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Call for £86,000 raised for stroke unit to stay in Hemel
A campaigner who raised £86,000 to pay for a stroke unit in Hemel Hempstead feels betrayed after learning hospital chiefs intend to move it to Watford.
Margaret Sharp, of Cotterells in Hemel Hempstead, claims West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust must have known there were question marks over the unit's future in the town when they were encouraging her fundraising.
Mrs Sharp managed to collect the huge sum of money in a matter of months in 2004 after getting the backing of local businesses and the community including The Gazette.
"I feel I have been made a fool of," she said.
"I worked for something that was going to be there for the future.
"I want to say to the town I have always been honest with people and I was not aware this was a short-term project."
She added: "I'm not walking away on this one. The trust has done an injustice to the people of Hemel.
"I want this money back and I want something for stroke people in Hemel Hempstead."
Mrs Sharp started pressing for a stroke unit in the town in 2002 after her husband Phillip suffered a stroke.
Her dreams came true in November 2004 after the community rallied round to enable the purchase of electric beds, stroke chairs, and monitors.
However, throughout this period health chiefs were drawing up plans to strip services from Hemel Hempstead Hospital.
In October full A&E services will close in the town, which will be left with a minor injuries unit, diagnostic facilities and an outpatients department.
MP Mike Penning is backing Mrs Sharp's call for the cash to stay in the town and he intends to ask the Parliamentary Ombudsman to investigate the situation.
"There is something ethically wrong here," he said.
"These people have been led up the garden path.
"People need assurances about where their money has gone and why can't we have that money back?
"People will never have the faith to put their hands in their pocket again."
In a statement the trust said: "We really appreciate all the time and hard work that Mrs Sharp has put into fundraising on behalf of the trust and the people of west Hertfordshire over many years.
"Centralisation of this service and availability of skilled doctors and nurses to deliver this timely treatment is crucial for improved outcomes from stroke.
"We would like to reassure Mrs Sharp that the people of Hemel Hempstead will continue to receive access to our stroke services."
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
