Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern
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Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern (often known by the shorter name Health Concern) is a political party based in Kidderminster, England. It grew out of the campaign to restore the casualty unit at Kidderminster Hospital, and the National Health Service is still its primary focus, but the party has since diversified.
The party has one MP in the House of Commons, Dr Richard Taylor, who won a surprise landslide victory in the 2001 general election standing for the Wyre Forest constituency, which includes Kidderminster. He was the only MP elected as an Independent in the 2001 Parliament (but see George Galloway and Andrew Hunter). Taylor was re-elected as member for Wyre Forest in the 2005 election, albeit with a considerably reduced majority, making him the first Independent to retain his seat since 1949. On both occasions, Health Concern benefited from a decision by the Liberal Democrats not to put up a candidate of their own.
Health Concern is also active in local government, although it has lost much support in recent years. Before the 2004 local elections, it held 16 seats on Wyre Forest District Council, making it the single biggest party, but in those elections it lost half of these seats to the Conservative Party. The 2005 local elections for Worcestershire County Council, held on the same day as the general election, also saw Health Concern perform poorly, losing five of its six seats.