‘You have to fight for what is right’, Chase Farm Hospital worker Paulette Wright told News Line at the North East London Council of Action monthly picket of the Enfield hospital yesterday.
Supporting the Council of Action’s determination to stop the planned closure of the hospital’s A&E, Maternity and Paediatrics departments, she asked: ‘Why should they privatise the buses, the Post Office and cut hospitals?
‘Where do you go in the world where you would get this kind of service?
‘Why destroy everything that is good?
‘You can’t go to Barnet. If you live in Enfield and you have an emergency it could take you an hour in the traffic.
‘People’s lives would be in danger. Time is important, it’s life-threatening.
‘We have to fight to keep this place open. People’s jobs depend on it.
‘I support an occupation to keep this hospital open.
‘The unions should take action to defend the hospital.’
Midwife Sue Fitzgerald said: ‘We’re still fighting. We won’t give up.
‘We are determined to save our consultant-led maternity unit.
‘The hospital has to stay.’
A nurse added: ‘What they are planning is not right.
‘They want to save money but they don’t think about the service to the people.
‘Barnet is far away and they are struggling at the moment to cope with the current situation.
‘I can’t see how they would cope with extra numbers from Chase Farm, in terms of bed capacity and staff.
‘The unions should take action, absolutely.’
Admin worker Linda said: ‘We have to fight the closure.
‘I’m just concerned that if I have a heart attack, or any emergency, Barnet is too far.
‘Minutes make the difference.
‘I support a sit-in. Conventional methods don’t always work.’
Council of Action supporter Sheila Nellis told News Line: ‘We have to keep Chase Farm open.
‘If it closes it will undoubtedly cost lives.
‘It just doesn’t make sense that people should have to travel either to North Middlesex or Barnet hospitals when we have our own hospital here.
‘Everybody in Enfield has to take action to save Chase Farm by whatever means, including occupying it if necessary.’
