Public meeting arranged by Ealing Trades Union Council 17th April
In the run up to a mass community march over local hospital unit closures (on Saturday April 27th) Ealing Trades Union Council have organised a public meeting in Acton.
Ealing Council has voted unanimously to refer a decision to close the A&E departments in north-west London to an independent panel.
The move would shut the A&E units in Ealing, Charing Cross, Central Middlesex, and Hammersmith hospitals leaving three London boroughs, with a total population the size of Leeds, without a major hospital.
NHS North West London has said the changes would save money and improve care.
But local campaigners say NHS bosses plan to knock down Ealing and Charing Cross Hospitals, selling land to property developers for flats. They believe communities are facing a disastrous loss of NHS staff, health care and beds.
Campaigners are preparing for a huge march at the end of this month and will be holding a meeting in advance, on Wednesday 17th April, starting at 7.45 in Ruskin Hall, Church Road, just off Acton High Street.
The key speakers at the meeting will be Dr John Lister, the campaigning health expert and NHS economist, author of the 'under the Knife' report on North West London NHS proposals, the Hammersmith M.P. Andy Slaughter, who has been leading the community campaign to save Charing Cross and Hammersmith Hospitals along with Acton NHS campaigner Judy Shapter.
Ealing TUC Secretary Eve Turner said: "We have been overwhelmed with support to keep our local hospitals. Ealing Council are appealing to the Government against plans to literally knock down Ealing and Charing Cross Hospitals and replace them with glorified clinics. Far from moving the resources elsewhere, every single other hospital is facing serious cuts; it's madness - they just won't be able to cope!"
9th April 2013
|