Today is the 63rd anniversary of the founding of the NHS, and it's even more important to mark the birthday of Britain's most popular institution this year, as we face the potential dismantling of the NHS in the form of Andrew Lansley's Health and Social Care Bill.
The NHS is working: Public satisfaction with the NHS is at an all-time high. Doctors, nurses, midwives, support staff, patients groups and more have all spoken out about the dangers of these changes. All Together for the NHS is a joint campaign co-ordinated by the TUC, bringing together unions and campaigners from across the health sector. Please visit the campaign site here.
Also, once again, our local NHS Hospital faces threats. Many local trade unionists marched and demonstrated to oppose plans to close consultant-led maternity services and accident and emergency at Eastbourne DGH. After a long battle which received support from across the political parties, the local NHS Trust was forced to abandon these plans in 2008.
However, a recent report from the Care and Quality Commission was critical of standards at the hospital. Could this be used by the Trust management as an excuse to bring back old cuts proposals ?
Back in March, the Save the DGH Campaign warned that they had learned of plans to “temporarily” close maternity services at Eastbourne, and that staff had been threatened with disciplinary action if the news was leaked (…to the ordinary people who pay for it !) Meanwhile, less than three years after their last plans for closure were slapped down by the then Secretary of State Alan Johnson, the Trust bosses are undertaking another “review” of maternity services. Stephen Lloyd, MP for Eastbourne has written to the current Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, urging him to intervene to halt the review.
You can read more about the campaign to protect hospital service in Eastbourne by visiting the Save the DGH site here.
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