Carmel Preston speaks for us all when she says: "Give us back our NHS!".

3.38.26pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 26th Apr 2007

Carmel Preston is fighting to bring back contol over the Health Service to local people

Experienced nurse Carmel Preston of Marshside speaks for many residents when she asks: "Just who is making the decisions around here about local Health Services?"

Controversial recent decisions include: penny-pinching introduction of a less-safe GP 'out-of-hours' system; increased parking charges at Southport's hospital; local hospital administration transferred to India; massive hikes in patients' telephone charges.

Decisions are being made by NHS Trusts - 'QUANGOs' - appointed by the government. Disgraceful decisions to close wards and move Children's and Maternity Services out of Southport have been made by these appointed bodies who do not answer directly to Southport people. So who are these 'Trust Boards' who are not accountable, either locally or to Parliament?

None of them have been elected to do this job by local people. Strangely, Government has appointed TWO Sefton Conservative Councillors onto the Southport & Ormskirk Hospital Trust Board, one of them as Chair. Campaigning nurse Carmel Preston is working with Southport's Liberal Democrat MP John Pugh on this vital issue: "Southport residents must fight to bring back control over our Health Service to local people."

Carmel Preston's family is now grown-up. Sue McGuire's children are still at school. But what the two mothers have in common is a desperate wish to see a decent NHS maintained in the Southport area. Carmel joined Sue in the 'Save our Services' campaign, battling to maintain decent children's and maternity hospital services locally - and she is now hoping to join her as the second Liberal Democrat Councillor for Southport's Cambridge Ward.

"It is obvious," says Carmel Preston, "that the Conservative councillors who are running our Hospital Services have been put there to do Tony Blair's bidding - and yet they are answerable to no one at all in this town for what they do and what they do not do. Surely, something must be done to change this?!"