‘WE’RE having a good picket today, with plenty of support for an occupation of Chase Farm Hospital,’ said Bill Rogers, North-East London Council of Action secretary, yesterday.
Speaking outside the hospital, he continued: ‘Today’s is our 18th monthly picket organised by the Council of Action, and we want people to come to our next meeting at the Hollybush Pub on November 11.
‘The government is sacrificing the NHS for the sake of the banks.’
Chase Farm midwife Sue said: ‘We are determined to keep our consultant-led midwifery unit open.
‘We’re fighting for our patients.’
Local resident Jack Sotiriou said: ‘It’s disgraceful what they are planning.
‘We need this hospital badly.
‘There’s many elderly people who live in the area. They can’t travel miles to Barnet and North Middlesex.
‘We have to keep all the departments open here. There will have to be action to stop any closure.’
Out-patient Virgilio Pablo added: ‘We have to keep this hospital open. It saved my life.
‘We need to have the hospital here in Enfield.
‘The trade unions should take action.’
Alberta Haciles, a local student, said: ‘They shouldn’t close the hospital.
‘Polyclinics are no good. We should sit in the hospital to keep it open.’
Nurse Lulu Wa Dixon said: ‘We have to fight the planned closure.
‘Most of the staff would have to move and the people would have to travel too far for treatment.
‘If it is an emergency, they might not make it on time.
‘And I don’t think Barnet and North Middlesex would cope with the extra amount of people they would have to deal with.
‘I agree with an occupation and the trade unions should take action.
‘We have to keep all the hospital departments.
‘We should get more people to join the Council of Action so we have more support.’
