§ Sir D. Walker-SmithI beg respectfully to submit to the House the petition of the urban district council of the old and honoured town of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire. The petition refers to the decision of the Secretary of State for Social Services to close the maternity unit at the Hertfordshire and Essex General Hospital and to transfer its services to Harlow.
The petition states in clear and cogent terms the council's apprehensions as to the injurious effect that this may have on hospital services in the locality, for both patients and staff. It goes on to refer to the inadequacy of the statistical information on which the decision was based, the support of medical opinion for the retention of the unit, and the presentation of a petition to the Secretary of State signed by 26,349 people in the locality.
The petition concludes:
Wherefore your Petitioner prays that your honourable House do require the Secretary of State to revoke his decision and allow the matter to be reconsidered by the area health authority for Hertfordshire following the reorganisation of the National Health Service on 1st April 1974.And your Petitioner, as in duty bound, will ever pray.To lie upon the Table.