Lynne Featherstone

Local Liberal Democrats have today demanded that London’s Mayor takes urgent action to improve Haringey’s 15 pedestrian crossings which are not accessible to blind or partially sighted residents.

The demand comes after Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon unearthed information that shows 347 pedestrian crossings in London have no facilities to help blind and partially sighted people to safely cross the road, with 15 of these located in Haringey. This is despite there being long standing national accessibility standard to ensure every pedestrian crossing has either an audible sound and/or a rotating cone to assist blind and partially sighted people.

In addition to widespread poor access for blind and partially sighted people, Liberal Democrats have also found that Haringey has seven crossings that also fail national safety standards by not providing the minimum amount of time for pedestrians to safely cross the road.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“It’s a disgrace that Haringey has fifteen crossings that are not accessible to blind and partially sighted local residents, and seven that do not leave residents enough time to cross.

“The Mayor has a responsibility to make sure that all crossings in London are accessible, but this poor record shows that blind and partially sighted residents, in particular, and pedestrians more widely, are not getting the priority they deserve. This needs action and it needs action now.”

Liberal Democrat Transport and Environment spokesperson Cllr Jim Jenks adds:

“Blind and partially sighted residents already face a whole range of obstacles when they walk on our local streets, be it advertising boards or other items strewn across our high streets.

“It should be safe for all to cross at pedestrian crossings. By their very nature they meant to help pedestrians cross busy roads safely. It is just not good enough that fifteen crossings in Haringey fail to meet basic safety standards for blind and partially sighted people even though guidelines have been around for over 15 years. I hope that the Mayor will now sit up and change this disgraceful record once and for all.”

To thank a much loved postman for more than 30 years of dedicated service to people in Fortis Green, Lynne Featherstone MP and residents on Southern Road last Friday threw a small street party for Postman Bob.
 
The Hornsey and Wood Green MP heard of Robert Konig’s impressive service to people in Fortis Green by Southern Road resident Deborah Langdon-Davies, who wanted to do something special for this much-loved man.
 
As postman Bob has just been nominated for a Royal Mail Chairman’s award, The Liberal Democrat MP and neighbours on Southern Road decided to say their own thanks and on Friday presented him with flowers and chocolates.
 
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
 
“I was really touched to hear of postman Bob, his amazing work, and how much he is loved and appreciated by local residents.
 
“It’s easy to take good people for granted, so on this occasion, we wanted to do something special to say thanks, hence a small party with a big thank you for a job tremendously well done!”
 
Southern Road resident Deborah Langdon-Davies adds:
 
“Bob always goes the extra mile, doing his utmost to make sure our post is delivered safely each day. It’s not rare for him to backtrack to deliver a parcel if he recognises us coming back in our cars, or leaving parcels with neighbours he knows we can trust.
 
“It’s just so refreshing to see someone who takes real pride in his job, and he is definitely up there with the best! As he’s retiring in the summer, after more than 30 years of delivering the post on our street, we wanted to say a huge thank you.
 
“He will be sorely missed but I am truly grateful for having had the world’s best postman for the ten years I’ve been living here.”

Local students from Fortismere school on Friday got the chance to question Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone and the other parliamentary candidates on policy, in a special Q&A session led by the school’s head teacher, Aydin Onac.

The students quizzed the candidates on a number of issues, ranging from local school funding to the Middle East crisis and economic recovery.

Lynne Featherstone MP comments:

“It’s been such an enjoyable and stimulating afternoon. I’m so impressed by the Fortismere students. They clearly have an impressive knowledge of political issues, as well as a hunger to learn more and understand the world we live in.

“With that kind of insight and interest, I’m sure they will go far in life, so keep it up guys!”

Here’s my latest column for the Muswell Hill Flyer and the Highgate Handbook:

I sent out an email to my special email list to ask for people’s personal stories of when the Whittington Accident & Emergency had been important in their lives – and got a phenomenal response. (If you want to be on this list just email lynne and say so).

I will be presenting these to all the members of all the boards of all the layers of NHS decision makers who are working out our future health services (and there are many of them) and to the government in due course – to try and remind them that this about people’s lives – and that we are not just pawns on some management chessboard.

The clue is in the title of the service – ‘emergency’ – and some of the stories tell how the ambulance man or woman has said we must go to the nearest hospital because x won’t make it if we don’t – every second counts.

Now every resident of Muswell Hill and Highgate who has contacted me about this is quite clear about the importance of having a full 24/7 A&E locally. Distance matters both for saving lives but also for ease of access. And quite frankly the Whittington is far better placed for public transport than the Royal Free for us.

The decision makers are arguing that distance isn’t always important and that extra GP hours, NHS Direct and pharmacies can be a viable alternative. But no amount of extra GP hours or even an urgent care centre (which is one of their alternative suggestions) can replace a full A&E service. This is insanity being wrapped up and sold to us under the guise of ‘better clinical outcomes’. Yes – there are people who use A&E who don’t need to – but taking away A&E isn’t the answer – adding a GP walk-in where those people could be diverted to – could be.

If our A&E goes – as sure as night follows day – we will also lose obstetrics and the Intensive Care Unit. There will be no emergency take from GPs and it will compromise the teaching of medical students at the Whittington.

As for the funding, I put it directly to the Minister, Mike O’Brien, in an Adjournment Debate on the Whittington, that there is a fear that this is about cuts and budgets. The Minister assured me, on the record, that there would be no ‘slash and burn’ solutions and that all of this was about better clinical outcomes.

Well – for all those stories where people would have died if there had not been an A&E at the Whittington – seems to me being alive is a pretty good clinical outcome.

Full credit to Rachel Tyndall (Chair of the North London Central Review Panel) for sending me the NCL Strategy Plan for our local health services. I had heard that these had been submitted to NHS London and asked for a copy – and it was given to me virtually immediately. I have circulated the document for information.

The content is of concern. First let me say – this is a long, technical document – in which the arguments are laid out for the configuration of health services across five boroughs and between five hospitals: Barnet, Royal Free, North Mids, UCLH and the Whittington. Ms Tyndall has said that a more accessible version for public consumption will be provided in due course.

In the appendix, are laid out, seven ‘scenarios’. This is where the fight to Save the Whittington A&E will come – if these are the ‘options’ that come for public consultation next autumn.

The seven ‘scenarios’  demonstrate different configurations between the five hospitals as to what services will be provided from each hospital. It is about a total provision – obviously – not just A&E. Suffice to say that four out of the seven ‘scenarios’ show an end to 24/7 A&E at the Whittington. Three show retention of 24/7 A&E.

Interestingly two of the ‘scenarios’ show a reduction to 16 hours A&E – however – from the minutes of the Board Meeting of the Council of Governors of the Whittington it is quite clear that the the 16 hour A&E is not a real option. The actual wording from the minutes of the meeting of the Council of Governors of the Whittington reads (and I quote directly):

Very importantly NCL and the Whittington have ruled out an option where the Whittington has an A&E with reduced opening time eg 16hours per day. This leaves options where either the full 24 hour A&E is retained or there is no A&E at all. The Whittington might then have an urgent care centre.

So – I don’t know why NCL have included two options showing a 16 hour A&E as clearly that has already been ruled out. This makes me wonder if options have been put in that are not really and truly under consideration but are there to make two of the options look better than they are – as they seem to offer some A&E rather than none. I will seek clarification on this seemingly conflicting evidence.

The greater problem for all of us fighting to save the Whittington A&E – is that as long as there are any ‘scenarios’ that don’t retain 24 hour A&E – we are in jeopardy. So – we need the public consultation next autumn to simply ask those who use the Whittington whether we want to retain the 24 A&E service or whether we would prefer the alternative range of provision at the polyclinic, GP extra hours, urgent care centre etc favoured by NCL and the Trusts.

Anything else opens the way to closure of A&E at the Whittington.

At this point – it is a battle to make sure whatever options finally come forward for consultation- that if local people want to retain a 24 hour A&E at the Whittington – it is retained!

Young students from Fortismere School came to Muswell Hill Synagogue for Holocaust Memorial Day. Rabbi Mason welcomed them. I spoke to them about the current relevance of the Holocaust – about how hatred and discrimination goes on day in day out – even in our playgrounds. And how, when you hear anyone say something derogatory and disgusting about others – be that about being gay, disabled, black, whatever – if you didn’t speak up then you are complicit. And how important this is – and how – under pressure, a whole nation can change and become frightened into silence virtually.

Then came Joan Salter, whose own children had gone to Fortismere, and whose name was changed long ago by the American family she was placed with after the war. Whenever you hear a Holocaust Survivor’s story – you are moved to tears and you cannot believe man’s inhumanity to man.

Joan’s story was a bit different. For a start – she, her half-sister and both her mother and father survived the Holocaust – just. The tale is one of fear, hiding, danger, hardship, separation and endurance. But shining out in that story of survival really against all odds and a journey from Poland, to Paris, to Belgium, to Spain, to Portugal and to the USA, are those in those countries who risked their lives to shelter, hide, feed or help the individuals in this family.

They did risk their own lives to speak out and say that what Hitler was doing was hideous, evil and despite danger to their own lives, they would not be cowed and frightened and complicit – but stood full square to help those Jews that they could.

A wonderful story – and I have no doubt that the Fortismere students who heard it – will remember the lesson that is taught by the example of this one brave survivor.

A huge thank you to Tamara Broido and the Muswell Hill Holocaust Memorial Day Committee, Rabbi Mason and all who made this really valuable event possible.

Jeremy Corbyn – MP for Islington North – managed to get an adjournment debate last night on the future of the Whittington – and he very kindly let me speak. For him and I, the most affected constituencies, we are joining forces to ensure that NHS health bosses get the message loud and clear BEFORE decisions are made – that local people are madder than hell at even the suggestion of closure or reduction.

Interestingly, and I will look at Hansard later today, the Minister seemed pretty ticked off with the North London sector and the PCTs and the way they have gone about this. So – hopefully – between an ear-wigging from the minister and the wrath of the local people and MPs we will frighten them off.

They now speak in whispers about how nothing is decided and they are just looking at options. Don’t be fooled – it is quite clear to me that was an option they were considering and without a public rumpus - they would have continued sweetly on that path!

Rumours are emerging that the planned merger of the Whittington and Royal Free Hospitals will not be enough to satisfy NHS bosses and that there may instead be a forced marriage between the Whittington, Royal Free and UCLH Hospitals.

This raises interesting questions, because UCLH is a Foundation Trust. I believe this may mean that the proposed ‘merger’ will be nothing of the sort, but will instead be a take-over by UCLH of the other two hospitals – a wonderful Xmas present for UCLH, which has been dreaming of this for years…. This disaster just goes on and on….”

Meanwhile, lots of denials by NHS bosses about intentions to close or reduce A&E departments at the Whittington and North Mid.

Having now been in elected politics for over ten years – one thing I am sure of – when there are budget cuts demanded and letters showing closure sent out and then denied – is that the sooner and the louder that local people let their views be known the better!

Otherwise – heaven forfend – we could find that none of the options that come to public consultation next September contain anything that bears any relationship to what local people actually want!

Families in Fortis Green have been short-changed by Haringey Council, local Liberal Democrats have said, after it has emerged that Haringey Council will only provide £5,000 to fund a new Children’s Centre in the ward.

Whilst the announcement of further funding for children’s centres in Haringey was welcomed, local councillors have criticised Haringey Council for failing to provide universal cover for families, despite the need and deprivation in the area.

Similar phase three spending on children’s centres includes £495,500 for Highgate, £300,000 for Crouch End, £85,000 for Stroud Green and £150,000 for West Green.

Cllr Martin Newton (Fortis Green) comments:

“Despite being the only ward in the borough not to have a Children’s Centre, Haringey Council has once again overlooked the families of Fortis Green. Five thousand is a pitiful amount to provide a key service for local residents.”

Lynne Featherstone MP adds:

“This is a bitter blow to Fortis Green. It has taken Haringey Council years to wake up to the fact that there is a need and now, this low-level of funding is almost derisory. Labour needs to end the East/West divide and wake up the real need to fight deprivation across the entire borough.”