Support Stafford Hospital

STAFFORD HOSPITAL PROTEST CAMP HAS ENDED! WE SALUTE YOU!
Hundreds of supporters have camped outside County Hospital since July 18 as part of the fight to stop the transfer of services and downgrading of the hospital. The camp was dismantled on Saturday 31 January after campaigners had protested at the hospital on Weston Road for 197 days. Services have already moved from Stafford to Royal Stoke University Hospital, including consultant-led maternity but campaigners insist they are not finished fighting.

More than 20 hospital supporters are running in the May borough council local elections as independent candidates. The protest camp has moved off the site, into offices in Eastgate Street to focus on the election campaign. Campaigner Julian Porter said the campsite had kept the protest in the public eye but the focus was now the election. He said: “We now have to fight the government from our new offices. This is our next step. We have a strong direction and target to move forward with.”

Founder member of Support Stafford Hospital Cheryl Porter added: “The camp is a wonderful symbol to show what people will do to save their services. Sadly our voice has still not been heard or listened to and that is criminal. We are still being ignored b y the people we put in power. Our new offices are for people to stand up and try and make a difference.”

Protestor Gill Weaver, 59, was part of been with the campsite since day one and said: “Stafford needs acute services, we are a growing town and lives are going to be lost. The camp is going but the fight is not stopping.”

OUR CHRISTMAS VISIT TO STAFFORD HOSPITAL PROTEST CAMP
A group of us visited the camp on 19 December. As well as mince pies and mulled wine we had a full update on issues at the hospital. At present maternity and children’s services are due to close in early Janua raising real issues of lack of choice and dangers for mothers in Stafford. A&E services are now closed at night. The aim is to reduce A&E services and yet ambulances are queuing at the North Stafford hospital and being diverted to Stafford! – now renamed ‘County Hospital’. The campers show real strength and determination. There is a way to go and they won’t give up the fight.

Pictures from our visit

SUPPORT STAFFORD HOSPITAL CAMP STILL THERE IN FREEZING TEMPERATURE

The protest camp and campaign still continues in earnest following the merger of the Stafford Hospital with University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS). We feel we are in a crisis situation as no risk impact assessments have been undertaken for the downgrading and transfer of essential services, fully operating A&E, acute, maternity and paediatrics, yet they are still rapidly progressing the transfer of these vital services within months when even the administration process recommended 2-3 years. Despite our warnings over several months now that there is no capacity at A&E in many of the major surrounding hospitals with UHNS regularly breaching the 4 and 12 hour waiting times and ambulances routinely being redirected to A&E in Stafford Hospital, the government in their wisdom have decided to throw an extra £5.5 million to support UHNS in Stoke rather than admit they have got it wrong and that Stafford Hospital is providing an essential back up service. So to date, the government in its desperation to push through it policy of reducing services at Stafford Hospital have now spent at least an amazing £365 million to combat an original £9 million deficit at Stafford Hospital.

We continue to fight in Stafford as we know that with the near collapse of the ambulance services, no risk impact assessments, no funding given to community services, ultimately we know that people’s and children’s lives are being put at risk – sadly it seems we will be monitoring for deaths in the future as we head towards this impending disaster!

Karen Howell

SAVE LEWISHAM HOSPITAL CAMPAIGN SUPPORTS STAFFORD HOSPITAL PROTEST CAMP

One month on and the message from the #OccupySSH protesters at Stafford Hospital is clear, “We are here for as long as it
takes”. See ITV news video below:
http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2014-08-15/campaigners-fight-to-keep-stafford-hospital-services/

SLH supporters visited the Stafford Hospital protest camp again on 9 August to give our solidarity.
The camp continues to grow and is being visited by campaigns from across the country.
Click here to see video interview with two of the campaign leader.

Two groups of Save Lewisham Hospital campaigners visited the camp on 26/27 July. Click here to see more photos.

kitchen

Staffordshire Hospital is subject to the same TSA procedure that applied in South London Healthcare NHS Trust and which Matthew Kershaw attempted to use on Lewisham. They are waiting for the result of an appeal on their judicial review on Wednesday 31 July.

Click here to visit their new website

They face the imminent closure of all acute services at their hospital in the next few months, leaving a population of 320,000 people to travel 20 miles for services.

They have there decided to camp in protest in the grounds of the hospital. SLH campaigners visited this weekend – here are some photos of an amazing camp which already has a fully functioning kitchen, about 30 tents, toilets, and most importantly they are receiving food and drink almost hourly from the local community.

If you can support them please go up there.