RICHARD BURT - NEWS

LETTER TO EDITOR - NHS 60TH BIRTHDAY

Dear Editor,

Next week marks the 60th birthday of the NHS – one of the proudest achievements of post-war Britain. If you look at the shortfall in insurance healthcare for poorer people in countries as diverse as China and the USA, you will know how much we have to be proud of and to be thankful for.

However, despite record spending on public healthcare, raised to the European average over the past years following many years of decline, there will never be enough to guarantee increasingly expensive treatments available for all to benefit from rapid medical advances.

Midlands Newsquest letter to the editor

16/06/08

Dear David,

Congratulations to the Gazette for the splendid coverage last week on plans for new homes for South Worcestershire and for the merger of services between MHDC and Worcester City.

The detail was excellent and provided a real overview to kick off the debate for residents – something that perhaps the district council should have thought a little more about.

Campaign by Worcestershire Sub Postmasters

Dear Kevin,

Please convey my support to the campaign by Worcestershire Sub Postmasters to keep the Post Office Card business for our local post offices.

Worcestershire services suffering from death by a 1,000 cuts

Dear Editor,

It seems that services in Worcestershire are suffering from death by a thousand cuts as the County Council reigns in its spending – except on items like refurbishing the council chamber and providing plush private offices for councillors!

First there was the attempt to close our Outdoor Education Centres, then the decision to close Pershore Care Centre despite strong public opposition. Now the latest lined up for the chop is home to school transport subsidies - cutting down on choice for children from some of the poorest families in the county – just to save around £70,000 from a £4million budget.

Does Malvern Hills District Council have any idea what it is doing?

Dear Editor,

Having just announced their intention to spend more money exploring the provision of a new Council HQ outside Malvern town centre, we hear that the Council Leader is talking to her counterpart in Worcester City about merging the two council’s services.

Can you ever imagine a greater mismatch between service provision for the city and the deepest rural parts of Worcestershire?

Pershore Care Centre

Dear Editor,

I write to express my great sadness that the last ditch effort to save Pershore Care Centre was lost at County Hall on 9th April.

Despite the eloquent and moving testimony of parents and carers, supported by County Councillors Liz Tucker, Penelope Morgan and Sue Askin, it became clear very early in the three and a half hour discussion that there was no likelihood of a reprieve for the Centre.

Instead, the arguments were ground down by the cabinet member responsible for the decision and the officers who support the closure plan until, with a few concessions tossed in to soften the blow, parents of the men who will lose their Day Centre were left speechless, frustrated and defeated.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

This summer’s floods caused unprecedented chaos across the county, with at least one third of the damage resulting from blocked drains and culverts due to poor maintenance.

With every prospect of repeat weather conditions to come, I can have little confidence that the County Council are doing anywhere near enough to make sure that drains can operate to capacity rather than be the cause of more flash flooding next time.

BRANSFORD AMBULANCE EOC STAFF & RICHARD BURT LAUNCH ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL TO TRUST’S CLOSURE PLANS

Letter to Chronicle 19/08/2004

Bransford EOC staff and Richard Burt, the newly appointed Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Health in the West Midlands and Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire, today launched their joint alternative proposal for the reconfiguration of ambulance emergency call centres across the West Midlands region.