Kent hospitals are being told to delay routine patient appointments for eight weeks, otherwise they will not be paid for them, a new BBC report has revealed. The minimum period is being enforced by primary care trusts because a drive to meet government waiting time targets was costing too much money.
A campaign is being launched by Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Forums across England to encourage more members of the public to volunteer and help improve health services in their area. The Forums are made up of volunteers from all backgrounds of the local community who represent patients and the public in decisions about health and health services.
I've recently discovered that the state of our streets and towns has been cited by marketing experts as the major block on "selling" Folkestone and Hythe. The litter our our streets, the overflowing bins, and the state of the town centre at night mean that those marketing experts feel its not even worth trying to get people to come here. Their prognosis is simple - get and keep Shepway clean and tidy - all the time. Make people like where they live, and want it to succeed. From there, the marketing has a chance.
Welcome Home Toby!
The Liberal Democrats have selected Toby Philpott as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Folkestone and Hythe. Toby was elected following a hustings meeting and ballot of members from across the constituency following a hard fought three way race.
Kent Trading Standards have warned that rogue companies may be targeting businesses trying to extract unnecessary money from them.
The Shepway Liberal Democrats Annual General Meeting & Hustings for the new Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Folkestone and Hythe is this Friday, 17th November 2006 from 7.15pm at the Burlington Hotel, Earls Avenue, Folkestone CT20 2HR. Party members are welcome - please do come along and have YOUR say in this important decision!
The Lib Dems have just released a new short film about Iraq, David Cameron, Gordon Brown and the Liberal Democrat alternative. You can see it this weekend on the front page of the Shepway Liberal Democrats web site at www.shepwaylibdems.org.uk or at Google Video. The film will also be broadcast this Friday 17th November on BBC1 at 18.55, BBC2 at 17.55 and ITV at 18.55.
Shepway businesses are being warned to watch out for a phone scam where a call is received asking to talk to the person who had placed an advert in the "New Romney Community Guide". The caller (often a woman with a Liverpool accent) goes on to claim an advert has been placed but not paid for, a "replacement" invoice sent, and if not paid, legal proceedings are then issued for non-payment of the invoice.
Kent Trading Standards will be at the Performance Area in Upper High Street, Ashford (between County Square and Park Mall) on the 20th November. Trading Standards Advice Officers will be joining apprentice mechanics and tutors from South Kent College to offer consumer advice and practical tips on car purchasing and servicing.
Shepway Liberal Democrats have welcomed the launch of a national Lib Dem campaign against Defra's flood defence cuts, ahead of the launch of the Environment Agency's Flood Warning Campaign.
All Liberal Democrat members are welcome to attend the Party's two "Federal" (UK wide) conferences each year. In 2007, Federal Conferences are held on 2-4 March in Harrogate and 16-20 September in Brighton.
