Worthing Keep Our NHS Public

Trip to London, 1 November 2006

2006-11-16T18:57:00.000Z

Worthing KONP took a coach up to the TUC-organised national lobby of Parliament on 1st November over the government's proposed NHS cuts. A group of staff and the public from Worthing and Southlands made the trip up, carrying our specially-made banner "Worthing and Southlands - Not For Sale!". The day was a great success. Although we didnt feel we needed to lobby our own MPs who have been active with their KWASH campaign, we joined a march against hospital closures and privatisation alongside campaigners and NHS workers from other parts of the country, including in our region people from Crawley, Epsom and Guildford among others. The march and lobby ended with a rally at Westminster Central Hall with mainly trade union speakers getting across lots of good background info on just why the government is threatening the future of Worthing & Southlands and at least 60 other hospitals around the UK. We learned a lot to apply to Worthing, and made good links with other campaigners. A national demonstration is planned for early in 2007.

Link to London photos

2006-11-15T22:16:00.000Z

For photos of the London protest, click here.

SOUTHLANDS PROTESTS EVERY WEDNESDAY

2006-11-14T18:13:00.000Z

Starting Wednesday 15 November 2006, there will be regular Wednesday protests outside the main entrance of Southlands Hospital, Upper Shoreham Road, between 12 noon and 2 p.m.

These are in addition to the regular protests outside Worthing Hospital.

Please come along and support the staff at Southlands.

Tuesday 28 November 2006: Meeting in Shoreham
There will be a meeting at the Ferry Inn, 1 East Street, Shoreham, at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday 28 November.

We are hoping to arrange a street stall in Lancing before then.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1st: NATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST TO SAVE OUR NHS

2006-10-26T00:25:00.000Z

*** JOIN US FROM WORTHING ON THE WORTHING COACH TO THE LOBBY OR PARLIAMENT - 8AM, WEDS NOV 1ST, STEYNE GARDENS. ***
THE COACH HAS BEEN KINDLY SPONSORED BY THE SUSSEX BRANCH OF THE GMB UNION, BUT A SUGGESTED DONATION TO COSTS OF £5 IS WELCOMED. PLEASE BOOK EARLY - CALL SUE ON 01903 522909 or RICH on 07771 572484 TO CONFIRM YOUR PLACE OR FOR MORE INFO.

Next Wednesday sees a national day of protest against the government's threatened plan to downgrade or close up to SIXTY hospitals across the UK. The protest will also take in concerns about the huge and increasing level of private-sector involvement in the NHS, which is siphoning off money needed for vital services.

Protesters will be descending on PARLIAMENT in LONDON for a lobby of MPs, called by the TUC (see the NHS Together link in our links section) - beginning at 11am, assembling at Westminster Central Hall.

*** If you can't make it up to London, there will be LOCAL PROTESTS, on the same day, outside Worthing Hospital in Lyndhurst Road from 12noon-2pm, and also possibly outside Southlands.

SAVE OUR HOSPITAL - SUPPORT HOSPITAL STAFF: WEEKLY PROTESTS OUTSIDE WORTHING HOSPITAL

2006-10-25T23:18:00.000Z

Today was the first of a new weekly protest outside Worthing Hospital. Everyone is welcome to just turn up, even for 5 minutes, between 12 noon and 2pm, to keep the pressure up on health bosses and show support for the beleaguered staff inside the hospital, who will also be joining the weekly protest.

See pics below from today's protest, which was attended by around 40 people over the two hours. Protesters honked horns, rang bells and rattled rattles while passing vehicles sounded their horns loud in support (as you can hear on the video) - those inside the hospital were left in no doubt about the support outside!

PUBLIC MEETING REPORT & PICS

2006-10-25T22:49:00.000Z

Over 100 people attended Worthing KONP's first public meeting on Saturday at the Richmond Rooms. Local residents & hospital staff enjoyed three superb speakers and a lively, serious and informative debate with questions and contributions from the audience. Check back on the site soon for video footage of the meeting and speeches.

Guest speaker John McDonnell MP, who will be challenging Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership, expressed his support for Worthing's campaign and said that all over the country ordinary people are coming together to march and to demonstrate against cutbacks in services and the sacking of NHS staff. He said: "There is a sense of urgency; the threats to the NHS are now so severe that potentially we will lose it"

Also addressing the meeting were Dr J M Semmens, retired consultant paediatrician - at Worthing & Southlands hospitals for twenty years - and Gill George, health worker and on the executive of trade union Amicus, who said cuts and closures of local services mean people will be harmed - with children and their carers particularly at risk. Government reforms propose care be delivered closer to home, "but to pretend that community care can simply slot in and replace acute hospital care is nonsense", she said. A question and answer session included many passionately expressed views from the floor.

Many speakers stressed how unnecessary the government's proposed cuts are from a finanical point of view - with the national NHS debt actually running at a mere £500 million, and that this shows how the cuts and closures agenda is driven by an obsession with allowing market forces to dictate our health care. The grave danger is that we are heading for an American-style system of private healthcare for the some, meagre public health insurance schemes for many, and no healthcare at all for the least well off.

The audience responded with loud cheers when speakers called for the "missing NHS money" to be found by scraping the new Trident nuclear weapons plans (at least £35 BILLION) or by pulling out the disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (£8 BILLION to date)

Lee Billingham, chair of Worthing KONP was delighted with the support shown at the meeting and said: "We are an active group that involves local patients and health care staff. We will be marching with other hospital campaigners from West Sussex in a national lobby of parliament on 1st November, and we are planning more local meetings, town centre stalls and other events which we hope people will support.
We are fighting to save our publicly owned and run National Health Service. No cuts, No Closures, No Sell-offs!"

VITAL PUBLIC MEETING IN WORTHING ON 21st OCTOBER: JOHN MCDONNELL MP & NHS LOGISTICS WORKERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST THREATENED HOSPITAL CLOSURES & NHS CUTS

2006-10-09T10:08:00.000Z

Worthing KONP have organised an important meeting for anyone wanting to debate how we can best fight the proposed closure of our local hospitals, and of the threat to our entire National Health Service through cuts, closures, and privatisation.

Please email or call if you would like a copy of the meeting poster or leaflet to print out and put up in your local area!

The meeting takes place on Saturday 21st October at the Richmond Rooms, in Stoke Abbotts Road in central Worthing, from 2pm-4pm. Guest speakers include John McDonnell MP, a challenger to Tony Blair for Labour leadership who has consistently spoken out against his own government's plans to wreck the NHS. Also speaking will be a worker from NHS Logistics - currently taking strike action in a desperate attempt to prevent a large chunk of the NHS being sold off to private parcel firm DHL to make a profit from. In adddition, we will have Gill George, from the Executive of the Amicus trade union, and one of the founders of the national Keep Our NHS Public campaign. Last, but certainly not least, there will be Worthing Hospital staff and NHS professionals on hand to give accounts from the frontline of the devastating effects to patient care the threatened cuts and closures will have.

ALSO - On Sunday 22nd October, campaigners from across the region will meet to coordinate efforts to resist the threatened cuts and closures. Email or call us for details.

HUGE TURNOUT FOR HANDS AROUND THE HOSPITAL PROTEST SHOWS NHS CUTS ANGER

2006-10-09T09:49:00.000Z

Sunday's protest saw another big turnout as up to 5,000 people in Worthing & Shoreham attended the 'Hands Around the Hospitals' protests against the threatened closure of our hospitals. Demonstrators easily completed a circle of hands around each hospital, and the symbolic protest looked impressive from the air - as you can see in the Herald's web report of the day's events.

Also, see the video below shot by Hospital Help

Worthing Keep Our NHS Public campaigners including GMB, UNISON and RCN members leafletted for our public meeting with John McDonnell MP and NHS Logistics strikers, and were received enthusiastically.

In two weeks' time, campaigners from across Sussex and Surrey are meeting to coordinate their efforts across the the counties which comprise the area of the Strategic Health Authority that's looking to make Blair & Hewitt's required savings of £100 million. The meeting is open to all. Local campaigns in the region have already booked transport to the TUC's national lobby of Parliament on the 1st November - watch this space for details of how you can get to London from Worthing.

JOIN THE HANDS AROUND WORTHING HOSPITAL PROTEST - THIS SUNDAY 8TH OCTOBER

2006-10-04T10:18:00.000Z

There'll be a 'Hands Around the Hospitals' demonstration this Sunday 8th October, called by the KWASH campaign, as a 'symbolic gesture' at local people's disgust at the possible closure or downgrading of local hospital facilities.

We urge everyone to turn out in force to keep up the pressure on Patricia Hewitt, Tony Blair and their Strategic Health Authority and Primary Care Trust footsoldiers!

People should arrive by 2.45pm, for a 3pm protest.

Members and supporters of Worthing Keep Our NHS Public will be demonstrating together - we'll be assembling from 2.30pm outside the Children's Centre at Worthing Hospital. For our assembly point at Southlands please call 07974 095233 for details.

Otherwise...

Residents coming from the east should take up positions in Homefield Road
Residents coming from the west should take up positions in Park Road
Residents coming from the north should take up positions in Newland and Chesswood Roads
Residents coming from the south should take up positions in Lyndhurst Road

NATIONAL PROTEST: LOBBY PARLIAMENT TO SAVE OUR NHS ON 1ST NOVEMBER

2006-10-03T17:02:00.000Z

All the unions representing workers in the NHS have come together along with the existing anti-cuts and closures campaigns to call a mass lobby of parliament on Wednesday 1st November. It's clear that the very existence of the National Health Service is under threat, as well as the threatened closure or huge downgrading of at least 60 general hospitals, so a national focus for everyone who wants to stop this process is very welcome. Go here for full details of the protest, and watch this space for details how campaigners from Worthing and surrounding areas will be travelling up to London to join the lobby.

SOME GOOD NEWS! NHS LOGISTICS WORKERS + EASTBOURNE PATIENTS AND STAFF SAY 'NO'!

2006-09-19T07:55:00.001Z

Last weekend in Eastbourne, an excellent march of 5,000 turned out against plans to close Eastbourne District General Hospital. Report here.

Workers at NHS Logistics will strike this week in a bid to save their (and our) service from being transferred to parcel carrier DHL. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5357270.stm.
For more on the UNISON members' campaign, go to the UNISON website. You can send messages of support and donations to NHS Logistics Unison, St Barnabus Close, Allington, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LW. Make cheques payable to “Unison — NHS Logistics Dispute”.

Meanwhile, last week's TUC backed a call for a national demonstration over NHS cuts and privatisation.

"DOCTORS BACK HOSPITAL CLOSURES" (!) ... THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS BECOME CLEARER

2006-09-19T07:49:00.000Z

Yes, you heard right. The Observer reported on Sunday that the heads of the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Physicians have given their support to government plans to close up to SIXTY hospitals across the UK.

It's difficult to believe that these are genuinely-held medical opinions rather than the words of people who know which side their bread is buttered on.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt (having had the way prepared for her) will today echo these plans for cuts - dressed up (a la Candy Morris) as moving services "into the community".

All of this shows how important it is that we organise the biggest strongest possible campaign to save our health services, and that campaigners across our region and the whole country link up their efforts urgently.

NEXT MEETING + DOWNLOAD LEAFLETS AND PETITIONS

2006-09-19T07:46:00.000Z

Our next meeting is this Wednesday 20th September at 7pm at the Alexandra, Lyndhurst Rd. All welcome.

You will soon be able to download KONHSP leaflets and petitions from this site. Until then you can email us to get these.

WORTHING KONHSP STALL IN TOWN CENTRE GREAT SUCCESS

2006-09-19T07:42:00.000Z

Our first town-centre stall last Saturday was a great success, with hundreds of signing petitions and many new people pledging to get involved. Our message that not only must our hospital not be closed, but that we want to defend all of the region's health services and not allow private companies to take them over, went down a storm.

WORTHING PROTESTORS CONFRONT TONY BLAIR AT TUC CONFERENCE IN BRIGHTON

2006-09-12T23:23:00.000Z

Staff and campaigners from Worthing today made the journey down to the annual Trades Union Congress conference in Brighton to urge trade unions to fight over threatened hospital closures in Worthing and across Sussex - after hearing that Prime Minister Tony Blair was going to be in attendance. The protest by A&E staff attracted national and regional media attention (it was shown tonight on BBC South Today and Meridian News). When Blair finally left the Brighton Centre - after a frosty reception from trade unionists - his ears were ringing with chants of "Save Worthing Hospital" and "Sack Blair Not Nurses!". Pictures from the protest below, footage from the TV reports will follow.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

2006-09-12T23:05:00.000Z

Following our latest and best attended meeting, the following is planned:

- We will hold two public stalls each week in Worthing to begin with - with KWASH and KONSHP petitions and information.
On Wednesdays there will be a market stall in Montague Street from 12 noon til 2pm.
On Saturdays there will be a stall in Montague Place from 11am-1pm. The first stalls are on Weds 13th and Sat 16th. Everyone who wants to help - for as little or as long as you can - should just turn up between these times.

- Day of Action to be held on Saturday 30th September. Consisting of stalls in as many places as possible from 11am, then a 'Hands Around the Hospital' protest from 2pm at Worthing Hospital. Suggested slogan - "Why Don't You Listen - Reverse Your Decision!".

- We will also hold a nighttime vigil at Worthing and Southlands Hospitals on Weds 4th Oct. We will call on other groups around Sussex to do the same on the same night.

- We will hold a public meeting/rally on Saturday 14th October. Venue TBC, with top special guest speakers.

NEXT MEETING

2006-09-03T21:36:00.000Z

The next meeting of Worthing Keep Our NHS Public will be this coming Wednesday, 6th September, at 7pm, upstairs at the Alexandra, 28 Lyndhurst Road, Worthing. (almost opposite Worthing Hospital).

Everyone is very welcome to come along to talk about the latest developments in the threatened closure of Worthing and Southlands Hospitals, the latest news from other anti-closure, anti-cuts and anti-privatisation campaigns from around Sussex and the UK, and to plan activities in and around Worthing in defence of our hospitals and NHS services.

Please pass this on to all friends, colleagues and family. If you can't make it to this meeting, but are keen to get involved, do let us know, either via email or by calling us - 01903 204975 or 07974 095233.

Don't forget to keep checking this site for the latest news, as well as information about the group's activities.

Hope to see you on Wednesday!

No Cuts, No Closures, No Sell-Offs!

LATEST CLOSURE THREAT + OTHER NEWS

2006-09-03T21:12:00.000Z

This week's Worthing Herald (link on the right) reports that (surprise surprise!) that the Strategic Health Authority have been considering downgrading or even closing Worthing Hospital since March! In other words Candy 'Floss' Morris and her minions have been LYING to the public and even to MPs for several months now. As we knew we cannot trust these people as far as we can throw them.

Meanwhile the Chichester Observer among others reported on yet another leaked cuts 'option' which would see 'closer links' between some Sussex hospitals while other health services get the chop altogether. Needless to say, the Option that almost everybody other than the New Labour government and their SHA stooges favour - i.e. No Cuts, No Closures - does not seem to be in Candy & Co's thoughts. Their crafty calculations underline the need for patients and staff from across Sussex to stick together and not allow one hospital or area to be pitched against the other.

The insane probability that the threatened massive cuts are going to come across Sussex was proved again with more leaked plans reported in the Mid Sussex Times that Haywards Heath A&E and Maternity services face the chop.

Worthing KONSHP supporters travelled to Crawley on Saturday for what they say was an excellent Keep Our NHS Public public meeting with speakers that included John McDonnell MP and Gill George from the Amicus trade union. People in Crawley are faced with the threatened loss of 400 Acute posts in the local NHS. Full report to follow.

Finally, hats off to the people of West Cornwall, 27,000 of whom turned out last week for a remarkable march against potential hospital closures there. See reports here and here.

REPORT OF OUR LAST MEETING

2006-09-03T21:05:00.000Z

General Discussion about the group
There was an overview of why the group had been set up. We are a branch of the national KONHSP campaign, who wish to help organise the broadest most active possible opposition to the possible closure of Worthing & Southlands Hospitals ("the closure").
At the same time we want to make sure that opposing privatisation of NHS services and opposing *any* cuts in NHS jobs or services are at the centre of the anti-closure campaign. Our accent is on maximum staff and patient involvement in any campaign.

The meeting agreed that we are certainly not setting up in opposition to the existing KWASH campaign, which has done some good work. We want to make sure that everybody campaigning against the closure is united. Rather, we see WKONHSP as an additional resource to KWASH in the closure campaign. We are very happy to help distribute KWASH material and to work as closely as possible with KWASH (broadly seen as 'the MPs campaign').

At the Public Rally, the platform were asked to set up a Steering Committee for KWASH, which they agreed to, but to date no-one at the meeting was aware that anything had happened to this effect. If and when such a Committee is set up, we would look to have a WKONHSP representative on it.

It was thought that Simon Buss is currently preparing a new KWASH leaflet, so we will seek to get copies.

There was a general agreement on the seriousness of the PCT's possible intentions to close or severely cut Worthing hospital services, and of the irrationality of such a course of action. Lots of new houses are planned for the area, so cuts and closures dont make sense with a growing population. Is the PCT/SHA using the right demographics in their calculations?

Ideas for Activities, Stunts etc
- A meeting for staff at the hospital to be organised as soon as possible, as we would like to see maximum hospital staff involvement. To be organised under the auspices of the trades unions (UNISON, GMB, RCN) and WKONHSP.
- We would like to see banners, posters and stickers in prominent places across the area
- We want to organise information stalls to take place as often as practicable in as many local centres as possible (i.e. not just Worthing town centre).
- There were various ideas of pre-existing networks we can tap into to distibute materials and notices - e.g. local schools, colleges and playgroups/nurseries; GP and dentist surgeries, community centres.
- To have stock leaflets and posters downloadable from the Worthing KONHSP website.
- Regular and persistent press/media coverage of campaign activities, stunts to attract this coverage
- To establish a link with Age Concern (and Guild Care) to highlight the risks to elderly patients
- Ideas for WKONHSP leaflet: keep it simple and striking, points to be made: Invite a WKONHSP speaker for your group/organisation, Get Involved Now! Stress the urgency for campaigning work, Everyone can be involved in doing something; Tell Us Your Story; Contacts for WKONHSP

Next meeting and other dates

The next WKONHSP meeting will be held on Wednesday 6th September at 7pm upstairs at
The Alexandra , Lyndhurst Road

Saturday 23rd September was designated a day of action - with stunts and public stalls.

Possible date for Public Meeting - Saturday 30th Sept or Saturday 7th Oct

No Cuts, No Closures, No Sell-Offs!

Email: worthingkeepournhspublic@yahoo.co.uk
Phone: 01903 204975 or 07974 095233
Write: 48 Sugden Rd, Worthing, BN11 2JL.

LATEST NEWS / MORE DEMO REPORTS & PICS

2006-08-16T18:10:00.000Z

The latest report in The Herald shows quite clearly how we were lied to at the Public Meeting. The options for cuts and closure are already well thought out - and they are planning major cuts at EITHER Worthing or Chichester. In addition there is a serious threat to Southlands acute services. We say: defend ALL hospital services across Sussex and the UK!

The West Sussex Gazette carries this shocking news that cuts architect Steve Phoenix is leaving the Trust - announced 2 days after the rally!

Demo report and pics in the West Sussex Observer here
Like many reports the GMB union banner carried by Worthing Keep Our NHS Public supporters is prominent!

Report and pic in the weekly Socialist Worker paper here.

BBC report on the excellent Chichester demo.

Report and pics from the 1,000-strong Bognor demo a month ago.

1000s MARCH AGAINST HOSPITAL CUTS IN WORTHING

2006-08-03T07:19:00.000Z

Last night saw a magnificent protest march of up to 10,000 people, marching from two ends of Worthing to demand the Government via its Strategic Health Authority makes no cuts to local NHS services - in particular, the insane threatened closure of Worthing and Southlands Hospitals. This being polite Worthing the march of course was routed down pavements not roads :0)

assembling behind the Aquarena

Hospital users from across Worthing, Lancing, Shoreham and surrounding areas were joined by large and lively contingents of hospital and health workers - many of whom had arrived in a feeder march from Worthing Hospital. Among the many banners were those belonging to workers' UNISON and GMB unions.

Worthing Keep Our NHS Public supporters handed out several thousand leaflets putting our case for a NHS fully in public hands and for no cuts whatever to health services across Sussex. The leaflets - kindly printed by the local GMB union branch - went like hot cakes and the message went down a storm with protesters, hundreds of whom also signed our Keep Our NHS Public petition/contact sheet.

The Aquarena end of the march stretched for over a mile down the seafront.

The demonstration - one of the biggest in the town's history - converged on the Pavilion Theatre for a public meeting, with The Steyne acting as an overspill for the thousands who couldn't get into the theatre to listen to the speeches and questions.

Hot Reception for Health Chiefs
The public meeting, chaired by the mayor Cllr Tom Wye, was a wonderfully angry and rowdy affair. It was addressed by Stretegic Health Authority Chief Exec Candy Morris and her sidekick Steve Phoenix, who repeatedly tried to justify service cuts or even possible hospital closures by waffling on about "moving care closer to the patient, even to their home" and insisting that "we" cannot ignore the financial problems with the area's budget (although "we" didnt create these problems of course). For this, they were heckled, booed and shouted down throughout the 2-and-a-half-hour meeting, with both of the cost-cutting suits looking visibly shaken by the end. Morris resorted to patronising audience speakers which got her into even more trouble.

Local Tory MPs Tim Loughton & Peter Bottomley also spoke, with Loughton in particular drawing large applause with a speech pledging total opposition to any hospital closures across Sussex. For those of us with a trade union and labour movement background it was strange to be agreeing with virtually everything a Tory MP has to say - Loughton's speech was remarkably "old Labour" in tone. While the MPs have led the way in setting up the KWASH campaign, we still remember the terrible damage done to the NHS by the previous Tory government, so you'll forgive a little cynicism on our part. It's clear that any MP who doesnt fully support such campaigns risks losing their seat at the next election.

A campaign for us all
The point Worthing Keep Our NHS Public are making on this issue is that KWASH must be representative of the hospital workforce and patients who came out in such force yesterday. Consultants, nurses and other health workers and many grateful patients all spoke brilliantly and movingly at the public meeting outlining just why it would be madness to not have a general hospital with A&E in a town of more than 100,000 people. For the old, the poor, and the disabled the so-called option of care in the home or having to travel to Brighton or Chichester is a total non-starter - it would be a disaster leading to many deaths.

the western, George V Avenue branch of the march arrives

Following a question from one of our number, KWASH confirmed they will be setting up a "steering group" to run the campaign which will look to include health workers, service users "and all interested parties". We trust this will be a meaningful promise - this campaign must be accountable and open to all. Writing to MPs, signing petitions and writing to the SHA is unlikely to be enough to stop the cost-cutters' attacks. We need a lively angry and huge campaign that will really get the message across to Tony Blair and his (invited but absent) Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt.

Don't Spend Money on War and Death - Spend it on the NHS
Speakers contrasting the billions spent on bombing innocent people with the penny-pinching life-threatening proposed NHS cuts taking place across the UK drew huge cheers, as did the many who pointed out that Government ministers and their hired guns like Morris and Phoenix can afford and do always go private - they dont care about a free public health service.

The SHA are looking for savings of £100 MILLION - which would represent huge cuts. The feeling of the meeting was clear - Candy Morris should go back to her masters and insist that the money is found from central Government funds.

Where Next?
Morris & Phoenix claimed they would have some rough outline ideas/proposals to put to the public within "3 to 4 weeks", and that these would be fully firmed up and costed by October. We must keep up the pressure by any means necessary. More meetings and protests must be organised as a matter of urgency. Watch this space for more news on KWASH and on Worthing Keep Our NHS Public activities.

Further Reports

See the Argus newspaper's report here

See the BBC Southern Counties report (with a decent crowd pic) here

For a report on the huge march by our counterparts in Chichester last week, go here

SAVE WORTHING & SOUTHLANDS HOSPITALS - MARCH TOMORROW!

2006-08-01T22:57:00.000Z

The Keep Worthing and Southlands Hospitals campaign is holding a rally and public meeting on Wednesday 2 August.

There will be 2 marches along the seafront - one from the east (meeting behind the Aquaarena) and one from the west (meeting at the bottom of George V Avenue).
These will start at 6pm and converge on the Pavilion Theatre where there will be a public meeting beginning at 7pm.

The Worthing Keep Our NHS Public contingent will meet at the Aquarena meeting point - look out for Worthing Hospital staff, trade union banners and placards and Worthing KONHSP leafletters - see you there!

WORTHING KEEP OUR NHS PUBLIC GROUP LAUNCHED

2006-08-01T22:47:00.000Z

Worthing Keep Our NHS Public is a group of local health workers, trade unionists and patients concerned about the threatened cuts and even possible closure of Worthing and Southlands Hospitals. Any such action would be a scandalous attack on vital public services.

We are also however concerned at the scale of threatened NHS cuts across Sussex and the whole South East/South Coast region, including by not only hospitals in Chichester, Eastbourne, Hastings, Brighton and Crawley.

We will be working as part of the KWASH campaign set up by local MPs, and we want to ensure that health workers and professionals and service users are actively involved in that campaign, and that KWASH actions send the strongest possible message to the Government that we will accept no cuts of any sort to our health services in Sussex.

This is the text of a leaflet we'll be handing out at tomorrow's demo...

Save Our Hospitals! No Cuts,No Closures, No Sell-offs

We call on the MPs and everyone at today’s march public meeting to agree:

A vote of thanks for the excellent organising work done so far by MPs and others but that the Keep Worthing & Southland Hospitals ['KWASH'] campaign should now be opened up for transparent & democratic decision-making around next steps through regular campaign steering group meetings open to health workers, patients and service users in Worthing and surrounding area.

Strong support for public services in every area. KWASH should declare in favour of supporting ALL hospitals under attack and not arguing that a local resource in Worthing is more important than at Chichester or anywhere else. We should be inviting people from campaigns across Sussex to attend KWASH meetings and vice versa.

That we reject any call for PFI [Private Finance Initiatives] as the only alternative way to develop or maintain good NHS services – we want publicly run and maintained services and not hospitals belonging to a private company and run with our tax money on the basis of profit for that company! There is public money for warfare and layer upon layer of management and bureaucracy – let’s plough that money into world class publicly-owned and run NHS services instead.

That the campaign is an active, lively and inclusive one!
We should set up regular information stalls and publicity stunts to be run in all parts of Worthing Hospital’s catchment area and around the hospital itself to make sure everyone locally is aware of the current situation and is able to get involved in both proposing ideas and helping run support activities.