Public meetings called to discuss future of Fenland health services

Campaigners fighting to preserve services at the North Cambs Hospital in Wisbech and the Doddington Hospital have urged residents to attend the sessions to have their say on the units’ future.

The meetings will take place at the Doddington Recreation Hall, Doddington Community Hospital next Tuesday, August 23, from 7 to 9pm, and the Rosmini Centre, Wisbech on Thursday, August 25, between 6.30 and 8.30pm.

A similar meeting, which will start with a presentation before a question and answer session, will take place in Ely this evening.

Independent councillor Virginia Bucknor said: “It’s vital that residents show their concern. Signing a petition is fine and will help but coming along to hear what the decision makers really want to try and do will make a difference. This really affects us all.”

The meetings have been called by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group, (CCG) as part of a review of emergency care facilities in the area.

The CCG says assessments have shown that services at the three MIUs in Cambridgeshire, including Wisbech and Doddington do not meet national standards.

It said: “No decisions have been made about the future of these services and we are looking at a number of options for urgent and minor injury services in Fenland.

“We need to think about how we can provide all these services in a safe, high quality way – and for this we need your help.”

The group insists that any proposed changes to services will be the subject of a public consultation.

But North East Cambridgeshire Labour chairman Sue Marshall said: “We cannot simply sit back and wait and see. We need to make our voices heard now before it’s too late.”