Addenbrookes Governors at the quarterly meeting of Cambridge University Hospitals Trust last night ducked the chance to reflect overwhelming public and professional opinion and stand up for the NHS, says Cambridge Labour Party Chair Daniel Zeichner.
Mr Zeichner challenged Governors, meeting in Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s South Cambridgeshire Constituency, to back Addenbrookes clinicians. In a recent poll carried out amongst Addenbrookes consultants who are members of the Royal College of Physicians, 98.5% declared themselves opposed to the changes. Mr Zeichner contrasted this with the highly public support given to Mr Lansley and his changes by the Addenbrookes Chief Executive last year. Mr Zeichner says that this was a rare opportunity for Governors to make a difference:
“At a key moment in the debate on the future of the NHS, people who are representatives of patients and staff in Cambridgeshire had the chance to reflect the overwhelming opposition to this Bill. They flunked it.”