Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone, has attacked the Government’s controversial backing for foundation hospitals, and has criticised Haringey’s two local Labour MPs for backing the measure.

Ms Featherstone says there should be more local control over the health service, but that foundation hospitals are not the answer. Ms Featherstone says that local hospitals which are not granted foundation status in the first tranche would suffer as resources poured into foundation hospitals.

Lynne Featherstone comments:

“We need real local decision making in the NHS. However, with the present government plan, we risk a two-tier health service – and many Labour MPs have agreed. But once again Haringey’s Labour MPs have instead toed the party line and have not voted to put the interests of residents first in Parliament.”

Opposition Liberal Democrats have today warned that Haringey’s ruling Labour councillors are in danger of turning the borough into a ‘pariah’ local council after Labour councillors have once again moved to ensure that the Labour group chairs all of the Council’s vital watchdog committees for the next year.

The Lib Dems say that the Council’s new scrutiny committees were intended to operate on a ‘non-party’ basis – as they do in most other councils.Lib Dems say that Labours grip on the system means that the committees’ watchdog role on behalf of local residents is now in a state of crisis, as Labour seeks to control the agenda of all committees.

In a further move, the Labour group are also forcing through changes to the Borough’s constitution which will curb the right of councillors to ask questions in Council.Lib Dems says that cutting back their right to ask questions is further bad news for local residents, as it is often the only way that councillors can force answers out of a reluctant council.The changes being forced through by Labour, fearful of questioning from Lib Dem councillors, will also reduce the number of Council meetings.

Cllr Ross Laird, Leader of the Opposition, comments:

“Once again, Labour has shown that they are not willing to respect the democratic process and be held properly to account.It is no accident that such a bad council is guilty of such bad practice. They have battened down the hatches and are ignoring the views of others.As usual, it will be local people and local services that will suffer as a result of this abuse of power.”

Commenting on the Haringey Labour council group’s internal election results, Lib Dem Leader Cllr Ross Laird, said:

“These results show that Haringey’s Labour councillors are utterly divided, and unable to provide new ideas for the borough.

“In sticking to the old leadership, despite the intense criticism from the Climbie Inquiry, Labour councillors have rejected a fresh start for the Council.

“And with such a close vote for leader, Labour is clearly split down the middle. Such a totally divided and inward-looking Labour group is unlikely to provide the clear leadership needed to deal with Haringey’s many pressing problems.

Cllr Lynne Featherstone adds:

“It seems that those Labour councillors who are frank enough to admit the Council’s failings will be removed from their positions by the Labour machine.

“Cllr Gideon Bull, who has owned up to the Council’s dreadful record on consulting local people, has been purged from the Labour executive. On the other hand, Ray Dodds, who has presided over several botched consultations, has been promoted. It is a very depressing spectacle.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson Lynne Featherstone has met the senior manager in charge of the North Middlesex anti-coagulant clinic, Ms Angela Gallagher, to discuss the hospital’s plans to reduce the appalling conditions for patients waiting at the clinic.

The meeting followed an earlier visit by Ms Featherstone following patient complaints about crowds of the ill and elderly waiting to be seen. On her previous visit, Ms Featherstone found that the clinic waiting room has roughly 40 seats, and has been told that as many as 160 patients can be waiting for treatment and are forced to stand. At the Wednesday morning anti-coagulant clinic, most patients are waiting for blood tests, and many are elderly or have heart problems.

Ms Featherstone’s earlier, and unannounced, visit had turned the spotlight on a previously unhurried approach to finding ways to alleviate the situation. At the meeting Ms Gallagher laid out plans to reduce the levels of people attending by a slow and carefully monitored change to Primary Care with some patients being able to attend a GP surgery or a pharmacist rather than the clinic.

Patients would also be able to attend clinics to have blood tests on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons too rather than all on a Wednesday morning. In this way, the hospital hopes to bring order to what has until now been a chaotic situation.

Commenting Lynne Featherstone says:

“I am pleased that moves are at last being made to alleviate the patients’ situation at this very important clinic. It is hard to believe that such a stressful experience for patients was allowed to go on for such a long time. I hope by focusing attention on this issue and continuing to be involved, that the improvements promised to me last week will be on a fast track. The sooner the better.”

Residents around Priory Gardens, N6 are hoping that they will not have to watch where they step after the Council finally erected dog fouling notices, a year after promising Lib Dem Cllr Lynne Featherstone that they would be installed.

The notices that were erected at 3pm last Tuesday (22nd April) following recent correspondence from Cllr Featherstone to the Council expressing her concern over the length of time it had taken for the Council to act on its promise.

It is hoped the signs will deter local dog owners from allowing their dogs to foul the streets by reminding them of the penalty they may incur if they do.

Cllr Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased that the Council finally put these signs up and I am hopeful that this will reduce the problem of dog fouling in the area. However, ultimately it is the responsibility of every dog owner to ensure that they scoop the poop.”

Highgate residents risk car damage and injury because of ‘unacceptable’ pot-holes in and around the Southwood Lawn Road area according to Lib Dem councillor, Lynne Featherstone.

Cllr Featherstone, who has written to the Council on numerous occasions regarding these pot-holes, visited the site and was angered to see that months after contractors had marked around the holes with chalk, they had still not been filled in.

Cllr Featherstone comments:

“I am angered by the failure of Haringey Council to rectify this problem. I measured a pot-hole at the top of Southwood Lawn Road and it was three inches deep. The contractors were ordered to repair it but since marking it a few months ago they have done nothing. “

Highgate councillor Neil Williams adds:

“This is not an isolated problem. I have had complaints from residents in surrounding roads such as Southwood Avenue where pot-holes have remained unrepaired for months on end. The Council must speed up these kinds of repair works to local roads.”

Local Lib Dem Councillors from Crouch End and Muswell Hill held a meeting on Thursday (1st May) with local residents, council officials and social housing managers to discuss the controversial proposed development of 40 flats on Park Road, N8.

At the meeting, concerned local residents voiced their concerns about the likely noise and dust that may be caused by 18 months of construction at the site. They also informed the Council about their desire for improved road safety along Park Road.

Cllr Ross Laird (Muswell Hill), who chaired the meeting, comments:

“This was a very useful meeting, giving residents an opportunity to meet with representatives of the developer and convey their concerns about traffic management to the Council.

“I will endeavour to try and get double glazing put into sheltered housing at The Grove to minimise disruption to residents. Council officers will also now take away concerns voiced by residents about making Park Road safer for pedestrians and residents alike.”

Liberal Democrat councillors in Muswell Hill are urging Haringey Council to carry out improvements for residents of the sheltered housing scheme in The Grove, Park Road, following news that a major housing development is set to begin this summer.

Lib Dem councillors Ross Laird and Lynne Featherstone are keen for double glazing to be installed in all shelter housing on The Grove before the new housing development, which starts this summer and is scheduled to last 18 months. As well as the glazing upgrade, they are hoping that a replacement for the old car parking barrier can be funded with the use of capital funding. The Lib Dem councillors are also keen for the Council to start spending some of their graffiti-fighting budget on removing the large amount of graffiti in the area.

Cllr Laird, Leader of the Opposition, comments:

“We want to see the Council moving its plans forward and carrying out improvements now, not in two years. Residents in the Grove have had to put up with graffiti and vandalism for too long, to make them endure 18 months of noisy construction is not acceptable.”

Cllr Featherstone (Muswell Hill) adds:

“A clean and quiet environment is all the local residents are asking for. I think the Council has an obligation to honour that request and we will be making them aware of that.”

Lib Dem Councillors have welcomed a decision from Haringey’s ruling Labour party to back Lib Dem calls for a new an open procedure for granting the Freedom of the Borough. The move follows Lib Dem concerns, after last month’s granting of the award, that only retired Labour councillors were being considered.

Lib Dem councillor Neil Williams (Highgate) argued at a meeting of the full council that the award needed to be opened up to all those in who have made a significant contribution to the life of the borough – and not just former councillors.

“Freedom of the borough is something that should be bestowed fairly, transparently, wisely, and of course, sparingly,” said Councillor Williams.

“That is why I think it is very important that the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Opposition join forces to ensure that the award is seen to move beyond the sphere of local politics.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson, Lynne Featherstone comments:

“I am pleased that Labour have agreed that there will now be a procedure to look at how the freedom is granted. Other boroughs, such as Islington, have opened up the process. It is the highest honour Haringey can bestow, and I hope local people will be allowed to participate fully in future in putting forward their own nominees.”

Lib Dem Social Services Spokesperson Cllr Ron Aitken, has written to the head of the local strategic health authority to urge the immediate publication of the finding of the inquiry into the conviction of Dr Timothy Healy, convicted on indecency charges last September.

Mr Aitken said it is now seven moths since Dr Healy’s conviction and removal from the list of General Practitioners. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, reduced on appeal to eight. Ron Aitken says the speedy publication of the health authority’s inquiry is of concern to Haringey residents.

Although Dr Healy was a Barnet GP, his home, at which he treated patients, was in Haringey, and he had also worked at the Whittington Hospital which treats many Haringey patients.

Ron Aitken comments:

“I am extremely concerned to see the prompt publication of this report and all its findings. Seven months have passed and it is essential that any victims in Haringey can be given support and advice about what would certainly have been a devastating experience for others in Barnet.

“Delays are not acceptable, and I have asked Marcia Saunders, Chair of the North Central London Health authority, to publish the report. All the agencies involved, as well as the victims whose lives have been affected, need the greatest possible confidence that such a tragedy never happens again.”