What we are fighting for – and why
We are disgusted by the proposals to sell-off a large part of the Whittington Hospital, leading to ward closures, capping births to 4,000, loss of beds for the elderly, and the complete removal of staff accommodation.
This is part of a wider attack on hospitals and other health services across the country.
We are opposed to the rundown, closure or privatisation of any key services, including staff accommodation, at the Whittington, or at any other hospital.
We call on the Whittington NHS Trust Board to stop the sell-off and the closure of beds, wards and staff accommodation.
To join the campaign, email us at defendwhittington@gmail.com or find us on facebook – and add your name to our petition calling on the hospital management to stop the sell-off and cuts.
DWHC activists at the head of the march
Campaigners take message to Downing Street
Thousands of marchers converged on Whitehall on Saturday 18 May in a big demonstration of support for the Save London’s NHS campaign.
Many of us from the Defend the Whittington Hospital Coalition were at the head of the march, which brought together campaigners from across London, as it set off from the South Bank to Downing Street. Our Shirley Franklin, chair of DWHC, told the marchers what had been happening at the Whittington just before the start. See the video here.
Jacky Davis, Whittington consultant and British Medical Association council member, called on the government to halt the assault on the NHS which is putting hospitals in danger.
Commenting on the huge turnout for the march, which some estimated at more than 10,000, she said: “We are the government’s biggest nightmare. This is just the beginning of the fight for the NHS”
The rally in Whitehall was addressed by Camden Keep Our NHS Public chair Candy Udwin, and Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn, before a letter was handed in to 10 Downing Street saying that the closure of nine A&E units across London, a number of maternity units and thousands of hospital beds will put Londoners’ lives at risk.
The letter said: “We support a National Health Service which is publicly funded, publicly delivered and publicly accountable, delivering care according to need and free at the time of access, to everyone irrespective of personal wealth.
“We are calling on the Prime Minister for an immediate end to the closures and privatisation threats to London’s NHS.”
Candy Udwin said that the NHS is facing the biggest threat to its existence since it was founded 65 years ago.
“The demonstration today is just a start,” she said. “A national campaign is urgently needed if we are to save the NHS.
“We are calling on trade unions, political parties and all those who care about the NHS to set a date for a national demonstration.”
Save our health service from the greedy tories who want to make a profit out of people’s suffering. They turn their longing eyes to U.S.’s wonderful health service: look at the profits! As quoted many times, these people understand all about profit and nothing about value and compassion.
Quite simply, keep up the pressure!
Big thanks to everyone who came on Saturday. It was fab going to the demo en Whittington masse!
No we have to up the ante and plan for national demo in September.
Whitt-wise we have an open meeting with the Board on 3rd June at 5 pm. More info to follow
just for once leave our hospital I would not be alive if it was not for the A&E at the Whittington and there Great Doctors & Nurses
The question to ask is – what is the purpose of a large “consultation” exercises?
a) To get lots of ideas so that a really sensible plan can be formulated, based on what really matters to local patients (many of whom will have taken part),
or …
b) To add credibility to the plan that has already been formulated (and may be utter nonsense that no ordinary person would have come up with) on account of the large scale of the “consultation’ exercise.
Note the processes are different:
in a) – consult, plan, decide
in b) – plan, decide, consult
I think we know what we are getting all round the country, don’t we?
The problem is that the plan usually has basic flaws. A good example is that travelling further will result in amazingly better care when you get there. Apart from a few niche areas already in place such as major trauma (by helicopter) there is no evidence for this (it may sound right to the men in suits but that doesn’t mean it’s true). Indeed if you close an A&E, the mortality experience (and no doubt disability in survivors) increases overall with increased travel times. Read these:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323141/Shocking-proof-Accident-Emergency-closures-cost-lives-Death-rate-jumps-THIRD-department-closes.html
and
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2464671/
(academic paper that reached the same conclusion)
I showed Joe Liddane’s April Presentation to a friend, a lifelong GP from another area, for his comments.
He said there was nothing there for the local community. It was very hospital focused, there was nothing about how the planned changes would fit with changes in General Practice. And there were no costings.
He was amused by the slogan “getting patients better quicker”, pointing out that people have been trying to do that for as long as there have been doctors. He said that every time there’s a major therapeutic advance people do indeed get better quicker, only to come back next year, a year older with even less capability for recovery.
Overall, my Doctor friend pointed out, managers don’t seem to realise that an NHS works in the opposite way from a capitalist business model – the more successful you are the more your expenses rise, while your budget stays fixed.
So it needs the people to get in the way of misguided management-speak.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks Jeremy. This sort of feedback is helpful. Yes it was full of slogans, no detail, and any information on it looked pretty bleak!
@Jeremy Polmear