On the concerns about the future of Stroud Maternity Unit Posted by Gandalf The Grey: One doesn’t have to look any further than the quality of management in the NHS to realise where the problems really are.

Posted by lemontart: I truly hope pregnant women can get the care and facilities they truly need for their safety and the baby’s. Im 19 weeks pregnant, finally after cycles of pregnancy tips, and doing everything I can to have a healthy child.

Posted by Spider Lane: “That’s the standard technique of privatisation: defund, make sure things don’t work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital.” Noam Chomsky. Open your eyes, people. This is a deliberate mismanagement to discredit the NHS. Despite their protestations that they want a free at the point of use health service, the Tories want to run it into the ground and then privatise it. It is happening all over the UK. Stop voting for the Tories if you want a free health service.

Posted by MoreSilentMajority: The spin from the left we have heard for decades. No privatisation yet and no plans for it, but the left still chant it by rote. The only people who ran it into the ground was the spendthrift 13 year fiasco of the last Labour government under Blair and Brown.

You can spend without caring who pays for it for only so long before you run out of money, people who will loan you more, and the working people you steal from via taxes.

On the new waste and recycling service.

Posted EF80: The new grey wheelie bin is far too small for many households, to supply only one bin regardless of the number of occupants in the property or the type of waste is going to cause problems for many residents, myself included.

I have contacted SDC have requested another grey bin to help me dispose of ashes from my heating system, this was totally rejected and I was told that I could take the bags that would not fit into the small grey bin to the Horsley tip, a totally unacceptable response.

Other councils have a more flexible approach and offer larger bins or bags for people who need them, why is SDC so fixed in there response?

For any other residents affected by this issue please contact your councillors and complain to SDC directly. Hopefully by making them fully aware of the problems this new waste collection system will cause many of us some flexibility and help may be given.