Consumer rights
Sometimes you will need to know your consumer rights under both British and European law.
People are increasingly buying goods from online shops and Ebay, and when there is a dispute, it can sometimes be difficult to understand where you stand.
Now there is a service available called the European Consumer Centre, which is there to spell out your consumer rights and assist with disputes you may have when purchasing or returning goods from another EU country. Their website address is: http://www.ukecc.net/ or telephone 08456 040503.
Happy (and safe) shopping!
Syed Kamall MEP,
Conservative Euro-MP for London
European Parliament, Rue Wiertz, Brussels 1047
• Syed is always pleased to offer help and advice to readers of the Chronicle which is why we have included his mailing address in his letter. Ed
Fares Freeze
Mayor Livingstone boasts about his fares freeze - anyone would think there is an election coming on 1 May. What he doesn’t reveal however is that three out of four Tube users will be hit by the increase in Travelcard fares from 2 January. Londoners are paying the most expensive Tube fares in the world for a service with little sign of improvements. Now that Livingstone is in full charge of two-thirds of the Tube network, look out for more delays and cancellations. Commuters from London’s suburbs are crammed into overcrowded Tube trains in conditions that would be illegal for animal livestock. I have published new research showing that New Yorkers pay a quarter of what Londoners do for a daily, weekly or monthly all-Zone pass. Yet the New York subway runs 24-hours a day, is air-conditioned and has over 50% more staff making it feel safer. We need fundamental reform with central government support, not over-priced, cosmetic changes from Mayor Livingstone.
Yours sincerely,
Brian Paddick,
Liberal Democrat Mayoral Candidate
Delay could mean death!
I am writing this as an anonymous letter so I can say exactly what I feel. I am a long-standing resident of Bexley, with Queen Mary’s as my local hospital.
I have read your interesting article in the Chronicle about the possible closure of the accident and emergency department of the hospital and possibly the maternity unit.
This would be a total disaster, and I feel the PCT should not be able to dictate as to what is the future of the hospital.
It is my belief that since the PCT have separated from A&E they are receiving hardly any patients, whereas A&E are just as busy, and saving peoples lives. If this should happen, and an elderly person presented themselves to the PCT unit with chest pains because Queen Mary’s has always been his local hospital they would have to wait for an ambulance to take them to another hospital far away. They could lose their life in the meantime. Also with the amount of traffic on the roads its going to take a long time from Sidcup or Bexley to go to one or the other. Who will deal with emergency cases from the A2 and A20?
In my opinion, it is always about money. These other hospitals and of course PCT are privately funded, Queen Mary’s is not, yet they have got their deficit down to a much lower figure than any of the other hospitals.
I’m an elderly lady and have used Queen Mary’s facilities for many years. I first had an operation there when the wards were wooden huts and I was well looked after. The hospital has history and the staff work as hard as they possibly can, sometimes in difficult circumstances, i.e. shortage of staff etc. but lives are still saved. Think again PCT, you only deal with minor injuries, A & E saves lives!
With regard to the maternity unit I have only heard good things and know it used by many. It’s a pity the ‘mums’ who have had their babies there cannot speak up and try and save this important unit - but would they be heard?
Finally, it is a pity that some of the higher ‘powers that be’ do not visit the A & E, but just spend a day in that unit to see how busy and efficiently run it is, and how many lives are saved.
Anonymous supporter of Queen Mary’s
• Readers will know the Chronicle very rarely publishes anonymous letters. All our letters are genuine. Ed.
Heads in the clouds!
In November 2007 I travelled to Manchester on a day return. The fare was just short of £120 for two described as a ‘Saver’..
A reduced timetable plus rail engineering works gave us no sense of well-being especially when the train left twenty five minutes late. Hordes of people attempted to board the train once they had passed the first three carriages which were first class only
The train arrived an hour late. The buffet car (one only) was soon ‘Out of Service’! Elderly people, some with walking sticks were standing. The aisles were full of of people seeking respite during their five hour ordeal - men, women and children. Tempers were frayed and calm was called for otherwise ‘they would be put off at Th. next stop’ announced a mystery voice. We were advised to complete a complaints form but none were available!
I complained to Virgin Trains Customer Relations. After a delay of two weeks I enquired when I was getting reply. After much delay and searching I was told I was on the system. They ‘would see to it’ that I received an acknowledgement, Five weeks later I telephoned the special number given on the Virgin note paper - it had been discontinued. After waiting fifteen minutes a Virgin employee said he was unaware of the wrong number printed on their letterheads and he ‘would see to it’!
I still await conclusion and compensation.
Today I read Virgin are annoyed at the late conclusion of engineering works which stops them offering their customers a first-class service! And I thought I knew what irony and hypocrisy meant!
The top men at Virgin know the score with their heads in the clouds and the boss who travels by balloon!
John Johnson,
Sidcup
Priorities
Happy New Year to all Bexley Chronicle readers. London has been moving in the right direction and I want to keep it that way and build on the progress our city has made so that everyone can benefit.
My priorities for 2008 will be to ensure London’s continued success, to make sure that all Londoners can take part in that success, and to make that success sustainable by protecting our environment.
One big priority will be to press ahead with policies that will mean more affordable homes - including the key tough policy that half of all new homes must be affordable. I will retain travel concessions for older Londoners, children, those on income support and the disabled - and defend them from repeated attacks. And later this year Bexley residents will benefit when London becomes a Low Emission Zone, tackling harmful pollution.
There’s much for us to build on from last year. In March the first ever 21 strong safer transport police teams started patrolling in Bexley, in October Crossrail finally got the green light and in December we delivered the first major investment in young Londoners for a generation with £79 million for London and £1.4 million for Bexley.
It is clear that London is now a leading world financial and cultural centre. Our job is to help everyone enjoy that success. I wish all Bexley Chronicle readers a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
Ken Livingstone
Mayor of London
Listening to you!
Bexley’s Tory controlled Council recently agreed to a plan (initially signed by a single councillor) to stop collecting rubbish weekly and instead collect it fortnightly. This is on a rolling programme due to begin post April area by area. Most flats are to be exempt and will continue to have weekly collections of rubbish, and will not have an easy route to recycling.
Let’s face it the waste collection over Christmas was abysmal - imagine how behind the contractors are going to be next Christmas!
In principle my colleagues support the push to raise Bexley’s recycling further. However, we did not agree it should happen before residents were asked and had agreed to the change. Nor do we agree spending £1.35 million on wheelie bins is wise which is what each resident will get if they don’t respond to a form offering either the bin or a composter!
Recycling is about habit, convenience and an attitude of mind. My fear is that those who now recycle little or nothing will simply fill a wheelie bin for fortnightly collections. Disposable nappies are not recyclable and I shall be glad this summer not to live next door to a young family with two weeks worth of nappies festering in a warm wheelie bin!
So why didn’t the Tories make residents aware a year ago with any publicity?
Let’s promote recycling, change peoples view on recycling, save landfill charges and not waste £1.35 million of our money on plastic bins! Money that could be spent reducing crime, refurbishing classrooms or a host of things residents might actually want.
Councillor Chris Ball
Leader of the Labour Group
The Chronicle requested advertisements to be placed in our five papers but the council declined so our 80,000 readers may not be aware of the councils aims and ambitions regarding recycling. Ed
Sidcup shops
Having read the comment by Council leader Clement about Sidcup High street has the man ever been to this part of the borough? The place is as dead as a dodo! There is no where to buy shoes, shirts,ladies fashion, or much else. Perhaps one of our six local councillors could invite him here one afternoon to see how our High street has declined over the years.
G. Rickard,
Sidcup
P.S Clement says he is helping our shopkeepers. Perhaps he could tell us how?
Victory for the Yobs
Ernie Norton died when yobs in the Borough threw stones at him and hit him on the head. The Killers have just been released from prison after serving about one month’s sentence. I suppose that the other people also subjected to the stone barrage will be taken to Court next, as it is easier in this Country to prosecute victims rather than criminals.
The Police are not being backed by the Courts, the Courts are not backed by the Home Office, nor the Home Office backed by the Exchequer. That is what you get as a consequence of voting for Mr “tough on crime” Blair.
So citizens of Bexley beware. The yobs have demonstrated that it is possible to kill a man and get away with a week or two imprisonment. They are known to maraud around the Borough oblivious of unenforced ABSOs or other Court orders so stay indoors unless it is absolutely essential to venture out. And think how you vote at the next election.
RG.
Name and address supplied.
Thank you shopkeepers
Once again we look forward to another year with our ‘good and faithful servants’ the shopkeepers of the High Street.
Thank you all for being there for us. We know how hard you have to fight, to keep your heads above water. Even so, you all have a cheerful word, even for those of us who grumble for change.
You can get anything from toilet brush to a curtain hook, and toiletries are hard to find any cheaper than at our chemist.
Those of us who go for a shampoo and set at the hairdressers every week, just could not be better cared for.
So come on all you people in the new flats. Join us in keeping our lovely shopkeepers in business. It’s better for us to walk the High street than take the car. And it will keep us fit.
A very Happy New Year to all and may our shopkeepers have a successful year in 2008.
Mary Pay,
Sidcup
Safeguarding Queen Mary’s Hospital
We are naturally very concerned regarding Queen Mary’s Hospital which must in our view continue with an A & E Department. It is the only Hospital in Bexley Borough and enjoys the affection and warm regard of residents. Hospitals besides treating patients are social organisations and part of the community-. this Hospital has a special place in Bexlev. It has effectively been picking up the cost for serious blunders made by other Trusts and policy errors at Governmental level.
All the hospitals in the area will face change and there will be specialisation.
Having considered the reports of Professors Darzi and Alberti the Forum recognises that change in the Health Service in London South East is necessary. Subject to concerns we have, it will if carried through well, be of benefit to Patients.
Our greatest concern is that the financial situation of the acute hospitals has not been given sufficient stress. Three of the Hospitals, Bromley. Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth which are wholly or partly PFI (privately financed) and have very large deficits whilst Queen Mary’s has a much smaller problem. These hospitals cannot be expected to be able to repay these sums. The official web site showed the deficits as £65m whiIst a King’s Fund seminar in July was advised that there was a legacy debt totalling £180m. Without these problems having been cleared this will be a burden on the London South East area, and will be bound to be to the detriment of the Health Care of patients. As a result instead of the changes being solely governed by clinical needs, they will inevitably be financially cost driven.
There are substantial reserves held bv Guys and St Thomas’s Hospitals., but as thev are Foundation Hospitals and separate legal bodies, these funds are not available even though these Hospitals serve the area.
Government decided to build these local PFI Hospitals and the financing and the running costs of them are excessive. This should not be a charge on the local health economy but paid for by Central Government. Equally we consider that writing off the deficits is essential if the proposals are not to be very seriously flawed. It is vital that these financial problems are properly addressed.
We do have concerns regarding the process of moving care in to the community. At present there are not the trained nurses and the infrastructure needed. Any change would require substantial investment and we ask where are the resources needed? In the past cuts have been made in Bexley that have disadvantaged patient care. These massive changes will require management skill of the highest order and competence. We are concerned as to whether this management expertise exists in the Care Trusts.
Queen Mary’s Forum Members
Eddie Edwards, Margaret Bell, Barbara Loughton, Meiw Wells, Michael Ramkeesoon, Richard Neveille and Charles Brooker. Also John Bell Member of Bexley Care Trust Forum
Manor House
On your front page piece you quote Councillor Clement as saying not all of
his postbag has been negative. But this does not mean most of it has been
positive. In fact he could say this if only one letter agreed with the
proposal. Perhaps he should give numbers!
Happy New Year
Liz Smyth,
St. Pancras station
Your piece about St Pancras was ill reasearched. Have you never been on a train?
To get to St Pancras from Sidcup is really very easy and you don’t need to go Charing Cross.
A train to London Bridge and the Thameslink train (from the same platform) takes you to the new St Pancras International Thameslink station with lifts and escalators to the Eurostar Station.
If going north to go south worries you so much (even though we have always done this to Waterloo!) you can go to Ebbsfleet, either by car and pay what I understand is £11 a day parking charge, or by train to Dartford/Greenhithe and the fast track bus. By arrangement with South Eastern Trains and Eurostar this is free for a year just by showing your Eurostar ticket and your passport at any South Eastern station.
More research please before you jump to conclusions.
Brian Willson - Orpington
Your letter reinforces my view about St. Pancras and rail travel. I wouldn’t mind having the car parking contract at Ebbsfleet. If you are right this represents 10% of a pensioners weekly income! Ed
Queen Mary’s Hospital
My colleagues and I on Bexley Council share your papers concerns about the future of our local hospital
Back in January this year, 2007, I announced our campaign to save Queen Mary’s in the chamber of Bexley Council and with the support of local papers like yours, we have been doing all we can to raise this issue with the public, as well as participating in meetings with NHS Representatives. Our local MP’s David Evennett and Derek Conway have been raising questions in parliament too.
However we find ourselves in the sad position of expecting proposals early next January from the NHS/Labour Government to close our A&E Dept, close the maternity unit and the children’s wards.
Bexley residents deserve better than this.
We will be launching a borough wide campaign early 2008 to encourage all residents to complete the NHS Questionnaire that is expected through your door and to respond that they want to keep these vital services.
I see many of these proposals happening by the back door.
I will be honest I do fear for Queen Mary’s future but we must stand up and fight and hope if enough people respond that they disagree with the proposals we may yet save our local services.
I do believe a number of the new proposals are an improvement, but I ask are they worth losing our Accident and Emergency Department over, I think not.
We hold regular meetings with NHS representatives and Sir George Alberti is joining our next meeting, it is a public meeting and you may wish to join us, time is allowed for questions from the public at the end of the meeting. The meeting is on Thursday 31st January 7.30pm Bexley Civic Offices Broadway, Bexleyheath.
Thank you for your support and please encourage all those you know to respond to the Picture of Health consultation.
Please either email: - APOH@Lewishampct.NHS.UK
Or call free phone 0800 321 3579, or write to
Picture of Health
Free post RRKR-AEAG-SCXA
Centre for Health Management
Tanaka Business School
Imperial College
London SW7 2AZ
The consultation finishes end of March 2008. Together we must fight for the future of Bexley residents
Councillor Sharon Massey
Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Services