Save Our Hospitals Campaign Holds Meeting on Friday
Last chance to quiz NHS bosses at Phoenix High School
The Save our Hospitals Campaign has organised a meeting at 7.30pm on Friday September 28 at Phoenix High School in Shepherd's Bush.
Attendees will have the chance to hear medical experts put their arguments for and against the hospital closures and the opportunity to put their own questions to them.
Campaign organisers say this will be the last chance to ask the NHS directly why they want to close the A &E units at both Charing Cross and Hammersmith Hospitals before the consultation ends on October 8 and urge people not to miss the chance - come along and make sure your voice gets heard.
The evening will be chaired by Victoria McDonald, the Health and Social Care Correspondent for Channel 4 TV.
The panellists, who will speak briefly about the proposals before the floor is opened to audience questions, which will form the main part of the evening, will be:
Nominated by the NHS: Mark Spencer, GP and Medical Director for the Shaping a healthier future programme; Tim Spicer, GP and Chair of the Hammersmith and Fulham Clinical Commissioning Group; Susan Labrooy, Medical Director at Hillingdon Hospital and Medical Director for the Shaping a healthier future programme; Daniel Elkeles, Director of Strategy, NHS North West London.
Nominated by Save our Hospitals: Dr John Lister, of London Health Emergency; Jenny Vaughan, Local Hospital Consultant; Dr David Wingfield, Hammersmith GP.
Also present will be Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Secretary of Save our Hospitals campaign; Carlo Nero, Chair of Save our Hospitals campaign; Cllr Marcus Ginn, Cabinet Member for Community Care, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham; Cllr Stephen Cowan, Leader of the Opposition, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.
You are invited to submit questions on the door or by email to: campaign@saveourhospitals.
Please put "Question Time" as your subject line in your email.
DOORS OPEN 6.30pm, Main Session 7pm - 9pm
Phoenix High School is at The Curve, Shepherd's Bush W12 0RQ. There is a map of its location here.
This meeting follows another, held on September 18 by Hammersmith and Fulham Council at Hammersmith Town Hall, attended by 500 people, many chanting "Save our hospitals" and the council’s cabinet member for community care, Cllr Marcus Ginn, wheeled a stretcher loaded with a petition signed by 22,000 people opposed to the downgrade of local hospitals out of an ambulance.
You see see a video of this public meeting here.
H&F Council has also been running a campaign against the proposals – joined by a broad coalition of politicians, businesses and residents from a range of backgrounds – and has warned that local people will be left dangerously far away from emergency care out of borough, if the NHS plans go ahead.
You can add your signature to the council's petitions at Save Charing Cross and Save Hammersmith.
A group which includes residents and Hammersmith MP Andy Slaughter has launched a separate campaign, Save Hammersmith and Fulham Hospitals, with a website , its own twitter hashtag #SaveHFNHS and an independent petition which aims to get 10,000 signatures.
The NHS Consultation, Shaping a Healthier Future lasts until October 8 and you can respond to the consultation online or request a full copy of the consultation document by emailing consultation@nw.london.nhs.uk, calling freephone number 0800 881 5209 or writing to FREEPOST SHAPING A HEALTHIER FUTURE CONSULTATION (This must be written in capital letters and on one line. You will not need a stamp.)
August 30, 2012
