Anger as bosses fail to back hospital fight
Anger erupted at a council meeting after borough bosses ruled out backing legal action over the removal of vital hospital services from Stafford and Cannock.
Furious campaigners accused Stafford Borough Council's cabinet of 'making false promises' to get elected.
Today, following the meeting, two co-founders of the Support Stafford Hospital Group said they would resign from the umbrella group on which campaigners sit with borough councillors on hospital issues.
The cabinet was responding to an appeal by newly elected Labour councillor Louise Nixon to support a legal challenge to the transfer of maternity, paediatrics and critical care from Stafford's County Hospital to Royal Stoke University Hospital.
The decision-making body declined to back the call but said they would try and help any families with ongoing care plans who have been struggling to get to Stoke.
Campaigner John Ogden, aged 67, of Weston, called on people to stop paying their council tax in protest before walking out of the meeting.
Last year the council agreed to put aside £100,000 to look into a legal challenge but it is understood only £20,000 has been spent. Borough council leader Patrick Farrington said it had paid for 'very detailed, quality advice' and as a result the authority had 'reluctantly accepted' that no legal challenge was possible.
Councillor Nixon said she had received contrary guidance from three different lawyers who advised a legal challenge would stand up.
She said: "Lives will be lost as a result of this decision, and it will go on quietly in people's home and not be reported. It's like watching a car crash in slow motion."
The meeting heard assurances from the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which has taken over services previously run at Stafford, that there were no outstanding problems as a result of the extra workload.
Founding campaigners Cheryl Porter and Karen Howell said they would withdraw from the joint committee on which they sit with the council.
Mrs Porter said: "The council is taking everything said by Mark Hackett, the UHNM trust's boss, as gospel when clearly they are struggling with capacity. His A&E department is the worst-performing in the country with up to 12-hour waiting times."
Mrs Howell said: "I am absolutely appalled. These people said they would do everything to help us restore services at Stafford, a pledge which is not reflected in this decision."
