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30,000 told: You're wasting your time

Amanda Crook
27/ 1/2006

HEALTH chiefs have angered patients who signed a petition to save their local hospital - by saying their signatures are "not worth the paper they are written on".

Nearly 30,000 people have added their names to petitions opposing plans to close the children's, maternity and emergency wards at Rochdale Infirmary.

But their efforts have been dismissed by health bosses who are reviewing hospital services across Greater Manchester.

Celia Gaze, director of the Healthy Futures review, was quoted as saying the petitions "carry absolutely no weight and will not be considered as we can't analyse a signature".

She added views will only be taken into account if they are made using official NHS "response forms".

NHS officials tried to limit the fall-out from the PR blunder by saying Ms Gaze's comments had been issued by mistake in a draft.

In a revised press release, Ms Gaze said: "Petitions are a valid expression of public feeling, but the only responses we can legally consider are through the return of the official response forms."

The Healthy Futures review is looking at hospital services across Greater Manchester and includes one of the largest public consultations ever carried out by the NHS.

Results

Staff at the University of Salford are analysing the results of the consultation, which finishes in April. Paul Rowen, MP for Rochdale, who is backing a petition to save the infirmary's services, said: ""Why they are taking this position is beyond me - I can hand petitions into Parliament every Friday, yet we are being told we shouldn't use this ancient tradition in probably the most important issue for Rochdale in decades."

Coun Jean Ashworth, secretary of Friends of Our Hospital which has been collecting signatures, was horrified by the mix-up.

She said: "Some people can't read or don't feel confident in their English to fill in a long form. Our petition sends a very clear statement and it is very arrogant of them to say they will ignore it."

Ten years ago, a 100,000-signature petition collected by our sister paper, the Rochdale Observer, was part of a successful campaign to save the infirmary. The newspaper is now running another petition and has collected nearly 18,000 signatures so far.

Acting editor Chris Lloyd said: "They would be unwise to underestimate the power of the petition."

The consultation will help make a final decision about the future of services at the Infirmary, North Manchester General, Oldham and Fairfield General, in Bury, in June.


| Submit CommentSubmit Comments | View CommentsView Comments(6)


Most recent 2 of 6 user comments

   At least the health official was honest and gives each one who signed that petition a reason to write an individual letter so that their voice has a chance to be heard.

I always feel sorry for people who believe petitions are effective. They have been handed in to number 10 for years - but they are not taken any notice of - they go straight in the shredder. In the meantime people go away thinking they've made a difference when they haven't.

Send lots of letters to your local MP's and to the NHS trust - then you might see results.
michele, rochdale
13/03/2006 at 16:16

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   I have always felt that petitions are a waste of time unfortunately, how many times have we seen on the news people delivering petitions to Number 10, and nothing changes, best thing to do is vote them out.
mufc, london
3/03/2006 at 10:19

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