JACKIE’S
COUNTY
COLUMN
As the County Council responds to cuts and
freezes the Council tax charge, it has to find
approx. £90 million cuts for next year and
more in the future. Efficiencies are being
examined in every area of the budget and
the services provided face cutbacks.
The future of recycling centres is at risk
as a proposal to reduce running costs by
10% goes out to consultation. Local closures
- even if for a day a week - are threatened,
but councillors want the change team to
consider allowing small businesses to use
the site for a modest charge, and make a
small charge for the disposal of materials
which are expensive for the council to
manage (like asbestos and rubble.) Watch
out for the public consultation on this in the
next few weeks.
I visited the kitchens at Winchester
hospital and saw how they are including
more and more fresh ingredients into the
meals for patients and visitors. They are
working towards shared menus at their sites
too. This is another piece of the healthcare
jigsaw where Basingstoke and Winchester
are in the same picture.
The proposal for a new Trauma unit is
unsettling for staff and patients. I am visiting
every aspect of the health care system to
consider the pros and cons of the plans. The
main challenge is to provide an equally
accessible service for all residents in the
catchment area, aiming to bring patients
back into their own homes or to their local
hospital as quickly as possible.
Maternity services may not fit in with this
picture. A midwife reminded me that birth
isn’t an accident, emergency or a trauma!
But Mums are worried about the plans:
certainly, we would all want to avoid a long
trip to hospital! Labourline, a new maternity
service to Hampshire Mums in labour, has
allowed the hospitals to reduce the
emergency births dramatically since it
started.
Flooding has cost residents a great deal
in time and money - and I have asked the
County to seek funding for works which
could mitigate it in the future. The main
challenge is - we want new pipes and
ditches, and mended roads, not more
meetings! In many cases, the local
engineers know exactly what needs to be
done, and these measures, if constructed,
could put us all in a better position if there’s a
next time.
Finally, do you operate mainly from your
mobile phone? Do you realise that an 0845
call will cost much more from a mobile than
a landline? I have asked HCC to change
their 08 numbers to 01, 02 or 03 to keep
costs low for residents when calling the
Council: it’s fairer, especially for those on
longer calls who are seeking help.
Councillor Jackie Porter
e-mail: [email protected]
www.jackieporter.co.uk
twitter: @Jackielibdem
Phone: 01962 791054
Text:
07973 696 085
or write to me at: The Down House, Itchen
Abbas, Winchester, Hants SO21 1AX
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