A group of MPs have threatened a legal challenge over health bosses’ decision to exclude Medway Maritime Hospital from becoming one of Kent’s new hyper acute stroke units.
Sheppey and Sittingbourne MP Gordon Henderson, Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst and Gillingham and Rainham Rehman Chishti have joined forces to lobby Health Minister Matthew Hancock.
The three have also demanding a re-think in a letter to Ian Ayres, managing director of Medway, North and West Kent Clinical Commissioning Groups, which are making the final decision.
Mr Henderson said: “Given the impact this decision will have on the half-million people who use Medway hospital, we see no other option but to seek legal opinion on lodging a judicial review.”
The MPs’ decision follows a meeting with Mr Ayres last month when the trio insisted Medway should be one of the three sites.
Mr Henderson said: “The decision to exclude Medway appears to neglect where there is greater need and deprivation.
“Medway is the fastest growing urban area in the south east outside London but it suffers from significant deprivation and health inequalities.
“The same applies to Sittingbourne and Sheppey.
“Those living on the Isle of Sheppey face a hugely difficult journey to reach Maidstone Hospital which is almost impossible to reach by public transport.”
He added: “There was little transparency and there is still no detailed, analytical document explaining how the outcome was reached.
“The anonymous voting method used was highly flawed as basic facts miss out on important nuances within communities such as Medway, Sittingbourne and Sheppey.
“We have lost confidence in the ability to deliver a realistic and workable health service for residents.”
Rachel Jones, director for the Kent and Medway Stroke Review, said: “We absolutely respect the role of MPs in representing their constituents.
“But we have a responsibility to consider the health and wellbeing of the entire population who use Kent and Medway stroke services.
“We have carefully considered population growth, deprivation and travel times to potential hyper acute stroke units and believe the rigorous process we are following and the proposals we have made will best meet the needs of our whole population.”
This article originally appeared on KentOnline
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