Independent Community and Health Concern (formerly Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern, and commonly referred to as Health Concern), ICHC, was a single-issue political party in the United Kingdom, based in the town of Kidderminster. The party was founded out of support to restore the casualty unit at Kidderminster Hospital, and is best known for the success of its leader, Dr. Richard Taylor, who served Member of Parliament (MP) for Wyre Forest between 2001 and 2010. The party briefly held control of Wyre Forest District Council in 2002, on which three of its councillors have served as council leader.

History

Background In 1997, Worcestershire health authority announced reforms to help reduce its multi-million pound budget deficit. This included downgrading Kidderminster Hospital to a minor injuries unit, which led to opposition from local campaign group, Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern, which had raised a 100,000 signature petition, led a protest march and lobbied the Prime Minister. The plans went ahead in September 2000, leading to the closure of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, alongside other in-patient services.

In early 1999, the group claimed to have 100,000 supporters and contested seats on Wyre Forest District Council in protest against the attempts to downgrade the hospital. The following year, Health Concern formed the largest council bloc with 19 councillors.

Richard Taylor

By March 2001, Health Concern had announced that their leader, Richard Taylor, a retired consultant who worked at the hospital for 23 years, would be standing in the Wyre Forest constituency at the 2001 general election. The area's incumbent Labour MP, David Lock, who had previously accused the Health Concern of scaremongering, said the election was "not going to be a referendum on Kidderminster hospital". Taylor won the seat with more than 28,000 votes at a surprise landslide victory, although he benefited from a decision by the Liberal Democrats not to put up a candidate of their own. He was the only person not from a major party elected as an MP from an English constituency in the 2001 Parliament.

Taylor was re-elected as member for Wyre Forest in the 2005 election, albeit with a considerably reduced majority. The party lost the seat in the 2010 election to the Conservative candidate, Mark Garnier, by a margin of 2,643 votes; the Liberal Democrats did field a candidate in 2010 having not done so in 2001 and 2005, which may have contributed to Taylor's defeat. Taylor was appointed an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2014, for services to Worcestershire, particularly Kidderminster Hospital.

Taylor went on to co-found the National Health Action Party, which encouraged doctors and other medical professionals to stand for parliament. He continued to serve as the President of Health Concern, which he stood for again in Wyre Forest at the 2015 general election, placing fourth.

Local government Before the 2004 local elections Health Concern held 16 seats on Wyre Forest District Council, making it the largest party, but in those elections it lost half of these seats to the Conservative Party. By 2008, the party held 19 seats on the district council. In the 2000s, the party had councillors on Worcester City Council and Redditch Borough Council, and also held the Cleobury Mortimer ward on Shropshire Council for eight years.

Dissolution and legacy In May 2022, Taylor announced that Independent Health Concern, which had eight councillors on Wyre Forest District Council, would withdraw from standing candidates in future elections, to "unify the independent vote". The party was statutorily de-registered by the Electoral Commission the following year.

Six former representatives stood in the 2023 Wyre Forest District Council election, of which two were elected, Peter Young and Nicola Martin.

Electoral history Parliamentary elections Health Concern's candidate Richard Taylor stood for the fourth time in Wyre Forest at the 2015 general election.

Election year Candidate Votes % Position Result 2001 Richard Taylor 28,487 58.1 1st Elected 2005 18,739 39.9 1st Elected 2010 16,150 32.7 2nd Not elected 2015 7,211 14.6 4th Not elected

Local elections The party was fielded candidates at every election in Wyre Forest between 1999 and 2019.

Wyre Forest District Council Election year Seats won Votes Total seats Council control 1999 7 — 7 No overall control 2000 8 — 19 No overall control 2002 7 6,343 21 Health Concern 2003 4 5,416 19 No overall control 2004 8 8,919 — No overall control 2006 5 8,362 9 No overall control 2007 4 7,327 10 No overall control 2008 1 6,100 10 Conservative 2010 3 11,517 8 Conservative 2011 1 5,825 4 Conservative 2012 5 6,640 8 No overall control 2014 1 5,344 7 No overall control 2015 2 14,361 2 Conservative 2016 1 3,711 3 Conservative 2018 0 1,921 2 Conservative 2019 8 9,763 8 No overall control The party held one seat in Shropshire between 2009 and 2017. Shropshire County Council Election Year Ward / Division Candidate Party Votes Result 2009 Cleobury Mortimer Madge Shineton Health Concern 1,454 Elected 2013 1,181 Elected 2017 1,311 Elected

See also

National Health Action Party Kidderminster Hospital

References

External links Official website