"Brooks says, "Fight for our Hospital!

Brooks today launched a new campaign to collect signatures for a petition to Parliament calling on the Government to make good on its promise to build a new community hospital for the people of Braintree. Brooks today launched a new campaign to collect signatures for a petition to Parliament calling on the Government to make good on its promise to build a new community hospital for the people of Braintree.

The launch of his campaign coincides with a high profile debate on NHS services which took place in the House of Commons as part of a campaign by Conservative MPs to stop cuts in NHS front-line services.

Brooks is calling on all of Braintree's residents to sign up to the petition, and to encourage their friends and neighbours to do the same, before he presents it to the House of Commons later this year. "I am hoping the petition will give further weight, in a more official capacity, to our campaign to ensure that we get a community hospital in Braintree", he said.

The future of Braintree's community hospital is tied up with the Government's decision over the Broomfield Hospital PFI scheme in Chelmsford. But the Department of Health is now suggesting that the £180 million budget for the project will have to be trimmed down 'significantly', with one of the casualties being Braintree's community hospital.

Brooks said, "I am hugely disappointed with what has gone on. I was led to believe that it was not a question of if, it was a question of when the community hospital would go ahead."

"Braintree has been one of the fastest-growing towns in the country. We used to have three hospitals in the area, now we have none. A community hospital is absolutely critical to healthcare services in Braintree."

Cancellation or a further delay of the proposed Broomfield project at this late stage could also lead to significant financial penalties. Brooks said, "It is outrageous that the penalties to be paid by the health trust could be as high as £47 million - nearly ten times the cost of a community hospital for Braintree and £1000 from every household in our community wasted."

Petition forms are available for download on Brooks' website at www.brooksnewmark.com and should be returned to: Conservative Office, Avenue Lodge, The Avenue, Witham, Essex, CM8 2DL. Signatures can also be submitted online.