HEALTH workers and campaigners descended on Parliament from many parts of the country yesterday, to defend their hospitals.
‘My hospital is under threat. It’s a general hospital in the south,’ said Nicki Greenslade, RCN member and staff nurse at St Richard’s, Chichester.
‘Originally they were talking about downgrading us. They said it was either Worthing or us, but quite rightly, they are fighting in Worthing too. I am prepared for insurrection if necessary. We will do whatever it takes.’
RCN member Jennifer Paling, said: ‘We are here representing West Cornwall, Hospital Penzance and St Michael’s at Hayle, the two most westerly hospitals in the country. Because we are at the end of a peninsular we feel very vulnerable. In August we had a march of more than 27,000 people. They say they are listening but nobody takes any notice.’
Margaret Williams, Secretary of Friends of the Conquest Hospital, Hastings, said: ‘We are here to support everybody who is under threat like us. We are threatened with the downgrading of emergency services at either Eastbourne or Hastings, but we stand together. Both are growth towns and both need their emergency services.
‘We are about 20 miles apart. Although they have tried to turn us against each other they will never succeed. We have a disastrous road system between us, you may have heard of it, the A259, constantly congested. I’ve already said I would do a sit-in and I mean it.’
Liz Walke, Campaign organiser for Save the Eastbourne DGH said: ‘Today is a turning point, with the local campaigns from across the country meeting together here outside Parliament to say we won’t accept what is going on. We are fighting for something that is everyone’s right. They want to put it across that it is Eastbourne v Hastings, but they won’t succeed. Both hospitals cover a very wide area.’
Save Chase Farm Hospital councillor Kate Wilkinson, said: ‘We were elected in May as independent councillors to defend the hospital and we are planning another demonstration on Saturday 3 March. We support Thursday night’s conference on the campaign to save Chase Farm and I understand that lots of residents from Enfield will be there.’
Liz Henthorn said: ‘I’m a retired nurse. I was sister in the A&E at Chase Farm for 16 years and I’m not going to let them close it. They want to close A&E, maternity and paediatrics and it’s a measure of the support we have throughout the community that we have had two councillors elected specifically to stop the closure.’
Madge Jones, Treasurer Enfield Pensioners Action Group said: ‘It’s the trade unions that the nurses and doctors belong to so it’s up to them to take action to stop the redundancies.’
Edna Farquhar said: ‘I’m someone who lives in Enfield and I would support an occupation. I’m so incensed I would do a sit-in willingly.’
Barbara Hutchins said: ‘I’m a teacher who has taught for 30 years in Enfield and all the thousands of children, and their children and grandchildren that have been through my hands need Chase Farm. I will do whatever it takes to save the hospital. It’s horrifying.’
Keiran McGregor, Save Chase Farm councillor, said: ‘We represent 12,500 residents of Enfield who voted for our party and we are here to take the message to central government. Formal consultation begins in March and will last four months. But we oppose the consultation process because we feel it is a sham.’
Candy Newson, RCN member from the Keep Worthing and Southlands campaign said: ‘We won’t let them downgrade or close our hospitals.’
