Campaign to save local health services 'will continue'
A petition against the closure of local hospital departments and signed by 80,000 local residents has been handed in to No10 Downing Street.
The campaign is against the closure of the A&E departments at Ealing, Hammersmith, Charing Cross and Central Middlesex hospitals. Once the A&E Departments are closed Ealing Hospital and Charing Cross Hospital will be effectively downgraded to polyclinics.
Dr Onkah Sahota, London Assembly Member for Ealing and Hillingdon and chair of the Save Our Hospitals Campaign was joined by: Andy Slaughter MP, Steve Pound MP, Virendra Sharma MP
Cllr Julian Bell (Leader of Ealing Council), Dede Wilson (volunteer Charing Cross), Colin Standsfield (Ealing Volunteer), Carlo Nero (Chair of Hammersmith and Charing Cross Save our Hospitals Campaign), Anne Drinkell (local nurse) and Dean Gilligan (GMB representative).
After handing in the petition Local Labour London Assembly Member, Dr Onkar Sahota said:
“Local residents have spoken, over 80,000 have signed our petition, it is time the government and NHS North West London listened to our very real concerns. The way NHS North-West London have behaved so far is unacceptable, the consultation process has been both ineffective and divisive. Divide and rule on hospital closures is wrong.
“We are facing unprecedented cuts to the provision of our health care in north-west London. These cuts will affect us all and will put a tremendous amount of pressure on the remaining A&E departments, which are already stretched. Today our delegation delivered the petition to No10 Downing Street so that the Prime Minister himself can see the strength of feeling in our area.
''This is just the start and we will continue to fight to protect our local services.''
November 22nd 2012