Andrew George
Promoting the
Politics of Courage
I’m running a positive campaign to restore decency and honesty to our politics. To build a brighter future. To combat those who want us to become more inward-looking, backward-looking, more self-absorbed. I’ll build a campaign for an outward-looking, forward-looking and compassionate country.
We’ve been misled by a privileged clique who’ve irresponsibly played on fears to stoke prejudice. We must get beyond the Brexit chaos they’ve dragged our country into. We must restore the things that matter for the sake of our children’s future – our NHS, our schools and the very sustainability of our planet.
Come and join a growing campaign team. We’re determined to win this seat back this time, to make the difference, to build a brighter future.
Many people say “you politicians are all the same”. That statement has never been more untrue. The choice here is stark:
Andrew George - Standing up for Cornwall
National campaigner, local campaigner, former MP.
Andrew describes his role - "Seeking out the silent voices. Standing up to bullies. Fighting for justice”
Liberal Democrats - Building a brighter future
I saw this post and wondered what it meant- then saw the sad news :(
Thank you Raymond brings.xxx
Rip
This week's column:
• The success of the Lionesses wasn’t just a victory for the team. It was a triumph for the superiority of women over men in sport. After being banned, repressed and belittled, women have shown men that play can be just as enthralling, crowds better behaved and respectful of opponents and events pleasurable and unthreatening. There’s still more to do of course, but it’s a triumph nonetheless.
• Urgent action is needed to put right appalling and unacceptable failings in our NHS and care systems. Frontline staff endure intolerable pressure as ambulances queue outside at Treliske and Cornwall’s care services face the biggest crisis in history. Patients who should survive are dying or face life-limiting disability because of the delays. This week Cornwall’s health managers confirmed (to the Health Committee I’m on) there’s one avoidable death each working day. And many stroke and other patients face avoidable future disability.
But Conservative Ministers are pre-occupied with more trivial matters. The Government trundles on doing nothing about this scandalous situation.
I’ve called on Government to find the short-term resources to overcome this crisis. Reopen closed hospital beds, drive recruitment and improve retention with enhanced rewards and safer staffing ratios for all frontline staff. Government must invest in re-structuring the whole health and care system; in proper workforce planning to ensure resilience; underpinning frontline acute services with a primary and community health and social care system with the resources and staff levels able to allow the timely discharge of patients. That of course means we should replace the community hospital beds lost when the Conservatives closed hospitals like Edward Hain and Poltair.
• I’m also pressing Government to reinstate funds promised to invest in the seriously out-dated outpatient facilities at West Cornwall Hospital and the inadequate maternity suite at Treliske.
I prized the truth that Conservative Ministers had withdrawn their commitment for a £9.1 million project at Penzance and delay (probably till 2030) the £100 million Women and Children’s Hospital at Treliske. Unlike the moment just before the last General Election when PM Johnson announced with a fanfare of publicity his commitment to build 40 new hospitals, news that these plans have at best been seriously delayed, if not scrapped, has had to be dragged out of the Government.
Penzance desperately needs the proposed investment. Hopefully, when plans are re-visited the Bellair site will be retained. It was deeply irresponsible to even contemplate cramming so many services into the already constrained West Cornwall Hospital site at a time of increasing demand and growing population. Plans should include the re-instatement of the inpatient community hospital beds lost at Edward Hain and Poltair.
• But the UK Government exists in a vacuum while the Conservatives are pre-occupied with their race to the bottom. It seems our next PM will be more concerned about cutting taxes for the wealthy, reneging on promises to make second homes pay fair taxes and cutting pay for workers in places like Cornwall.
I’m determined to be part of the plan to restore safe NHS and care services.
Completely agree. Local health services are chronically underfunded. At the risk of sounding a bit conspiracist, it couldn't be part of a drive towards private health care, could it? You have a lot of support out here Andrew, keep doing what you're doing!
Thank you for continuing being the voice of reason and common sense, Andrew. I wish you were still my MP. I agree with Chris Foden, this all smacks of ‘Privatisation’.
Well said, agree with everything you've written Andrew, the good and the very worrying.
Thank you
Thank you Andrew!
Too Right...
Predicted six hour wait at A&E on Monday at Treliske for a firefighter injured whilst on duty …
We're already actively working with 20 community groups in Cornish towns and villages and on the Isles of Scilly to deliver the homes local families need. Nearly 300 hundred so far; protected for community benefit, in perpetuity to provide good quality and genuinely affordable homes.
Our meeting in Tintagel will be that community's chance to decide if they want to be the next. Cornwall Community Land Trust (CCLT) also has another 100+ homes in planning.
However, I have always viewed the planning and development system to be rigged to the advantage of developers of unaffordable homes, property investors and second homes. What our charity does defies the laws of gravity. So when we succeed, we certainly don't want to see those efforts lost through the properties leaking into the private market etc.
As well as a system which creates almost impossible odds against us, we must combat other malevolent forces. For example the Newlyn Community Housing Working Party, with whom we have been carefully working away for the last 4 years, could not believe that Cornwall Councillors would ignore planning officer advice to approve and instead rejected our project to deliver 29 homes for locals at their planning committee last week. A 100% genuinely affordable housing project. The only site available in the town. The first time in a generation. Over 1000 families on the local Council housing waiting list, over 250 families in need in Newlyn alone. Their hopes crushed by this decision.
I invite anyone to review the decision by following the webcast of the meeting. If you care about the plight of local families in housing need, it may be best if you don't look. If you do, please be prepared to be shocked at the manner in which it was dismissed. There have been a number of media reports about the decision. I leave you to make up your own mind. The evidence points in just one direction.
CCLT will of course appeal and we're reasonably confident we'll win. But that's not the point. After all the project will be delayed by a further year, and it'll add cost and complexity. That's a further year when local families will have to wait for a decent chance in the Newlyn area.
But, we soldier on. As shocking and disappointing as this decision is for those in need and those who care about the severe housing injustices in our midst, we are determined to fight on and to do our best.
POSTSCRIPT: Since posting this I've predictably attracted comments from the same handful of folk who've steadfastly opposed these much-needed homes. What they don't understand is that their identity, their remarks and their "alternative facts" all helpfully reinforce the case for and importance of our project and the weakness of the (Conservative-dominated) committee's justification to refuse permission.Interested in helping deliver affordable housing for Tintagel? Please come along to the Social Hall on Wednesday 10th August @ 7pm and find out about the work of Cornwall Community Land Trust and how they have delivered 100% affordable housing schemes for local people across Cornwall including St Teath, St Minver, Blisland, Duloe and Ruan Minor
Interesting. You say you are working with communities and yet all the public meetings about the Newlyn development were overwhelmingly against it! Highways were against it on grounds of safety and any extra traffic on the hill will make an already miserable experience of driving home even worse. And yet you are dismissing everyones concerns and turning it into a political football to suit your own argument (still not convinces there isn't a conflict of interests with your 'day job' as councillor). You said you'd walk away if planning was turned down and the community didn't want it but now you say you are going to appeal? If it's the only site available in town it would suggest that it's not suitable as its not been used so far, in fact turned down twice I believe. And before you start with the inevitable guilt trip that you've been employing at every meeting I've been to, I'm not saying there is no need for affordable homes. I simply want the people who are already living in that community to be listened to
I can’t believe the utter drivel im reading! Let’s be clear this proposal was turned down on safety grounds! Also at every single meeting there has been overwhelming negativity and objections to this proposal, I know because i was there!
Today at 12.45. Absolute chaos. No one could walk safely as cars on pavement s ( where there where some ) or cycle. The fumes beyond measure and the traffic at a stand still for ages !
The right decision was made in turning this project down ,in all the meeting I attended I saw very little positivity from any one .the fact is it was turned down because the council and highways saw sense and the safety of the people who use this rd was considered a major factor . Navigating Chywoone hill is already a nightmare and not only in the summer season it is now a year long problem and the tail backs and jams are a daily occurrence ,I have witnessed 2 accidents in the last couple of years and we personally have had one vehicle written off due to someone not understanding the rules of give and take .The incidents of road rage has now become a daily occurrence and the sheer frustration of navigating certain parts of the hill because of businesses who use part of the main Road as there own personal overflow car park is infuriating .So the sympathy vote won’t be convincing me or other residents in this area to support this project ,Yes we need housing for locals but not at the expense of putting even more traffic on a road that is already overloaded .
Very sad this all affordable scheme was refused. The issue of safety and traffic management on Chywoone Hill could easily be resolved. Double yellow line it, traffic lights and speed restrictions. There are peak times of traffic as in any other area of Cornwall. Traffic should not be used to prevent housing our local people who are struggling with homelessness and extortionate rents in the private open market sector, when there is a resolution. It is shameful.
There are so many 2 & 3 beds that are still under occupied which could free up houses for families that need them. Currently the bedroom tax, that was introduced to encourage tenants to downsize, is only penalising those that receive housing benefit or uc. It feels very discrimitory towards poorer households, as those that do not need benefit top ups, are not paying extra rent for these properties whereas the poorer families are?!? Yes we need to build houses but we have existing housing stock that isn't being utilised correctly.
Stop letting houses be sold as second/holiday properties.
Hmm.....lots of editing of your posts but no actual apology for calling me dishonest. Interesting. Guess we will see who was telling the truth.
Douglas Jasse
Following our successful community consultation event last Monday, we will be holding a further event for people who live close by at Gwennap Church Hall, Church Lane, Gwennap, TR16 6BD on Tuesday 9th August 2022 from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.
The designs for the proposed scheme will be on display and we will be there to answer any questions.
Many more needed at affordable prices though!
Emergency funds are required so Hospitals can reopen hundreds of previously closed beds and upgrade nurse bandings to draw clinically trained staff back into the NHS to save lives and help get through the current crisis.
Cornwall is not alone in having hospitals again declaring a “critical incident”. The truth is our heroic NHS staff have been working in a critically failing conditions for many months.
The 20-30 ambulances queuing for hours outside the ED is a visible symptom of a wider failure of our health and care system. It’s not unusual for a 999 caller to be told there are “no ambulances available”, even if the patient has an immediate life-threatening condition. People are dying. Vulnerable and elderly people are being left for tens of hours without support or the urgent medical attention they need. We cannot carry on like this.
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust needs the emergency resources to reopen beds and to drive recruitment by regrading nursing posts and reintroducing ward-based Band 6s. If backed with safe registered nurse staffing quotas, higher staff retention rates will follow.
This is the worst our NHS has experienced in its 74 year history. The outgoing head of social care at Cornwall Council recently admitted to me that the service “is probably the worst it has ever been”.
The current administration and the Government seem to be in denial, if not completely distracted by its own navel-gazing. Meanwhile people are dying and suffering.
It’s time for all Parties to come together to sort this out. We cannot carry on like this. I urge those responsible to work with those who care about our services to turn this crisis around
The government aren't in denial or navel gazing. It is a deliberate and steady attack on the NHS to guarantee its failure. A failed service and private healthcare has been the plan all along, why else would so many MPs have a financial interest in private suppliers? In the same way that individuals are tasked with saving the environment whilst huge companies do damage we individuals are blamed for the demise of the NHS because people have paracetamol from the doctor. Our NI and taxes aren't reaching the NHS and what is continues to be embezzled away to friends of those in charge. It's a financial crime of huge magnitude that continues to be ignored whilst people die. It's almost like that's the plan. Not sure why I said 'almost'.
Sadly, that's all to do with 12 years of Tory rule. I find it so hard to believe that people actually vote for them, especially in Cornwall!
Recruitment, in theory, is essential but there is no affordable accommodation for new staff. This isn’t just for medical staff but for all grades in hospitals and GP practices. As for staff in the caring industry there is nothing and wages leave them unable to feed their families as well.
Immediate substantial increases in carers salaries and then a real focus on recruiting is , in my opinion , the way forward. It will free up lots of beds, occupied by patients who are medically fit to be discharged. ….and risking being ‘attacked’ ….in some cases families need to take some responsibility for their loved ones…..
Why did they close the cottage hospitals in Cornwall? Such a stupid and short sighted decision. They need to invest in their return. It makes absolute sense to me. It would solve the issue of bed blocking. One major hurdle would be the cost and recruiting the staff. Still should be done though!
Why do you think I want to leave Andrew I’m exhausted and tired of red tape. I am at the top of my band but would earn more driving delivering parcels for Amazon I have peoples lives in my hand daily
They need to sort out the social care issue this would definitely help the situation but once again no one is talking about that🤷♀️ it's OK saying they've put loads of money into the NHS but it obviously isn't going in the right places to deal with the issues? Bed blocking is a massive problem and needs addressing right away
I am told that there are at least 200 patients in Treliske hospital who can't go home because their is insufficient home support available mainly from Social services but also not enough district nurses .
I don’t think the government is in denial Andrew, this is exactly what they have worked towards for years. Break the NHS and force people to go private. They’ve hived off chunks for years and are, apparently, continuing talks with US private healthcare firms, and we all know how expensive America’s healthcare is. 😡
Being in an ambulance queue outside an A & E department might be lethal in the temperature we are expecting in addition to the medical emergency that brought you there!
We are in a crisis and have been for a while This is before the bulk of our visitors get here
To unblock Treliske's 'social care' patients, Cornwall needs at least 6 new subsidised Care Homes (average Care Home size is around 25 beds) and more easily obtained visas for Care Staff, as many care staff did not return, or, left the UK after Brexit. The subsidy would probably make a good business case, as inevitably cheaper than staffing additional hospital wing/s.
we used to have enough hospitals in the county to cope, then someone decided that we didn't need that many. so West Cornwall was relegated, Bodmin, can't remember what happened there, every thing was going to be great though in our centalised super hospital at RCHT. Now with increased numbers in the county ( resident (born here) resident (Moved here) and tourist) we see the cracks begin to show , as the system bursts at the seems. The answer is not (I think) throw money at it and it will sort it out, or hire more managers, both of these have proved failures, short term always does.. they could try opening a hospital in the east of the county (not send them to Derryford or RD &E. ) and revitalise West Cornwall (which I believe is underway). I have seen the chaos at Treliske A & E up close and personal. Seen ambulance staff spend an entire shift sitting with a patient in their vehicle, then being relieved by an on coming crew. Patients get irate when asked to wait in ED for hours, because of the delays, some even take out their frustration on staff. The Govt concept of call a GP or 111 , doesn't work when the patients are immediately advised to go to A&E.
Miss management and bad county council management
Who has the power to sort this out? At least Cornwall Council could allocate more funds to the social care service.
Yet the Government caps training places on medical and dentistry courses annually and then made huge play of increasing the cap a little last year. Given the crises in our health service, someone with less faith in the integrity of our Government than me, might almost think they want the NHS to fail so that they can encourage the private sector to move in. On an unrelated note and just for interest, here is the preface of an article from a leading Scottish newspaper ... Article dated 23 Feb 2020: "TORY MPs are receiving large donations and earning thousands of pounds from links to the private health sector, the Sunday National can reveal. An investigation has found numerous examples of Conservative MPs receiving donations or work connected with private healthcare firms, pharmaceutical companies and social care providers."
The cuts to our NHS started under the ConDems.
National Care Service is needed.
It's incredible that we have got to this stage.The Tories inherited a working NHS from Labour and have wilfully presided over it's near demise .The ambulance response times they inherited were 78% of callers got an ambulance to their house in 12 minutes.....you're lucky now if you get one with 5 hours now and even if you do you've little chance you will get a bed. In France there would be rioting in the streets but with our right wing press in charge it is ignored.....especially one of the main causes...Brexit
Sorry I don’t understand no ward based band 6 ??? Are there only band 5 on the ward now (band 5 junior staff nurse)
What happened to the Nightingale Hospitals?
Time and again we have had NHS chiefs (here in Cornwall at least) on the radio, stating that the main problem is discharging patients who don't need to be in hospital. Bedblockers is a horrible word, it implies blame on the patient, but that is the problem. Again, in Cornwall this has been a recognised problem for about a decade. Cornwall Council need to do more to secure places for these patients, whether that's care and residential homes, nursing homes, or even support packages for patients to return home. Sort this problem out and you can guarantee that at least 75% of the waiting/beds/ambulance problems in Cornwall will disappear. There is no way to hide from the fact that the Council/Social Care need to get these patients out of hospital beds.
This is the price we pay with a government who’s main aim is to privatise our NHS.
We have too many people living in the UK now! THAT is what is causing the collapse of all services! We cannot house the World! 😡🏴🇬🇧
Time this government spent the money on the emergency services,hospitals they say there for the people what a pile of shit,at least have the decency to say you can’t govern and call a general election never seen such a pile of crap in all my life and don’t get me started on sunak he’s a monster in disguise.
Common Platform for Cornwall
