Cuts won’t go away

Published: 2 April 2010

ON Saturday, the Daily Telegraph revealed that “internal NHS documents” show that health chiefs in London are planning major cutbacks to meet a £5billion shortfall. On Monday, The Guardian published a letter from the presidents of the surgical associations warning that cuts in procedures are already under way. 

The government tells us that front-line services will be maintained. Clearly, this is open to doubt but we won’t be told until after the election. The threat to close our A&E and maternity departments shows that NHS bosses are already looking at cuts in local front-line services.

Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling’s talk of efficiency savings is nothing more than a smokescreen to hide the extent of the cuts we face. We’re going to have to make a hell of a stink if we’re going to save services at the Whittington.

Richard Rosser
Highbury New Park, N5 

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IN the run-up to the general election it is important that readers should not be lulled into a false sense of security by the words of health minister Mike O’Brien on the future of the Whittington. He said he would “want to see strong clinical evidence for any change to the status of the Whittington” and that he would “want to hear the case for closing [Whittington A&E] during the next Parliament”. That is now being trumpeted by local Labour politicians as evidence that their government will save the Whittington. 

Unfortunately, it is evidence of exactly the opposite. The Department of Health’s instruction to NHS London requires it to set out the clinical evidence for closing A&E (and other) departments across London. That is in order to implement this government’s policy of “localised services where possible, and centralised services where it is necessary”. Translation: GPs and nurses in privately-run polyclinics replacing local hospital A&E departments.

It is absolutely clear we cannot rely on Mr O’Brien to save the Whittington. This week, Green Party leader Caroline Lucas became the first leader of a national political party to give a commitment to save the Whittington A&E and maternity units. Will Gordon Brown (and David Cameron) make the same cast-iron pledge?

Emma Dixon
Green Party prospective parliamentary candidate, Islington North 

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IT is interesting how the proposed closure of accident and emergency, maternity, trauma and paediatric services has caused such a stir at election time. 

Defend the Whittington Hospital Coalition is a strictly non-party-political campaign. Our position is one that opposes cuts and privatisation at the Whittington and all other health services in north London, and that unites the users of the health service with those who work within it. It is great that people from across the political spectrum support these aims, which go beyond just the closure of the Whittington.

We hope that after the election political parties and their leaders will maintain their support for our campaign. That is why we are continuing to have a high profile and are organising a day of action on April 29, with a rally outside the hospital between noon and 2pm, and stunts in workplaces and residential streets. More mass activity is planned for the summer.

We hope everyone will try to think of a way they can support the day of action and let us know what you do. 

Shirley Franklin
Joint chair, Defend the Whittington Hospital Coalition
defendwhittington@gmail.com 
www.dwhc.org.uk