SOME 2,000 local residents, trade unionists, youth and their families turned out on Saturday for a ‘Picnic with a Purpose’ outside St Helier Hospital in Sutton south west London.
The protest, organised by two young local mothers Michelle Baker and Karen Russel from Morden, was to raise funds and build support for the campaign to stop the planned closure of the hospital’s A&E and Maternity departments, and the Queen Mary’s Children’s Hospital which is located on the St Helier site.
Addressing the crowd, Dr Philip Howard said: ‘I am one of the senior consultants at St Helier Hospital.
‘This is a serious issue.
‘The Better Services Better Value Board, which replaces the local PCTs, decided, and will doubtless push through, very substantial cuts to our services.
‘Across the South West London sector, which serves a 1.4m population, the Programme Board has decided on £370m cuts a year.
‘That is 24 per cent of the budget. I have never heard of a health service in the world that has achieved a 24 per cent cut.
‘We don’t know how this will pan out.
‘That will cause uncertainty for staff and planning.
‘On the 9th May, a panel of 60 individuals decided that the best option is St Helier would lose its casualty, lose its maternity and children’s services and become a largely elective centre.
‘This is based just on supposition.
‘We are within the top 21 trusts in the country in relation to survival figures in hospitals.’
He said the hospital faces increasing demands and a growing local population.
He said of what will be the outcome: ‘I have no doubt the answer to this question will depend on the public, patients and staff.
‘These services matter to you, the public and you as patients.
‘I would suggest when this consultation comes through you recommend three things.
‘We keep our Casualty.
‘We keep our Maternity.
‘And we keep our Paediatric Services.’
Young mother Kathy McGuinness said: ‘What makes us local mums is that we all had our children in this hospital.
‘That’s why St Helier Hospital means so much to us and our families.
‘Some of us here today were born in this hospital, our parents were born in this hospital, too.
‘Quite a few of the dads here today have done their time in the maternity wards at St Helier as well.
‘And all of us have children who one day might need to be rushed to the A&E department at St Helier.
‘Some of our children here today may get ill and need life-saving support in this hospital.
‘This is OUR hospital and we need it. We are not going to give it up without a fight.
‘Mothers’ networks are often invisible networks, too often ignored. We’re not invisible any more.
‘We are here today to show we are the heart of our community and Maternity, Children’s and Emergency services are vital to our community.
‘Our hospital, our children’s lives, our decision. Thank you.’
St Helier and Epsom Unison had a lively stall. Their branch secretary Kevin O’Brien told News Line: ‘This is a splendid day.
‘I know the local politicians are trying to say today isn’t about politics.
‘However, the closure plan is a political issue.
‘The cuts of £370m that are affecting St Helier are orchestrated by this Con-Dem government, and that makes this event today very much a political issue.
‘The South West London consultation document Better Services, Better Value has to be put where it belongs – in the dustbin.
‘Today is about informing and involving the local community.’
The Unison stall was next to the North East London Council of Action stall which attracted a lot of support for its call for occupations to stop hospital closures and its Enfield conference on September 23 to mobilise national action to defend the NHS.
Vince Owens, South London, Surrey and North Hampshire CWU deputy secretary, bought his ticket and said he would see about bringing a delegation.
He told News Line: ‘It’s terrible what’s being planned, especially the plan to close Queen Mary’s Children’s Hospital after all the promises they made when they moved it from Carshalton Beeches to St Helier.
‘My daughter was in Queen Mary’s with suspected meningitis shortly before they moved it.
‘So it sticks in my craw that they plan to close it.
‘We have to fight, make the MPs accountable, make them keep their promises.
‘The unions have to get together and fight all the closures and the attacks on the NHS with whatever action it takes.
‘I’d support an occupation to stop the closure.’
Local resident Helena Collins told News Line: ‘I used to work for St Helier.
‘A lot of people don’t realise what good work is done in the hospital.
‘You get a lot of bad press and you don’t see the good side.
‘All the staff work so hard and they deserve recognition.
‘It’s a brilliant hospital, the staff are fantastic.
‘I’m here today to support St Helier because I don’t want it to close.
‘The unions need to fight and take a stand.
‘They are pro-active at times but now it needs a big push.
‘We’ve all got to stand up for our rights for lots of things.’
At the League of Friends stall, Rebecca Greig said: ‘I joined the League of Friends volunteers because of my experience last year.
‘I was in a coma in St Helier for three weeks.
‘I had to learn to walk again. If it wasn’t for the hospital being here I would have died.
‘I was in St Helier again this January with stomach problems and again they were fantastic.
‘The A&E closure plan is immoral and catastrophic. To go to St George’s is too far and people won’t make it.
‘Also if they close the Maternity it will cause great distress. Mothers and babies will suffer.
‘Not only that, the Renal Unit will close as well.
‘We have to keep all St Helier services open.
‘The unions are taking action and hopefully, as the fight continues, their voice will get louder.’
Local young mother Casey Lambert, 29, said: ‘I’m disappointed. If they do close St Helier A&E and Maternity we’d have to go to St George’s, Tooting, which is too far.
‘It would result in deaths.
‘I was in St Helier only six months ago and it was busy then.
‘The treatment there was very good and I wouldn’t have had my six months old baby without St Helier.
‘I want to keep it open. More fund raising days like this would help. The unions should do something.
‘Everyone should come together. I agree they should occupy to stop the closure.’