James Duddridge, Member of parliament for Rochford and Southend East, has praised the work of staff at Southend Hospital during a Westminster Hall debate on services at Southend Hospital
During the debate James described his experience at the hospital last night when a family member was taken ill, he said,
"It is impossible to thank all four and a half thousand members of staff at Southend Hospital personally."
"Quite often politicians are seen to be as someone who is remote. But I have spent most of my time at Southend Hospital as a patient, after being taken ill for three months only a few years back, or by visiting relatives. We are fortunate to have Southend Hospital so close by."
"In every ward there is care and compassion whether that is the children in Neptune ward or the elderly care in Windsor Ward."
"It is amazing to see the depth of compassion and commitment and I have seen the difference between an average person and an extraordinary person. It may be as simple as delivering a cup of tea to someone, or it might be nurses that put themselves in really troublesome jobs, such as having to tell a grieving parent of a new born child who has unfortunately passed away, having to do that day in day out, but the difference you can make is absolutely amazing. It takes an incredibly special person"
"I would also like to thank Claire Pannicker who is leading the three hospitals tremendously well."
"The transformation programme is fascinating and fantastic, at a time where we have more money going in to our three local hospitals. we have more nurses, and we've got more doctors. There still however needs to be more change."
"I was disappointed with the Southend local authority for referring the whole of the transformation programme because I trust clinicians".
"Now we did have issues but they were being dealt with by Paul Gyler, the lead commission. There still are issues in relation to transport.
"But the idea that the whole transformation programme is wrong is incorrect, and I know that my Honourable Friend the member for Chelmsford is enraged with Southend Council's decision. Due to her belief that lives had been lost in Chelmsford because we had not got on with the capital expenditure and the specialisation across the three hospitals that gives ours families and our constituents better care."
"So lets push back on some of the issues but lets also get on with it and further improve what is a fantastic local hospital."
Following the debate James said,
"The excellent services at Southend Hospital cater for us all throughout our lives starting in the maternity ward, to Neptune ward and onto Elderly care such as in Windsor Ward."
"Although there are still improvements to be made, and under the leadership of Claire Pannicker I am confident this will be achieved, we should always be thankful for the dedication and excellent services that the staff at Southend Hospital provide."
