there are too many 'personalities' out for their 5 minutes of fame and not a co-ordinated campaign......

1 August 2010 at 8:00 pm

 

not worth clutching at straws keith.
picture the scene at no.11, george and that funny looking bloke with the glasses, george looks at the application from us for free dosh.
george and the other bloke are looking for a reason not to hand it out, they see that we did not want it the year before.
i doubt they will hand over money to deserving cases let alone ingrates.

1 August 2010 at 6:35 pm

 

Keith, as Kathy has made clear, the original £20m has gone, BUT, if we can get our finger extracted and move the project to a stage where the site is agreed, and work can start, there is a chance of a further tranche being made available.

1 August 2010 at 6:34 pm

 

howard
Soz but i'm not one to give in that easily if theres even a glimmer of hope to get the £20m then lets fight to get it.

1 August 2010 at 4:27 pm

 

spot on kathy, we did not deserve the money so it was spent on something useful somewher else.

what chance do you think there is of any more money being made available in the next 5 years?

little chance or no chance at all in my view.

1 August 2010 at 1:30 pm

 

The 20 million is not sloshing around. It was in the 2010/2011 capital budget of the NHS but has been spent on other projects. The NHS hope to find it in the budget for the next financial year but it is not ring-fenced or put aside.
To try and assure the money is there in the next financial year the project must get to the stage where a site is agreed and work can start

1 August 2010 at 11:34 am

 

HOWARD
I'm ever the optimist to get the £20m
which I understand could still be around if we act quickly.
£20m is better than nowt !

1 August 2010 at 7:17 am

 

You can all come along to the public meeting I have told you about in my last post I will even take 3 in my car and have your say to the right person about it all.

31 July 2010 at 9:24 pm

 

keith

the 20 million smackers is long gone, quite right too.

we were given the money on the proviso of agreeing a location for the infirmary.

egos took over, not for the first time, and the money is not now available. the best we can hope for now is a fiver for a packet of plasters.



31 July 2010 at 9:06 pm

 

Jan Higgins
To be fair to Gordon, iv spoken to him today
what hes saying is theres £20million sloshing around
and unless Dover people pull together it will be lost.


so lets at least grab the £20m

31 July 2010 at 8:31 pm

 

I do not care where the hospital is so long as we have one of some sort that can provide ALL outpatient requirements.

The trek to Ashford and to Margate by public transport is awful, Canterbury is bad enough. There should be a direct service if we must go so far from Dover.

With regard to Cllr Cowan's remarks what does he expect to be done in just over two months.

31 July 2010 at 6:21 pm

 

Interesting reading all the comments here re our Hospital Saga, I can see where Reg Hansell is coming from with the Whitfield site in view to a future 'Proper' Hospital down the line so to speak. Right now I personally would be happy with some Community Hospital of sorts somewhere in Dover. With the downturn of Bucklands, I for one would be happy to get my back treatment nearer home as presently I have to taxi it (expensive) to Canterbury, Margate or Ashford as I cannot drive when getting said treatment. Wish we could just get on with some sort of plan!

31 July 2010 at 5:42 pm

 

reg

i know what you are saying, however there is no reasonable likelihood of getting anything other than an upgraded buckland hospital.

if the government miraculously decided to pay for one then every other part of the country would demand the same.

31 July 2010 at 12:47 pm

 

Boys and Girls,
Onthe hospital front, Gordon and Jan are correct, lets at least get summat out of this dismal affair.

We saw all thre different factions around Dover al argueing for different site, which was doomed to failure.

At the end ogf the day- we need to secure the best possible hospital=l facilities for Dover area

I don't realy care
who achieves it, Tory/labour/lib/ other.

31 July 2010 at 12:46 pm

 

New Hospital for Dover `District.
At the out set of our campaign for a hospital,two and a half years ago,the number one rule was `Health was above Politics`
The Hospital should not be used as a political football.

Howard.Correction.We want a proper hospital with beds.
In years to come it could become a general hospital If built in Whitfield.There is no chance of this if it is built on the land locked postage stamp at Buckland without beds .It will be a clinic.

31 July 2010 at 12:34 pm

 

Yes roger I know but my point being argue less and get on with what we can have, or the alternative will be nothing.

31 July 2010 at 12:33 pm

 

sid
you accuse gordon of poltical gamesmanship, if so he is not alone.

do you seriously believe that the full blown hospital was ever anything but a political football?

mr lansley came down years ago and promised us one if elected.

31 July 2010 at 12:30 pm

 

Gordon's original motion, as you know Jan, was for DDC to re-affirm its support for a hospital at the Buckland site.

DDC had never supported the Buckland site (nor had the EKHT) and in order to get behind the request, the motion was amended to read support for a hospital here, without mentioning any particular site.




Roger

31 July 2010 at 12:18 pm

 

What rubbish is this man Cowan spouting here? No equipment would need to be scrapped as it could be transferred to the new unit if required. Maybe if this is how he would have Labour run the NHS it is no wonder the service is in total disarray.

This is just political gamemanship from a beaten and leaderless party and someone who probably has designs on succeeding Gwyn Prosser.

31 July 2010 at 12:16 pm

 

Gordon was right to table this motion to support the community hospital and argue for something we can have before they withdraw the funding, instead of something we know we cant have.
It seems we spend time argueing hence the fact Dover gets nothing as always.
So come on Charlie argue for what we can have and lets get on with it.

31 July 2010 at 11:23 am

 

PW. For the record.The subject is Do we need four Executive tiers to run East Kent?
We need the staff who from experience work exremely hard at their jobs together with other delegated chores given to them.
We do not need to cut staff jobs.We need to cut the Executive!That is where a large amount of expediture is.
Take your policy for sharing services with the other East Kent Councils that one logical step further.Share the Executive!
The message is don`t cut staff jobs cut the Executive.

31 July 2010 at 10:55 am

 

If only the good people of Dover and East Kent had again voted New Labour. All would be well, it seems.
Thirteen years was never going to quite long enough to give the population the health service it needs. 13, unlucky for some.
When, oh when shall these Party-poopers learn that (concerted) actions speak louder than words?
Yet, these same nay-sayers are still on a good screw with little to do.

31 July 2010 at 10:28 am

 

good to hear from gordon, i thought it was all cut and dried that money was being pumped into buckland to increase services there.

i doubt whether many people ever thought we would get a full blown general hospital.

31 July 2010 at 9:32 am