THE battle to stop all NHS cuts is now raging up and down the country.
However, the private predators are gathering.
Near Horsham last Thursday night a Virgin Roadshow was picketed to make it clear that Crawley residents and NHS workers will not tolerate Branson’s national campaign to take over GP surgeries as part of a money-making venture.
Local UNISON branch secretary Zena Dodgson told News Line: ‘I registered to attend the local Virgin Healthcare Roadshow, which was held on Thursday night at Colgate, West Sussex.
‘The majority of those who came were local GPs, but some came from as far away as Worthing and even Winchester. 95 per cent took a leaflet into the event and several of them also accepted a Keep Our NHS Public (KONP) badge.
‘I was extremely proud of one Crawley GP who said any privatisation of his practice would be over his dead body!
‘We must have been having an impact because the police were called.
‘They duly arrived and we engaged in some negotiations, which culminated in us moving off the forecourt to the grass verge by the entrance.
‘We were joined there by a Unison activist from Worthing hospital, and three members of Brighton KONP.
‘Many GPs parked their cars then came over to talk to us prior to entering the event.
‘I went back in to the venue just to make sure I would still be allowed in, and sure enough, Virgin refused me entry!
‘However, I did persuade their Clinical Director, Richard McMahon, to answer some of the questions I would have asked inside the event.
‘He said that Virgin Healthcare (VH) would not have a contract with GP practices, but would have a Service Level Agreement with them. GPs would continue to have a contract with the PCT (Primary Care Trust).
‘VH would make its money from private companies providing other ‘services’ e.g. pharmacy, dentistry etc.
‘They have not targeted the roadshows necessarily where they intend to set up business, although they told me that Crawley was to have a polyclinic.
‘This is news to me and everybody in Crawley! And begs the question where does this leave Crawley hospital?’
l About 40 people braved the early morning rain on Friday morning to campaign at Epsom General Hospital against closure plans.
Epsom and St Helier Trust stated last year that they intended to close Epsom maternity department in May this year.
In the face of huge local opposition, they have now retreated from that.
The woman brought in to push through the changes, Ruth Harrison, has resigned and a review of services will begin in April instead, with no date fixed for its outcome.
Local resident Raj Haque said: ‘It will be very sad if this hospital closes.
‘It will have a very detrimental impact on the area.
‘I hope we can prevent them doing anything as silly as closing it down. That’s why I joined the campaign.’
A local councillor, Anna Jones, added: ‘We are absolutely opposed to any cuts whatsoever.’
Sonja Begley-Moore, from HOPE (Hospital.Obstetrics.Paediatrics in Epsom), said: ‘We go around to all the toddler groups.
‘We keep them informed of the latest news on the issue of the maternity services, and we do a lot of research about campaigns around the country. Two of them have won outright.
‘I think the consultation is a waste of money.
‘We don’t need a consultation to know that we need a fully functioning hospital here.’
