Last Wednesday we presented our petition of over 3000 names to the NHS Trust Chair but complained that he had "stood us up" by being over 30 minutes late in meeting us.  We spoke to staff and Trust officials who assured us that he "would be here any minute" by which time our delegation, including two people needing walking sticks, had been stoically waiting, taking time out of their day to represent the views of thousands outraged by the charges. After 5 minutes we collectively decided to wait for the Chair in his own boardroom despite being repeatedly asked to leave and us repeatedly refusing.  We, in effect, occupied his boardroom. Despite the risk of ISS "security" being called to deal with us we all stayed put. A clear indication that those getting inolved in this issue will not take no for an answer.

 

Kath, Ellie, Roy and the rest of us stuck to our guns on behalf of Coventry people.  When he came in he was challenged on being a Labour councillor whose party supports PFI and all it's trappings including rip off car parking charges.  He said that he was very happy to receive the petition, which would be raised with the Trust Board and stated that the car parking contract which fleeces people with a minimum fee of £3, is up for re-tendering in 2011.

 

He was also, along with his communications director asked how, if free car parking was introduced by a New Labour Government, would the cash be found for any shortfall in income that the PFI comntractors who really own the hospital would doubtless try and deflect into cuts in consultants and healthcare to preserve their rotten proffits.  There was no reply to this because there isn't one if PFI is not scrapped now. The Walsgrave PFI which will have cost the taxpayer £3 billion by the 2040's when the buildings finally get fully owned by the NHS is now the most expensive hospital project in Britain. The PFI was only consistently opposed by the Socialist Party and some very large chickens are coming home to roost.

 

PFI has to be stopped in every scheme, lest our health service becomes an anaemic and struggling service after the PFI vampires have sucked out the bulk of it's financial life-blood.  Finally the Trust Chair agreed to a follow up meeting inviting the PFI contractors.

Our actions clearly indicated that this issue is not going away and that more would be present when the trust board discusses the issue in future.

 

Councillor Rob Windsor