I am concerned about a number of disgustingly inaccurate and misleading statements in a recent letter from Logie Lohendran (GP mess fault falls at Labour's feet, February 5).
In particular I object to the on-going pathetic campaign to ruin the reputation of Siobhain McDonagh, our wonderful Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, who saved my partner's life when she prevented massive cuts to St Helier hospital some years ago. At the time I was living at the hospital, the only non-NHS person ever to be granted that honour, so I was able to witness and participate in Siobhain's campaign, and also observe the work of the amazing teams of doctors and nurses at our vital local centre of teaching and excellence.
Everybody I met at the hospital, including the brilliant administrators, clinicians and their patients, regarded Siobhain as a wonderful life-saving angel sent down from heaven. Which obviously she is. She is also Britain's finest MP (and has a sister called Margaret who is just as kind and wonderful). I still keep in touch with many of my friends at the hospital and they still feel the same way about Siobhain. And during the last four years she has saved the hospital from devastating cuts twice more. She is the only MP in Britain who has saved a local hospital three times.
How dare any Tory activists now claim in this newspaper that the hospital was 'never in danger'. Also, in 2009 Siobhain raised £244,000 for the magnificent M2 maternity ward at St Helier. That M2 unit has thus far saved in excess of 2,500 lives. All children who would otherwise never have been born. And despite the wretched Tories endlessly trying to close that unit. It is for that reason that Tory councillor Maurice Groves was thrown out of office by such a huge Labour majority at our last Merton Council election. Defeated by my friends, Super Sally and Mighty Mary, who co-organised the last three campaigns to save St Helier from massive cuts.
It is also disgustingly untrue to claim that our hospital is not now 'in danger'. The decision regarding its future has been put off until after the general election, something that any reasonable person should regard as very sinister indeed.
Michael Barltrop
Via email
- Send your letters to: letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk
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