Eagle wrote:Thanks Michael I will certainly action.
I have seen local MP's on TV complaining about the possible closure but have not seen Mr Dowd.
Is it just that I have missed him or is he not involved.
Often watch Parliament Programme at midday and read quality papers but have not seen him or his name mentioned for some time.
I think Jim Dowd has secured two debates in parliament on the matter over the last few months, and Heidi Alexander another yesterday, in which Jim Dowd spoke. He was also present at the public meeting at Sydenham school.
You can join the Sydenham Society on the march on Saturday:
Meet at Lower Sydenham station, at 11.15am to catch the 11.23am train towards Lewisham.
For those of you closer to Forest Hill you may wish to march with the Forest Hill Society:
Meet at The Capitol (JW Wetherspoon's) on London Road at 10:45am or at Catford Bridge station, to catch the 11:38am train towards Lewisham.
Like most people who will be on the march, I have never been on a march before. But I hope that many people will share my view that this is a situation where we really must march and be counted. The closure of Lewisham A&E is unacceptable!
We are all working hard to ensure that Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health, understands why we don't think Lewisham Hospital should be part of the recommendations to solve the financial problems of our neighbours. The GPs do not support the recommendations - they are working closely with the hospital and social services to deliver our integrated services - what is recommended is more fragmentation. Please join us on the march on Saturday to show your support for our local services.
The recommendation to close Lewisham A&E is so ludicrous that it reminds me of the bit in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, where it's announced that to meet higher level imperatives, the Earth has to be destroyed. So a case of history repeating itself, the first time as comedy, the second time as tragedy.
As to influencing Jeremy Hunt, I have to start by wondering if he's a decent sort of Earthling - if so, he may feel our pain. OTOH, he may make some electoral calculation that Lewisham is irredeemably lost to Labour, so why should he care? Of course there's a wider damage this farce will do to the current government, but we all know that it's the old PFI contracts which mean the well run hospital gets closed. As a Conservative he's much rather be punishing failure than success - and wouldn't we all?
Tim Lund wrote:So a case of history repeating itself, the first time as comedy, the second time as tragedy.
Fiction is not history, so history is not repeating itself. It could be a case of 'life being strange than fiction' but then I think that we have to get things in proportion, and the absurd proposals for the hospital closure is possibly less serious than the destruction of the planet Earth. However, it might be worth listening to Matthew Kershaw recite some of his excellent poetry.
Another would be double speak, the NHS is safe with conservatives that's why we will be closing recently refurbished and well run A&E departments like Lewisham!
It's not a victory it's a complete disaster. If I get knocked down in Sydenham High Street which hospital would I get taken to under these proposals? It's not clear at all. But basically, they need to sort out the NHS lower down. A and E services are stretched partly because GP services are so dire- you can never get an appointment, they don't work evenings, weekends, bank holidays , don't do after hours or house calls plus they get paid a fortune, no wonder so many people go to A and E who don't need to be there.
