A REDDITCH health campaigner has paid tribute to the courage of the family of tragic eight year old Callum Cartlidge.
Ian Johnson was speaking after Callum’s dad Aidy and other members of his family joined protesters urging health chiefs to halt their consultation into the future of acute hospital services in Worcestershire.
The consultation rubber stamps a downgrading of emergency services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, and cements in place the transfer of serious cases to Worcestershire Royal, including all in-patient care of children.
Many of these changes have already taken place on a temporary basis due to concerns over staff numbers and patient safety.
Protesters, members of OurNHS Worcestershire, were outside St Stephen’s Church last Saturday asking people to sign a letter calling for the consultation to be suspended pending an inquiry into Callum’s death.
The youngster was taken to Worcestershire Royal after his health took a severe turn for the worse on Friday, March 3. Despite living just three minutes away from the Alex he was taken to Worcestershire Royal, 19 miles away, where he died in A&E.
“We were joined by Callum’s aunt, his dad, his grandmother and his twin brother,” said Ian.
“I am just astounded at their courage – his brother was out collecting signatures with a clipboard and all the family were helping – we had to go off and get more photocopied.”
However the former vice chair of the now disbanded Save the Alex admits he felt a degree of awkwardness: “They are such brave people but I kept thinking that as Save the Alex, did we do enough? Could we have done more to stop this little boy from dying?”
With the agreement of the Cartlidge family, April 29 has been declared ‘Callum’s Day’ which is likely to feature a short walk from Trinity High School to the Bandstand on Church Green where it is hoped a number of family events can be held, including face painting, fun and games.
At a meeting of local GPs from Redditch & Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group last week doctors categorically ruled out any suspension of the consultation process which ends today, Friday, March 31.
