Carroll To Fight For Maidstone Maternity

11.15.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 11th Sep 2009

Peter Carroll, Parliamentary Candidate for Maidstone at the next General Election, is launching a massive campaign to stop the downgrading of Maternity Services at Maidstone Hospital. He is supported by his colleagues on Maidstone Borough Council. The Campaign - to be known as Full Maternity at Maidstone - will be launched at 11.00am on Saturday 5th September outside Marks & Spencers on Week Street, Maidstone. The decision to launch the campaign follows recent confirmation from local Health bosses that Maidstone Maternity will be downgraded to a Midwife led facility with the full Consultant Led facility only being available at Pembury.

Peter Carroll is asking all women angered and worried by this move to join him at the launch with their 'bumps', babies, toddlers, children and families.

Peter Carroll said, 'I believe that the overwhelming majority of Maidstone people are against this decision. The consultation has been a sham and local people are rightly furious. Only a few months ago I handed a petition to the Chief Executive of the Trust supported by thousands of local people. This has gone unheeded. I have made contact with campaigners in Eastbourne who overturned a similar decision in their area only a few months ago. I am convinced that if enough local people get behind me the same can happen here'.

The campaign has the backing of local retired Maternity Consultant Alan Pentecost who was a 'founding father' of maternity in Maidstone. Mr Pentecost said, 'This decision is immoral. As a community we have to do everything possible to overturn it. All the medical experience shows that having LOCAL services is the most important thing for expectant mothers. The Midwife Led facility remaining at Maidstone will not be able to provide comprehensive pain relief and will not be able to react in the event of an emergency. I founded the Maidstone Maternity unit in 1974 and built it up single-handedly over 4 long years. This is a step backwards. Exposing women in labour to the difficult road journey from Maidstone to Pembury is both unkind and potentially dangerous'.

Peter explained, 'We will be writing to over 20,000 women in Maidstone within the next few weeks asking them to support another petition and to send a letter to the Secretary of State for Health saying that this decision is a matter of public controversy in Maidstone and that it is opposed by the overwhelming majority of local people. He has the power to overturn this decision'.

Cllr Fran Wilson, who leads the Lib Dems on Maidstone Borough Council said, 'I will be seeking a 'Councillor Call for Action'. This is a new way that we as Councillors can demand to see representatives of public bodies - like the Health Trust - if we feel that they are acting against the wishes of local people'.

Peter added, 'There is strong statistical evidence that Maidstone needs a Full Maternity Service and we will be making sure that the Secretary of State sees this evidence. I know from my experience of The Gurkha Justice Campaign that every single petition signature, email, letter really does count. I urge everyone who cares about maternity in Maidstone to get behind us'.