Lister v QEII – What do you think? Email your views to editorial@thecomet.net or write to Save Our Services, The Comet, Bank House, Primett Road, Stevenage, SG1 3EE AS THE fight to save acute and emergency services at Lister continues, The Comet has secu

Lister v QEII - What do you think?

Email your views to editorial@thecomet.net or write to Save Our Services, The Comet, Bank House, Primett Road, Stevenage, SG1 3EE

AS THE fight to save acute and emergency services at Lister continues, The Comet has secured the support of a top TV presenter for the hospital's corner.

Pam Rhodes, presenter of BBC1's Songs of Praise for 15 years, is backing Lister after the decision to centralise emergency services at either Lister or the QEII was taken, after plans for a new super-hospital in Hatfield were scrapped.

The unseemly fight between the two hospitals will end with one receiving a cash boost of around £200m and one being left with basic services, including a scaled down A&E, outpatients, blood tests and X-rays.

Ms Rhodes, who lives in Biggleswade, said: "Lister Hospital is ideally placed to play a key role in the future for several reasons.

"The first reason is access. Because it stands so close to the A1(M), it's speedily and conveniently reachable by the maximum number of people.

"Secondly, there is its potential in that Lister has room to expand to provide more services on site.

"Thirdly, there is the issue of need because it seems likely there will be thousands more homes built and families will need care close to Stevenage.

"Fourthly, there is experience. Lister Hospital has been providing a broad spectrum of medical care for many years and is therefore well positioned to build on that experience throughout the 21st century."

Also backing our campaign to save acute and emergency services at Lister, and speaking in her capacity as leader of Stevenage Borough Council, Sharon Taylor said: "Obviously we regret the decision not to build the new hospital in Hatfield.

"We now think a decision must be made quickly in the interest of everyone in Hertfordshire.

"We support Lister firstly because of the access issue. The A1(M) is right next to Lister.

"Lister is also a sustainable site for future medical development.

"We have a growth of 14,500 homes and it's unthinkable that we shouldn't have a hospital with the highest level of emergency services.

"Then there is the need of Stevenage. Stevenage has high levels of deprivation and greater healthcare needs than other parts of the county, as well as a lower level of car ownership to get people to hospital in other parts of the county. "The health trust and the PCT must make the decision on the basis of the best needs of everyone in Hertfordshire.

"We are supporting Lister for Stevenage people."

It is expected that the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust will make a recommendation to the East and North Herts PCT this month.

This will then go out to public consultation in early spring and the PCT is expected to make a recommendation in July.