Lewisham A&E under threat + campaign

[ska invita]

Incredibly Lewishams A&E is being threatened with closure. Its a very busy A&E department and of course really needs protecting.

'A London hospital trust which ran up debts of £150m should be divided up, a report will say next week. Spiralling debts led to South London Healthcare Trust becoming the first NHS trust to be put into administration. A government-appointed administrator will say on Monday its three hospitals should be hived off to nearby trusts...Lewisham Hospital's A&E unit has been earmarked for closure in the report, six months after it reopened as part of a £12m refit...

The Princess Royal is likely to be taken over by King's Health Partners in south London, Queen Mary's would be taken over by a mix of Dartford and Gravesham and Oxleas NHS trusts and the Queen Elizabeth is expected to join up with Lewisham Hospital'.

The rationale, such as it is, seems to be that Lewisham will merge with Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich, and as the latter has an A & E they won't need two! The whole point of casualty departments though is that they are close to the communities they serve so that people can get quick access to healthcare in an emergency (clue's in the name). For most people in Lewisham the far side of Woolwich Common might as well be the moon, especially if they are in distress, don't have a car, or can't drive it (yes sometimes people who need emergency care have been drinking). Increasing the journey time to hospital will put lives at risk.
It will also lead to a downgrading of Lewisham Hospital, paving the way for further closures in the future.

The Save Lewisham A&E Campaign is now officially underway. There's a Public Meeting on Thursday, 8th November, 6-8pm in Lessoff Auditorium at the Hosptial (Speakers: Jim Dowd MP, Heidi Alexander MP, Mayor Steve Bullock, Dr Louise Irvine, local GP and BMA council member and others).

A demonstration 'Hands Around Our Hospital' is planned for Saturday 24th November: 2pm, march from Loampit Vale roundabout to Lewisham Hospital, 3pm, link hands around Lewisham Hospital. Be there.

http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/

copied from Transpontines blog


Good comment on there:
Lets be clear Lewisham is being picked on not only because of failed PFI but because a working class area.

The Tories want to save cuts at Bromley

Just like Fire Station closures in London

all but few in Labour areas

Epsom hospital and St Helier possible merger/closures.cuts put on hold today !!!!!

why because impact on Tory voter

This is Class War and we need to fight back

 

[Balham]

Epsom hospital and St Helier possible merger/closures.cuts put on hold today !!!!!

why because impact on Tory voter

Bit unfair, the local MPs in the borough (Sutton) are Liberal Democrat, for Epsom I do not know but there has been quite a campaign I gather by Tom Brake and Paul Burstow . . . . . . and local people.
The plan one reads most often about involve the closure of Casualty and Maternity at St Helier.
So, it is up to the people in and around Lewisham to get a good solid campaign going to show how important it is to prevent Casualty being closed and the hospital being divided.

 

[ska invita]

I hear there are 4 closing in NW London http://saveourhospitals.net/ Hammersmith, Charing Cross, Central Middlesex and Ealing

 

[the button]

Another report from Londonist about the Lewisham closure:

http://londonist.com/2012/10/lewisham-ae-recommended-for-closure.php

 

[wiskey]

The people who make these decisions obv haven't seen the ambulances queuing outside trying to take patients into an already hectic dept. The closure of the casualty at Queen Marys has already had a detrimental effect on patient care in emergency situations across SE London ime.

 

[ska invita]

I am very concerned, saddened and worried about this as I know that the hospital/community I work for and the patients and other people that I meet, get to know and help, throughout my shifts at Lewisham Hospital (and others I will not if it happens) WILL suffer if these closures and cuts go ahead. This includes family/friends of patients PLUS other staff members/colleagues, in many departments.
I joined the NHS as a HCA (Health Care Assistant) to (hopefully) make a difference (as did/do, many others)
I love my "job" and really care about the people who come through my ward/hospital.

If the Lewisham Hospital A&E and other much needed services are closed (through NO fault of their/our own) it will be devastating!

PLEASE sign the petition and let everyone know about it!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/lewisham-hospital/

SAVE the services at Lewisham Hospital that are under threat!
http://www.tsa.nhs.uk/news/press-release-29-october-2012
Thank you

Sue (a proud member of Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust)

from somewhere else

 

[the button]

Copy & paste of email from Lewisham Community Action, with details of protests, etc:

Please see the info below with important dates to campaign against the
closure of Lewisham A&E.

Lewisham A&E is being threatened with closure. This was officially
announced on Monday 29th October and you can see the BBC News Story here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20101993
http://londonist.com/2012/10/lewisham-ae-recommended-for-closure.php

The campaign is starting to receive support from far and wide; the A&E is
brand new and would mean 750,000 people across SE London using one A&E in
Woolwich at QEH. The consultation process is opening now, so we have time
to show our opposition.

Petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/lewisham-hospital/

Campaign website:
http://www.lewishamkonp.org/hospital

1) DOWNLOAD and distribute the flyer and poster for the Save Lewisham
Hospital A & E public meeting: http://www.lewishamkonp.org/resources

2) ATTEND the Save Lewisham Hospital public meeting on Thursday 8th
November, see: http://www.lewishamkonp.org/action

3) PROTEST at the Trust Special Administrator's appearance at Greenwich
Town Hall on Thursday 15th November from 17:30 onwards:
http://www.lewishamkonp.org/action

4) ASSEMBLE from the corner of Lewisham High Street / Rennell Street
(diagonally opposite Lewisham Police Station - Loampit Vale round-a-bout)
for a demonstration to Lewisham Hospital at 2 p.m. on 24th November to
save Lewisham Hospital: http://www.lewishamkonp.org/action

5) TELL the Trust Special Administrator Matthew Kershaw what you think via
e-mailslh.matthewkershaw@nhs.net .READ the information on the Save
Lewisham Hospital site: http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/
Also...
Bookmark this page, follow us on Twitter @lewishamkonp to publicise our
actions, re-tweet as much as you can.

Provide us with your contact details here:
http://www.lewishamkonp.org/contactus . You can also call or text Lewisham
KONP on07413 225247.

Join your local KONP group , organise a meeting in your area or workplace,
contact us for any assistance you may need like speakers or advice.

Take part in other NHS activist events such as those organised by UK Uncut.

 

[ska invita]

Tweets from the Public meeting on the future of Lewisham hospital, 8 November 2012. These are my tweets, plus some retweets and responses.
http://storify.com/clogsilk/save-lewisham-a-and-e-public-meeting

 

[Puddy_Tat]

gratuitous thread bump to point out the protest is next Saturday.

Mum-Tat (who is not noted for political activism) is thinking of going, so I might join her

 

[oryx]

I'm away at a work thing I can't get out of next Saturday. I'd love to have gone.

Have signed the petition, though.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

It's worth trying to respond to the online consultation thingy too - but read the page on the 'Save Lewisham Hospital' website first, some of the questions are very leading, and if you say "yes" you agree with efficiency, it will be taken as meaning you agree with cuts / closures.

Also, individual letters to the Secretary of State may carry more weight than clicks on an online petition thingy.

 

[the button]

Matthew Kershaw, the special administrator and decision-maker on the fate of Lewisham A&E isn't exactly neutral in all this.(Surely not ).

Here is a shit-load of his emails to & from outsourcers with an interest in carving up the NHS. Seem quite cosy, don't they?

http://www.hsj.co.uk/Journals/2011/09/05/w/h/v/DH_Kershaw-Mckinsey-correspondence.pdf

If you look through them, you'll see a copy of a presentation he went to from McKinsey & Company, where they give their "vision" of the NHS in London. Amazingly, it looks not unlike what Kershaw clearly wants to do with Lewisham & beyond.

Also, he's got 'previous' as the director of a private healthcare provider:

http://company-director-check.co.uk/director/912948797

 

[oryx]

Also, he's got 'previous' as the director of a private healthcare provider:

http://company-director-check.co.uk/director/912948797

Going to respond to the consultation when I get time (it closes 13/12). Thanks for the link Puddy_Tat.

 

[ska invita]

Matthew Kershaw, the special administrator and decision-maker on the fate of Lewisham A&E isn't exactly neutral in all this.(Surely not ).

Here is a shit-load of his emails to & from outsourcers with an interest in carving up the NHS. Seem quite cosy, don't they?

http://www.hsj.co.uk/Journals/2011/09/05/w/h/v/DH_Kershaw-Mckinsey-correspondence.pdf

If you look through them, you'll see a copy of a presentation he went to from McKinsey & Company, where they give their "vision" of the NHS in London. Amazingly, it looks not unlike what Kershaw clearly wants to do with Lewisham & beyond.

Also, he's got 'previous' as the director of a private healthcare provider:

http://company-director-check.co.uk/director/912948797

Cant read the pdf but im sure you're right. How is this guy the decision maker? Whats the chain of command here?

gratuitous thread bump to point out the protest is next Saturday.

Mum-Tat (who is not noted for political activism) is thinking of going, so I might join her

i will be going...hoping for the rain to hold off....

 

[the button]

How is this guy the decision maker? Whats the chain of command here?

He was appointed by then-Health Secretary Andrew Lansley as special administrator of South London Healthcare NHS Trust. Part of his remit is making the kind of recommendations that the Health Secretary wants to hear for "restructuring" the NHS in South London. I think it's pretty clear that the default position is that the Health Secretary will go with the recommendations of their own special administrator.

No doubt Kershaw is looking forward to putting into practice the McKinsey seminar on "Simulating the new world of health & social care in London" that he attended in March 2011.

 

[shaman75]

I intend to go to the protest. I went to the public meeting(s) and it was absolutely heaving,with 3 overspill locations.

Reminds me I need to deliver these leaflets down our street...

 

[Brixton Hatter]

15,000 on the demo today apparently - amazing turn out.

 

[Treacle Toes]

15,000 on the demo today apparently - amazing turn out.

Michael Harris ‏@mjrharris
Estimate of numbers on #SaveLewishamAE march up from 10,000 to 15,000. Incredible! That's the whole population of Lewisham Central

 

[love detective]

Pity about the rain today, would have been even more if weather hadn't been so bad

That Mike Harris is the labour councillor of 'democratic socialist cuts' fame

It's sickening how the local labour estsablishment (mayor, mp's, councilors) are trying to make political capital out of this when they've spent the last 2 years administering sweeping cuts across the borough and rubbishing anti-cuts campaigns

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Dunno about 15,000, I'm not expert in these things, but don't think it was quite that many...

Although it took the best part of an hour to get everyone out of Rennell Street at the start of the march.

(No doubt the police figure will be closer to 23 and a dog though)

And by heck it was wet.

Mum-tat survived her first protest march at the age of [information redacted] and managed to get pretty much behind the TUSC banner at one point

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Mum-tat survived her first protest march at the age of 83 and managed to get pretty much behind the TUSC banner at one point

Good for her, especially at her age. My friend went on it as well

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Good for her, especially at her age. My friend went on it as well

actually, don't tell her I said so, but you can add 10 to what you said...

we shared a bus to Catford afterwards with one of the 60+ protesters, accompanied by her mum (91 and using one of those zimmer frame on wheels things) who had both done the whole march



ITV news reporting "hundreds" - bollocks

BBC news says 2,000

East London Lines says 5,000 - believable. Looking at the timeline on that, the front of the march reached the hospital before we got on to the High Street.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

actually, don't tell her I said so, but you can add 10 to what you said...

we shared a bus to Catford afterwards with one of the 60+ protesters, accompanied by her mum (91 and using one of those zimmer frame on wheels things) who had both done the whole march



ITV news reporting "hundreds" - bollocks

BBC news says 2,000

East London Lines says 5,000 - believable. Looking at the timeline on that, the front of the march reached the hospital before we got on to the High Street.

I shall correct my last post
Hmm, hundreds vs 2000 vs 5000

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I shall correct my last post

 

[bromley]

How did it go? I've seen pictures and the turnout looked very good despite the rain.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

all well mannered and peaceful - quite a wide mix of people, various left parties and local trade union branches visibly present, but also a heck of a lot of "ordinary local residents" of all ages - families, senior citizens, reasonable mix of ages. A few push-chairs / babies being carried (some with "born at Lewisham Hospital" placards attached)

According to one of the reports there was a band near the front, but we didn't hear them from where we were. Sporadic chanting, but not a great deal near us.

march must have been a mile or so long, some narrow bits where not more than 3 or 4 abreast.

quite a lot of supportive type honking from car / bus drivers, even the ones who must have been held up for an hour or more, and passing shoppers etc. police being friendly to people.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

 

[ska invita]

great to see the turnout...i whimped out with a cold and couldnt face the rain...fair weather lightweight ...will be out next time for sure though...if there is a next time...

I was emailed this today...im a bit feverish so cant quite make sense what the plan is here:

Fantastic news! Hundreds of people in Lewisham have signed the petition to local doctors who’ll soon have the power to make big decisions about the local NHS - asking them to protect local NHS services from privatisation.

Right now, the doctors are forming a Clinical Commissioning Group for Lewisham and they’ll be under a lot of pressure from private companies to let them take over vital services.

Whether it’s treatment for diabetes, skin conditions, a broken arm or depression, profit-hungry companies like Virgin Care and Serco are circling, ready to bid for contracts by promising to slash costs. [1]

But lots of us don’t want that to happen. Together, we’ve built up a big petition signed by local people across Lewisham. The vital next step is to arrange to meet face-to-face with doctors on your CCG to show them how many local people want them to protect the NHS, instead of helping carve it up for private profit.

Could you arrange to hand in the petition to your Lewisham CCG?
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/CCG-petition-hand-in

Not only can we give the doctors a copy of the big petition, we can also hand them a precise guide explaining how they can take action to protect the NHS in Lewisham. The guide contains amendments drafted by expert lawyers that CCGs can put into their constitutions.

If Lewisham CCG agrees to put the 38 Degrees amendments into their constitution, it will be much less likely that cost-cutting, profit-hungry companies will win contracts to run services in Lewisham. In London, Hackney CCG have already agreed to use the 38 Degrees amendments - your local NHS could be protected too! But it needs someone to step up to organise to deliver the petition and the guide with the amendments.

38 Degrees members who’ve done it before say it doesn’t take long to set up. Once you’ve made an appointment with your CCG, just fill in the details on the website. Then the 38 Degrees office team will send out everything you need to make it happen and let local 38 Degrees members know about it too.

Can you make it happen in Lewisham?
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/CCG-petition-hand-in


Thanks for everything you do,

Marie, Ian, David and the 38 Degrees team


PS: Here’s a step-by-step guide to how you can organise a petition hand-in to your CCG:

1. Sign up to organise a hand-in by filling in the quick form at: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/CCG-petition-hand-in
2. We'll then help you find your CCG's contact details so you can ask to have a meeting with them
3. Once you've set up a meeting, find a place nearby where 38 Degrees members can meet up half an hour or so beforehand
4. Then, input all the details of your meet-up on the 38 Degrees events page
5. We'll then let other 38 Degrees members in your area know it's happening so they can sign up to come along too, and send you a petition hand-in pack before the event.
6. Along with a copy of the petition, we'll give you booklets to give the CCG, with the critical amendments that we want them to adopt to protect local NHS services. There's more detail about the amendments and the campaign on the 38 Degrees website.
7. Let us know how you got on by emailing: ccgsupport@38degrees.org.uk

NOTES:
[1] “...plans for a radical restructuring of the health service in England, which will give GPs control of much of the NHS's £106bn annual budget, cut the number of health bodies, and introduce more competition into services” Guardian NHS Reform Health bill passes vote http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/mar/20/nhs-reform-health-bill-passes-vote
BBC: NHS - The shape of things to come http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17457102
[2] 38 Degrees blog “Save Your Local NHS - it’s working” http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2012/11/06/save-your-local-nhs-its-working/

 

[YouSir]

Even given the usual chasm between official/press and organiser estimates the shift from 15,000 to 'a few hundred' between the two seems a bit ridiculous. Even given exaggerations and miscalculations it must still have been an impressive turnout though, shame I was working.

Is there anything else planned? Or are they waiting on the next meeting ?

 

[Puddy_Tat]

More on crosswhatfields blog - including links to transpontine's report and ITV report and so on.

Is there anything else planned? Or are they waiting on the next meeting ?

next items on the agenda

Wednesday 27 November, 7 pm, public meeting at Broadway Theatre (or Lewisham Theatre for long established Lewisham residents or Lewisham Concert Hall for even longer established residents - the place next to the Town Hall at Catford) more here

Tuesday 4 December, 6 pm, Calabash Centre, George Lane - consultation meeting with the special administrator. more here