JEREMY Hunt has hit back at critics who accuse him of using a “whole town” fight to prevent the possible closure of Haslemere Hospital minor injuries unit (MIU) as a party political football.

A row broke out after residents were asked to email the town MP’s election agent for tickets to the ‘Save Haslemere Minor Injuries Unit’ meeting Mr Hunt intends to hold in December so that supporters could flag up concerns directly to NHS bosses.

Just a week ago he called another meeting to highlight Farnham’s air quality issues.  A Summit for Action on the damaging effects of the town’s air quality, that has dogged the town for years.

The request came in the mass-mailed Haslemere Residents Survey he sent out which requested feedback on the threat to the unit but also asked for information on recipients’ voting intentions.

How blatant is that we ask?

Haslemere’s recent elected Independent town and county councillor Nikki Barton objected saying:

“We had been led to believe that this meeting, about a vital community asset, was genuinely a public meeting – open to all those in the community concerned, independent of any politics.

“It is clear however from the letter, that this public meeting to save our MIU was being explicitly used as part of an election campaign with entry to the meeting only granted once our personal data is shared, which could then, in theory, be used to select who attends, let alone for gaining an advantage in election campaigning in due course.”

Green town councillor, Gary Lloyd, said

 “All action to defend the MIU is welcome, but to call a meeting ‘public’ when the Conservative Party not only controls attendance but is also exploiting the genuine depth of public concern about a serious local issue to build a database of information on local residents is, quite frankly, shameful.”

However,  Mr Hunt said he would not apologise for campaigning hard on an important issue and no emails requesting tickets for the meeting would be used for party political purposes. He added no one was under any obligation to fill out every question on the survey.

He said the only reason for ticketing the meeting to be held at 7pm in Haslemere Hall on Friday, December 6, was because the venue was likely to be full and his election agent was the best point of contact when the survey was sent out. Good timing Mr Hunt. Ten out of ten – for kicking the NHS football around just six days before we all go out to the December 12 polls!  

Or maybe, us cynical souls believe you may have just scored an own goal?

Haslemere Hall started issuing tickets on a ‘first come first served’ basis ensuring seat reservations can now be made directly to the box office.

Mr Hunt has now written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, calling for him to intervene and prevent Haslemere MIU closing as

“it would add enormous and unwelcome pressure onto the A & E at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.”

Pop along the RSCH Jeremy, and see for yourself why Haslemere’s MIU cannot, and will not be,  closed.

Because there are cadavers driving around for hours looking for a parking space, to attend vital appointments.  Why would anyone want to send even more frustrated souls to its A & E Department, to lose the will to live looking for a parking space? 

The Waverley Web wonders why Mr Hunt is so concerned about the MIU’s future?

Wasn’t everyone told by the Guildford & Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group at its consultation which was not a consultation? That no decisions had been made on anything, anywhere, anytime?  That all it wanted, was for the public to tell them what they want for its Better Care Together programme, which included sites in Waverley for Urgent Care Centres and – The Case for Change. 

So, what exactly is the Guildford & Waverley CCG’s – ‘Better Together’ exercise all about?