London
Better Local Healthcare Campaign (formerly Save Hornsey Central Hospital Campaign)
The campaign began in protest at the demolition of Hornsey Central Hospital and its replacement with a much decreased service in Haringey. The campaign's aims have widened to demand free, good quality local healthcare close to peoples' homes and to oppose the running down and privatisation of services. It also demands community engagement in healthcare and emphasises the need to be especially supportive of the most vulnerable members of the community.Contact: info@betterlocalhealthcarecampaign.org
Greenwich Keep Our NHS Public
In January 2008 Lewisham Council resolved that the following motion be agreed:
"This Council notes that the reliance on PFI projects in the NHS has saddled the local health economy with debts of over £200 million and substantial cuts are now planned to address this funding crisis.
All the options in the "Picture of Health" cuts package currently out for consultation will lead to a reduction of services in Lewisham. In particular, the borough could lose in-patient maternity services, lose the A&E department and see the excellent Children's Hospital within Lewisham closed.
The Council further notes that all the "Picture of Health" proposals are totally reliant on more emergency ambulances and a considerable increase in travel by patients and their families around the already congested South East London area.
Council invites the Mayor to join with interested parties and condemn the proposed cuts in the borough's health services, calls on the Mayor and Council to do all in their power to prevent the closure of the full A & E department and asks the Mayor to respond to the consultation on behalf of the borough arguing against the reduction of hospital services in Lewisham."
After the notable success of health campaigners, the fight to Keep Our NHS Public continues.
Contact: Frances Hook - franhook@cooptel.net
Hackney Keep Our NHS Public
Contact: Nick Bailey - nickf.bailey@virgin.net
Lewisham Pensioners' Forum
Contact: Kerry Smith - kerrysmith2@btconnect.com; Beverley Ammon - beverleyammon@btconnect.com
436 Lewisham High Street
Lewisham
SE13 6J
Tel. 020 8690 7869/1712
Save Bart's Campaign
Bart's has built an international reputation for clinical excellence over ten centuries. Without its leading-edge cancer and cardiac services, the hospital would effectively cease to exist. The loss would be a body blow to healthcare in east London. Bart's and the London Hospital are the only major teaching hospitals in the area, producing some of the best clinical outcomes in the country, and some of the best mortality rates for cardiac surgery. This area of London is home to a vulnerable population with some of the highest rates of cancer and heart disease in Britain.
Save Chase Farm Hospital
The campaign started up many years ago when the local hospital's A&E department first came under threat in 1994. The campaign started up again about 18 months ago since when two members have been elected onto the local council. The campaign is now registered as an independent political party called 'Save Chase Farm.' The fight continues to keep a fully functioning A&E department, women's and children's department at the local hospital, Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield.
Contact: Kate Wilkinson - info@savechasefarm.co.uk
Website: http://savechasefarm.co.uk/
Save Whipps Cross Hospital
Formed at the end of October 2006 at a massive public meeting in Woodford, the Save Whipps Cross Hospital campaign has one simple aim: to keep Whipps serving the local community as a fully funded and functioning general hospital, working within a local NHS system that provides good healthcare for everyone.
The Save Whipps Campaign calls for the entire £33 million deficit at April 2007 to be written off and for new investment to be provided to fund the urgently needed modernisation of the hospital buildings.
Contact: info@savewhippscross.org
Website: http://www.savewhippscross.org/about/campaign.php
Southwark & Lambeth Keep Our NHS Public
Southwark & Lambeth Keep Our NHS Public grew out of the campaign to stop the closure of the the Psychiatric Emergency Clinic at Maudsley, the 24 hour emergency service for mentally ill people in crisis, earmarked for closure in October 2006. While the mental health trust, the South London and Maudsley Trust, ran up surpluses in the preceding year, it was told it had to find £8m of savings in the current year, because the two primary care trusts which fund the NHS locally were cutting their mental health budgets. A walk-in emergency clinic, in-patient beds, community teams and a residential home for women in distress were all likely candidates for the cuts.
A march on 1 November 2006 with pensioners' groups was followed by rallies and protests outside the Maudsley Hospital in March 2007. A further rally in April, protesting against the closure of both the Emergency Clinic at the Maudsley and the Felix Post Day Hospital, was addressed by Kate Hoey, MP and former minister. More protests continued with a May Day rally, a public debate on May 2 with local MPs, and protest vigils at the Maudsley throughout May. A 2,000 signature petition has been presented to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt calling on her to keep the centre open.
Consultation on the closure of the Felix Post Unit at the Maudsley Hospital in Denmark Hill resulted in the decision made in January 2008 to partially close the unit. The GMB union has noted that while the Trust admits it has now balanced its books, it is trying to cut its long term cost base for mental health services.
Gavin Davies, GMB Organiser for the NHS in South London said "GMB calls upon the government ministers to step in and halt this and any further cuts in front line NHS services and to make sure that funds are spent on the front line services that each area needs.”
The sponsors of the Maudsley campaign include local branches of Unison and Amicus, pensioners' groups and numerous other supporters.
The Southwark & Lambeth KONP group now has a regular organisational and information exchange meeting at the Unison office, 177-179 Walworth Road at 7pm on every second Tuesday for the full meeting and every fourth Tuesday for the executive meeting (but open to all).
Contact: info@keepournhspublicsouthwark.co.uk
Website: http://www.keepournhspublicsouthwark.co.uk/index.html
Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition
On 28 November 2007 around 40 people turned up to lobby the Board Meeting of the Haringey Primary Care Trust (held at St Ann's Hospital) to protest against the PCT's "polyclinics" proposals which would threaten the existence of local GP surgeries and local chemists. The controversial proposal is for four such clinics in Haringey, each serving over 50,000 patients. Those present at the protest included representatives of older people's organisations, patients' groups, residents' associations, health campaigns and trades unions.
Campaigners present called for a lobby of the special Council Overview & Scrutiny meeting on 3 December at the Civic Centre to demand that the Committee exercise their powers and therefore their duty to condemn the PCT's consultation tactics, to object to the threat to local services and to refer the proposals to the Secretary of State as unacceptable.
Stop Haringey Health Cuts Coalition comprises Haringey Trades Union Council, Haringey Health UNISON and Haringey Federation of Residents' Associations. It aims to oppose health cuts and fight for decent NHS provision in the London Borough of Haringey and adjacent areas where PCT boundaries go further.
The group has been campaigning since April 2006 in response to cuts in services from Haringey PCT.
The group has held a local demonstration and holds regular meetings at St Ann's Hospital in Tottenham, in addition to running regular stalls, distributing leaflets, lobbying Trust meetings and meeting MPs and councillors.
Contact: Keith Flett - keithflett@bt.com Tel. 07803 167266
SW London Keep Our NHS Public
The South West London branch of KONP meets monthly and produces leaflets outlining the local NHS issues for regular distribution in the local shopping centre. A number of trade union branches have donated to the campaign or are affliated to the group.
Contact: Mike Squires - mikesquires@btopenworld.com
Tower Hamlets Keep Our NHS Public
Tower Hamlets KONP formed in November 2005 in response to the proposed PFI deal for the London Hospital in Whitechapel. Following the first (very well attended) public meeting, the group has been holding regular meetings, with the one held at Queen Mary College being addressed by Frank Dobson and George Galloway.
Contact: Clare Winter - clare.winter@thpct.nhs.uk
Waltham Forest Keep Our NHS Public
The Waltham Forest KONP group has held public meetings, demonstrations and several lobbies. Members of the group have attended relevant events to put the campaign arguments and to collect petition signatures. Communication has been made with the local overview and scrutiny committee, forcing it to block PCT cuts.
Reports that Whipps Cross Hospital may close have hit the front pages of local papers, denied by hospital trust officials. However, a strategic document - "Fit for the Future, Strategic Scenarios" - clearly states that the downgrading of Whipps Cross to an 'ambulatory' or community care centre is one option under consideration in plans to cut back and 'reconfigure' the NHS across the outer north east area of London. The Save Whipps Cross Campaign has won a temporary reprieve and a decision on the hospital's future has been postponed pending a review of London wide hospital provision by NHS London in the autumn.
The Fit For the Future review group that is conducting the review has been forced by the overwhelming support of the local community to accept the case for the retention of the hospital as a district general hospital due. This reprieve is likely to be no more than tactical retreat. Whipps' enemies in the local NHS bureaucracy will be hoping that it will easier to attack the hospital by hiding behind a regional review. Everyone that cares about Whipps and the NHS in general needs to keep up the pressure.
The financial position of the hospital remains desperate, with wards and operating theatres continuing to face closure and patients and staff facing relentless stress and uncertainty due to the government imposed accounting regime modelled on private sector accounting.
Campaigners are demanding that NHS London makes an early public statement confirming the future of the hospital. It is calling for the entire £33 million deficit to be written off and for new investment to be provided to fund the urgently needed modernisation of the hospital buildings.
Contact: Tony Phillips - anthony.phillips@london-fire.gov.uk
West London Keep Our NHS Public
Contact: Elizabeth O'Hara - elizabethohara@hotmail.com