In March this year Peter Harris led Newark and Sherwood District Council in unanimously voting to support the call for an Independent Review.

This appeared to be supported by the Conservatives at County Hall in their Health and Wellbeing Standing Committee held a few weeks later.

I am now very deeply concerned to learn that Nottinghamshire County Council’s Health and Wellbeing Standing Committee did not send their submission for an Independent Review to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel in time for consideration.  It is difficult to find words that adequately express the degree of frustration and disappointment that this grave omission caused to the people who rely on us to represent their interests.

The question of Newark Hospital is not a divisive issue on Newark and Sherwood District Council, which is why I and the Leaders of the other three political groups at the Council have taken an unusual step of producing a joint letter to urge all members of the Social Care and Health Standing Committee to unite in ensuring that a timely request is now made for an Independent Review of the Newark Health Care Review.

We will see what the Committee has to say at its next meeting.