NHS 72ND BIRTHDAY 5 JULY 2020 – THANKS AND THOUGHTS VIDEO FROM OUR CAMPAIGN
The NHS 72nd birthday on 5 July 2020 comes in the middle of a world pandemic. 65,000 people have died in the UK, including 300 NHS staff and carers. Campaigners and Lewisham residents offer thoughts and thanks to the NHS.
CAMPAIGN ACTIONS, NHS 72ND BIRTHDAY, 3-5 JULY 2020
Joining KONP members to block traffic on Westminster Bridge and read out names of NHS staff who have died outside Downing Street, placard diaplay outside Lewisham Hospital, Black Lives Matter rally on Black Lives Matter.
RIP MARILYN MURRAY – PASSIONATE, FUNNY, STALWART CAMPAIGNER WHO DIED 16 JUNE 2020
MEMBER OF SAVE LEWISHAM HOSPITAL CAMPAIGN STEERING COMMITTEE
MUCH LOVED AND DEEPLY MISSED FOR ALL THE YEARS OF STRUGGLE TO COME
The Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign is deeply sad to announce that Marilyn Murray died yesterday 16 June 2020.
Our heartfelt love goes to her daughter Georgia and son Keith, and to her brother. Marilyn died of a brain tumour in a hospice. Dr Louise Irvine, our Campaign Chair says: ‘I’m so very sorry to hear this sad news. Marilyn was a passionate and defiant fighter for many causes close to her heart, in particular defending the NHS. She was a stalwart of the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign and, even though she lived in Bexley, always said she felt like Lewisham was her home, as she spent so many happy, productive and lively hours here with us in the campaign to save Lewisham Hospital – a campaign which we won thanks to the energies and commitment of devoted and hard working people like Marilyn. Marilyn was full of fun, righteous anger at injustice and passion to build a better world. I will miss her greatly, as will all of us in the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign.’ The campaign is receiving and collecting many tributes to Marilyn, read here.
REST IN PEACE THREE NURSING STAFF AT LEWISHAM AND GREENWICH TRUST WHO HAVE DIED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign sends very deepest sympathies to the families of the three:
Esther Akinsanya (who worked at Queen Elizabeth Hospital) died on 15 April Read more
Grace Kungwengwe (who worked in Lewisham Hosptial) died on 19 April Read more
Edem Zdigbede (who worked at Queen Elizabeth Hospital) died on 24 April. Read more
This is terrible loss for their families, friends, colleagues, the hospitals and communities. They will be remembered.
THE NAMES AND SOME OF THE FACES OF NHS STAFF WHO HAVE DIED OF COVID 19 MOST OF THEM IN THE FRONT LINE, ALL SERVING THE NHS
We send deepest condolences and sympathies to their families, frienda and colleagues. We honour you all.
PROTECT OUR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE STAFF TO AID COVID-19 FIGHTBACK
PAY LEWISHAM HOSPITAL CLEANERS NOW!
Nearly two weeks ago we supported a protest by Lewisham Hospital cleaners outside Lewisham Hospital. Private firm ISS hadn’t paid them their money properly sińce they took over the contract a couple of months ago. Cleaners chanted ‘Give us our money’ ‘We want justice’ ‘We got rent to pay’. The cleaners at present are on below the the living wage and are facing the same health risks as clinical and other staff from the coronavirus outbreak.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT STILL HAS NOT BEEN SORTED OUT PROPERLY. PAY THEM NOW
EVENT IN LEWISHAM CENTRE ON 22 FEBRUARY TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO REAL FACTS AND CAUSES OF THE WINTER CRISIS
We had banners, puppets, music and handed out 100s of leaflets. People queued to sign a thank you card to NHS staff at Lewisham Hospital.
The NHS ‘winter crisis’ is the result of 10 years of government underfunding and mismanagement
- 17,000 beds CUT
- 88,923 trolley waits in October 2019 alone
- 1000s of deaths from trolley waits 2016-18
- £8 billion social care cut = more pressure on beds
- 20 % cut in A&Es and A&E capacity
- 6000 GP shortages leading to an increase in A&E visits
- Nurses Training Bursary CUT – 40,000 nurse vacancies
- 10,000 hospital doctor vacancies
- Mental Health beds cut by 30% – 100s of miles from treatment
OUR VIGIL IN COLLABORATION WITH DOC NOT COPS AND LEWISHAM REFUGEE AND MIGRANT NETWORK AGAINST THE ‘HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT’ IN THE NHS OUTSIDE LEWISHAM HOSPITAL ON 23 OCTOBER
LEWISHAM AND GREENWICH TRUST AND CHARGING OF MIGRANTS FOR NHS CARE
We are pleased to be taking part in an inquiry set up by Lewisham and Greenwich Trust into their use of Experian to check patients and into the way that charging is carried out into the Trust. The Inquiry has an independent chair.
Earlier this year…
Save Lewisham Hospital Campaigners were shocked to read in The Guardian/Observer that Lewisham and Greenwich Trust were among many other trusts actively pursuing migrants who had been charged for medical treatment and who had been unable to pay, by using debt collection agencies.
One of the most vulnerable groups are women denied free NHS maternity care, endangering the lives of mothers and children.
LEWISHAM AND GREENWICH TRUST USING EXPERIAN TO CREDIT CHECK PATIENTS
The campaign was very disappointed and angry that our Lewisham and Greenwich Trust partnered credit check agency Experian to target patients likely to be charged for NHS care. This story was covered locally in the South London Press and nationally in the Health Service Journal and the Guardian.
Download our letter to staff
See and download our new leaflet
WHY OUR CAMPAIGN OPPOSES CHARGING MIGRANTS FOR HEALTHCARE
This issue is not about ’tourists’ visiting the UK getting ‘free’ medical care, it is about vulnerable migrants – and frequently people who are resident but have been wrongly assessed – being charged when they have no means to pay, as in the case of the Windrush generation. People are being pursued by debt collectors and reported to the Home Office if they cannot pay.
It is part of the Government’s cruel ‘hostile environment’ and the beginning of the end of the principles of the NHS – including universal access to healthcare, free at the point of need.
GP CRISIS – SITUATION CRITICAL
* Long waits for appointments * Lack of GPs – unsafe workloads * Hugely underfunded * NHS Practices amalgamated * Privatisation of practice management * Reorganisations making the NHS less accountable to public
These are some of the issues causing real concern to people in Lewisham and nationally. Many people blame GP practices when they can’t get an appointment for several weeks but in fact the Government has utterly failed to train and recruit enough doctors to add to the GP workforce and replace those who are retiring. We have produced a new leaflet for people to leave in their GP surgeries.
Click here to read the text of the leaflet, to download it, or to arrange to pick up leaflets to distribute to your own GP surgery.
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS SUMMIT
Keep Our NHS Public, Mental Health – Time for Action and Health Campaigns Together are launching the Mental Health Crisis Summit.
Chronic underfunding has pushed mental health services to the brink, and the problem is getting worse. Understaffing, cuts and failure to provide early interventions for mental health patients is putting unprecedented pressure on A&E departments, emergency services and beds. Patients are being forced to travel further, and suffer worsening health, as they wait longer for treatment.
A successful one-day conference was called to take a closer look at the mental health crisis at the Royal Free Hospital School Of Medicine Rowland Hill Street, LONDON NW3 2PF.
Speakers included: Jonathan Ashworth MP Shadow Secretary for Health (tbc), Ken Loach film director (tbc), Diane Abbott MP Shadow Home Secretary (tbc), Kevin Courtney NEU General Secretary, Lowkey musician and activist (tbc), Ian Hodson National President BFAWU, Dr Louise Irvine Health Campaigns Together, Rachel Bannister mother and activist, David Munday mental heath lead Unite the Union, Dr Vic Chapman from the Royal Free, Cath Wakeman OBE trauma therapist, Dr Nihal Fernando Consultant Psychiatrist and many more…
HUGE PETITION FROM KEEP OUR NHS PUBLIC DOCTOR OPPOSES NHS BEING ‘ON THE TABLE’ FOR TRADE DEAL WITH TRUMP
While the NHS is clearly under serious threat from commercial interests on both sides of the Atlantic, a huge petition has proved it’s the will of the people to defend the NHS from attack.
Shockingly, Donald Trump had the effrontery to say that the NHS would be on ‘on the table’ in any future trade deals with the US ‘or a lot more than that’. While He has since backtracked, saying: ‘I don’t see it being on the table’ while on Good Morning Britain the next morning, we know that Donald Trump is not to be trusted on the NHS or indeed much else – he was revealing his true intentions for US corporations to further parasitise the NHS in England.
The petition has received over 730,000 signatures so far.
Sign here
EXCELLENT NEWS FROM NORTH WEST LONDON
Plans to close Charing Cross Hospital and further downgrade Ealing Hospital have been stopped. There was a sudden announcement from Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday 26 March that the plan ‘Shaping a Healthier Future’ in NW London opposed by campaigners for 7 years has been halted.
Ealing Hospital has suffered cruel and heartless cuts – children, maternity, urology. Hancock said that NHSE ‘no longer supports’ the plan. This after 7 years of tireless and determined campaigning by Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing residents, Save Our Hospitals Hammersmith and Fulham and SOH Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham Labour Council, Ealing Council, Andy Slaughter MP. It’s a day, we hope, for health campaigners to celebrate but also to remember the £millions wasted and 7 years of uncertainty – criminal.
NURSE AND KEEP OUR NHS CAMPAIGNER CONFRONTS NHS ENGLAND BOARD
Fearless nurse and Keep Our NHS Campaigner Gay Lee, from Lambeth, went in to the NHS Board Meeting on 31 January and challenged them over the newly released NHS Long Term Plan and its lack of workforce planning – there is a massive shortage of nurses and doctors. See a short interview with Gay and listen to her intervention here.
Outside a Keep Our NHS Public picket gave out leaflets to the public and talked to them about the plan’s shortcoming:
- It contains 60 promises which are completely uncosted which NHS England claim will improve healthcare.
- Two-thirds of acute NHS trusts are in the red
- There are 100,000 staff vacancies – there are no plans to address the workforce in the plan
- Cancer waiting times are the worst on record
- A&E is in crisis
- Average waits for GP appointments are up 30% to two weeks
- This government has cut 1,000s of hospital beds
- There are no funds for crumbling buildings and equipment.
OUR NEXT GENERAL MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE ON 29 OCTOBER
GOVERNMENT PUBLIC HEALTH CUTS: LEWISHAM COUNCIL PAUSES CUT TO HEALTH VISITING SERVICES
Government cuts to health visiting services were paused at the Mayor and Cabinet meeting on 12 December while a review takes place of the service in the context of children’s services overall.
Save Lewisham Hospital campaigners petitioned, leafleted and lobbied the Mayor and key Council committees over the consultation on cutting the service. Councillors voiced their own reservations about the cuts to such a vital service for young babies, children and mothers.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
The consultation ended 6 November – thanks to all who filled it out.
Thanks to all who signed our petition.
Since 2010 the government has continued to promote a reduction in hospital beds and to talk about ‘more care in the community’. But at the same time they are slashing the money for community services.
These cuts in Lewisham would reduce vital health visitors and services to young children under 5 years, cut services to adults with substance misuse problems and cut preventive public health services to promote health and wellbeing for Lewisham residents.
We are still campaigning for the Council to join with other councils to oppose these government austerity measures. We will be updating with further information.
Read more…
HALT NEW THREAT OF NHS PRIVATISATION – WHY ICP CONTRACT MUST BE SCRAPPED
NHS England is consulting on a new model of health and social care provision that could see multi billion pound contracts handed over to the private sector to provide services for areas covering up to half a million people for 10-15 years. This is called an Integrated Care Provider (ICP) contract. ICPs were previously called Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs) but the name was changed so that people would not make the connection with ACOs in the United States. ACOs in the USA have a poor record and are associated with denial of care to patients to save money
ICPs present the biggest threat of NHS privatisation ever.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- WATCH the excellent video below
- READ/DOWNLOAD information briefing here
- SIGN the petition here
- FILL OUT NHSE CONSULTATION here. See here for sample answers.
- SHARE with friend and contacts
OUR BUSY SUMMER CELEBRATING NHS 70th BIRTHDAY
Thanks to all those who joined our contingent, who made and carried our giant model birthday cake and banners on the march. Truly heroic in 30 degree temperatures.
Campaigners, staff, patients, the new Labour East MP Janet Daby, gathered outside Lewisham Hospital to celebrate the NHS 70th birthday. It’s also FIVE years this month since Lewisham campaigners, Council and community saved our hospital from closure.
The Save Lewisham Campaign stall at People’s Day on 7 July was visited by 100s of people, including new Lewisham Mayor Damien Egan.
We held a very good public meeting on Mondy 19 June. We showed two films – one about our campaign by Stuart Monro, and one on the founding of the NHS by Rhonda Evans – a link to view this online will shortly be available.
There were very good speeches for Mayor Damien Egan, Ms Bridget A. Sam-Bailey and Doris Smith from the Lewisham Pensioners Forum, Louise Irvine, Lewisham GP and Chair of our Campaign, Nadine Houghton, GMB area convener, and Maggie Palmer, Unite rep and CAMHS mental health worker. Newly elected MP Janet Daby came to the meeting.
NEW CROSS WALK IN CENTRE
THE CCG voted to close the New Cross Walk-in Centre on 11th January.
The Save Lewisham hospital campaign opposed the proposed closure of the New Cross Walk-in Centre based at the Waldron Health Centre. See the CCG’s report and key points from our reply to them here…
THE CCG ANNOUNCED IT WILL DELAY THE CLOSURE UNTIL 31 MARCH
Read the CCG report on the consultation here.
According to the CCG 82% of respondents opposed the closure. Following interventions from the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign and local Councillors, the CCG is therefore delaying the decision for further consideration.
Read more here… about our arguments.
Please read our statement, the CCG reply and our response to their reply
IN MEMORY: STUART MONRO – CAMPAIGNER AND FILM MAKER
Louise Irvine, Chair of our Campaign writes:
It is with great sadness that I write of the loss of one of the most loved and valued members of our campaign.
All of us in the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign are so sorry to have lost Stuart Monro. Stuart was a member of our campaign steering committee since the start and was an inspirational chronicler and promoter of our campaign through his films. He was full of energy and creativity. His wonderful films were central to the success of our campaign. Above all Stuart was a dear friend and will be sadly missed. Our love and deepest condolences to to his partner Charlotte and their daughter Anna.
Read more …
OUR HEALTHIER SOUTH EAST LONDON AGREES TO INCLUDE LEWISHAM HOSPITAL IN PLANS FOR ELECTIVE CARE
Our Healthier South East London has proposed a three site model for elective surgery in SE London which will include Lewisham Hospital, instead of a three site model which would have 99% certainly been Guys and KIngs. Excluding Lewisham would have been a significant blow to Lewisham and Greenwich Trust income and staffing. For the last 18 months campaigners from three boroughs – the Save Lewisham Campaign, Greenwich and Lambeth KONP groups, have campaigned hard on this, with great public scrutiny especially from Labour councillors in Lewisham and Greenwich. OHSEL has listened to the arguments and changed course! To read more about our campaigning and to read OHSEL’s letter, click here.
OUR NHS BIRTHDAY EVENT OUTSIDE LEWISHAM HOSPITAL 5 JULY
GENERAL ELECTION 8 JUNE 2017
Dr Louise Irvine
We’re so proud of Dr Marie-Louise Irvine Lewisham GP and chair of our campaign
She got more than 12,000 votes in SW Surrey – 20% of the vote against the horrible Hunt. This is amazing in a Tory heartland! She has done brilliant work highlighting the Conservatives’ NHS destruction. At the count, Hunt stated by implication that Louise had lied about the NHS. Her reply went viral. Read it here.
Dr Tony O’Sullivan
Tony O’Sullivan, a recently retired paediatrician from Lewisham was in the moving Labour Party Political Broadcast on the NHS, directed by Ken Loach, 3 days before the election.
SHAME ON GREENWICH CCG OVER LATEST NEWS THAT PRIVATE COMPANY CIRCLE IS RUNNING AT A LOSS AND WANTS A BUY OUT!
Greenwich CCG had the sheer nerve to talk in meetings about the ‘financial instability’ of the Lewisham and Greenwich Trust – but it is Circle that is trading at a loss!
We fought hard together with Greenwich KONP and Council against Greenwich CCG awarding a £73m contract to private company Circle which would provenly badly affect Lewisham and Greenwich Trust. Now the Circle Board is urging shareholderx to ACCEPT A TAKEOVER FROM A CITY FIRM because Circle is running at a loss. SHAME, SHAME on the CCG. Read more
WATCH OUR VIDEO ‘OUR CAMPAIGNING YEAR 2016
Click here to join us in the fight to defend Lewisham Hospital and the NHS in 2017!
SOUT
H EAST LONDON STP NOW PUBLISHED
DOWNLOAD HERE
We now have a campaign statement on the published Sustainability and Transformation Plan produced by OHSEL. Read our statement and our full recommendations for SE London here.
CIRCLE CONTRACT: COUNCIL COMMITTEE ORDERS IMPACT ASSESSMENT ON
On Thursday 3 November a special meeting of the Greenwich Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee voted to demand that Greenwich CCG produce an independent impact report on the effects on the local Trusts, especially Lewisham and Greenwich, of giving the £73 million MSK contract contract to discredited private company Circle Read more…
SAVE OUR CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY NURSES SEPTEMBER 2016
Dads, mums, children, nurses, doctors, Lewisham Pensioners Forum and our campaign handing in the petition asking the Mayor and Council to reject proposed cuts to health visiting and school nursing services – a cut overall of 20% in an already depleted service.
Dr Louise Irvine, local GP and campaign chair says:
‘The Government pays lip service to public health while cutting the public health budget by £200 million this year, and 3.5% per year from now on. The transfer of public health to local authorities has been a disaster. The original justification was that local authorities have more influence over the “social determinants of health” and that therefore public health should be in their remit. The justification itself is weak – what real power do local authorities have over the main social determinants of health such as housing and poverty?
OUR SUPPORT FOR OTHER CAMPAIGNS
In the last few weeks we’ve spoken at meetings and supported events in Huntingdon (Hinchingbrooke Hospital), Ealing, Huddersfield and Brighton. Click on the pictures above to visit their websites and read about the fightbngack all over the country.
SUPPORT FOR OUR JUNIOR DOCTORS
This video puts on record the feelings of support from Lewisham patients campaigners and community members. Read and seephotos from ALL strike days and activities here
Previous news and activities
THE LEWISHAM AND GREENWICH NHS CHOIR MADE IT TO NO 1!
Thanks to all our supporters who downloaded Bridge Over You The moment when the NHS Choir were told they’d beaten Justin Bieber to Christmas number one https://www.facebook.com/skynews/videos/1234652823215979/ http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hospital-choirs-victory-over-justin-7070713 Read more…
SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER 2015 Read key speeches and see videos from the conference, see more photos…
POSITIVE NEWS FOR LEWISHAM!
Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group has written to Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust this week giving a very important commitment to the longer term continuation of Lewisham Hospital’s A&E department. This has been done with the full support of OHSEL (Our Healthier South East London – made up of the six CCG Commissioning Strategy Team) and NHS England. The letter states. “[Lewisham CCG confirms] that commissioners expect to need all of south east London’s existing A&E departments, including at Lewisham Hospital. For the avoidance of doubt, we expect the Lewisham A&E Department to remain as an emergency care facility operating 24 hours a day.”
CHARLOTTE MONRO REINSTATED BY BARTS HOSPITAL TRUST! WHAT A VICTORY! Read Charlotte’s statement and Barts Trust statement here 31 March 2015 and the history of her long fight.
COMMUNITY CARE – NEW REPORT PUBLISHED SHOWS DECLINE IN SERVICES Community care is an often almost invisible but vital web of support for the most vulnerable in our society receiving care outside hospital and often in their own homes. The report highlights worrying changes Read more, download the report here
NO OUTSOURCING OUR SERVICES: CAMPAIGN HANDS IN 3600 LETTERS 12 March 2015, a group from the campaign including Lewisham GPs Dr Louise Irvine and Dr Brian Fisher, Lewisham GPs, handed in 3600 letter to government quango Monitor from Lewisham patients requesting Lewisham services remain within the NHS. To read more click here.
SAVE LEWISHAM HOSPITAL CAMPAIGNER GETS QUESTION TO CAMERON In an incredibly stage-managed and biased ‘Leaders debate’ on Sky/Channel 4 with wannabe Tory candidate Jeremy Paxman, Lewisham campaigner Vicky Penner managed to get a question to Cameron on the NHS. Vicky’s question follows a first question, on privatisation. To view click here
A PERSONAL GLIMPSE OF THE US HEALTH SYSTEM A personal and very revealing account from a US citizen now living in the UK. Click here.
STAFFORD HOSPITAL PROTEST CAMP HAS ENDED! WE SALUTE YOU! Since July 18 Support Stafford Hospital campaigners have camped out in the hospital grounds as part of their fight to stop the transfer of services and downgrading of the hospital. The camp was dismantled on Saturday 31 January after campaigners had protested for 197 days. Read more
SAVE LEWISHAM HOSPITAL CAMPAIGN SOLIDARITY WITH GREECE HOSPITAL & CLINIC Louise Irvine took part in a 3 day intensive investigation with a British delegation of conditions in the Greek health service. See a video of her talking about the delegation here. Since then the campaign has voted to begin solidarity actions on behalf of the Greek health services.
UP TO 20,000 PEOPLE GATHERED TO MEET THE DARLO MUMS AND THE 999 PEOPLE’S MARCH FOR THE NHS. The People’s March for the NHS followed the historic footsteps of the Jarrow Crusade. See photos and links and read more…
NHS ARTICLES – KEEP YOURSELF INFORMED Do you have an article to recommend? Let us know. Have you read Allyson Pollock’s report on PFI in South London? Read more...
LEWISHAM PEOPLE’S COMMISSION DVD AND REPORT NOW OUT AND AVAILABLE TO BUY ON LINE Published 27 November the full report of the evidence submitted by clinicians, patients and the community to the Commission in June 2013 Click here to download report or buy report and video
LEWISHAM AND GREENWICH TRUST DECIDES AGAINST SERCO! The Save Lewisham hospital Campaign is delighted that following lobbying from our and other SE London campaigns Lewisham & Greenwich Trust (LGT) has against a contract with SERCO Click here to read statement from hospital and more information.
WE SUPPORT OTHER CAMPAIGNS The Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign supports other campaigns in their fights against cuts and closures. Read more…
WE WON THE APPEAL 29 OCTOBER 2013 Click here to see press coverage
Click here to read Day 1 court report and more about our legal case and the Appeal Click below to revisit some of our campaign history
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