I took part in the last campaign to save Lewisham Hospital and I'll join the march, but I think the Labour politicians on the bandwagon should hang their heads in shame and apologise for the PFI system they brought in under Bliar. People like Tory-lite Dowd in particular have a lot to answer for.

Hasn't the minor injuries unit at Guys closed? As far as I am aware they don't have an urgent care centre - but I'm quite happy to be proved wrong.

My guess is that they are looking at how to serve a large population 'most efficiently' with less hospitals to try and recover some of the money overpaid in PFI costs. Are the people of Woolwich further away from any other A&E?

However, that doesn't over come the fact that we would appear to be very badly served by these proposed changes. As came up in the consultation last year the maternity unit at Lewisham is full to capacity and much needed - so I don't see how closing that will help anyone except the administrators?

in relation to the question above about how you would know whether to go to A&E or an urgent care centre - I suspect in many cases you'd be more likely to be in an ambulance going to A&E? And from experience of going to Guys minor injury unit, rather than A&E at St Thomas' - the queues and waiting time at Guys were always considerably shorter and if in doubt that's where I'd go.

Satchers - I've used been to Lewisham A&E with my son five times. Each time we went ourselves (I'm not an overprotective mother, by the way, taking him to A&E for a sniffle. Each time was for an injury that involved x-rays, crutches, slings, stitches etc.). No hospital stays required.

The only time a member of my family arrived by ambulance was when my OH came off his bike and broke his collar bone. Still no hospital stay required.

I wonder if there are statistics to show that if you can get there on your own, you are more likely to need 'urgent' care than 'emergency' care. With our pattern of use in the past 15 years, my family would not be disadvantaged by the A&E changing to an 'urgent' care unit. But that is because we have used it for treating injuries and not illness. I worry about patients being misdirected and shuttled around South London when speed of treatment is of the essence.

The 185 bus timetable states that my journey to King's College Hospital A&E would take 40 minutes. A long time to wait for emergency treatment!

I am very concerned, saddened and worried about this as I know that the hospital/community I work for and the patients and other people that I meet, get to know and help, throughout my shifts at Lewisham Hospital (and others I will not if it happens) WILL suffer if these closures and cuts go ahead. This includes family/friends of patients PLUS other staff members/colleagues, in many departments.
I joined the NHS as a HCA (Health Care Assistant) to (hopefully) make a difference (as did/do, many others)
I love my "job" and really care about the people who come through my ward/hospital.

If the Lewisham Hospital A&E and other much needed services are closed (through NO fault of their/our own) it will be devastating!

PLEASE sign the petition and let everyone know about it!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/lewisham-hospital/

SAVE the services at Lewisham Hospital that are under threat!
http://www.tsa.nhs.uk/news/press-release...tober-2012

Thank you

Sue (a proud member of Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust)

Great post Sue

Hear hear! A great post.
And many thanks for the petition link

I have posted this on another site and have slightly cropped it due to non-relevant answers.

Thank you to those who have signed the petition and talked about this issue to others
All I can say, in reply to various enquiries, at this time is, it IS VERY SERIOUS!
There are very strong implications to all of this and no time to talk about all of this now, even if I could.
What doesn't seem obvious right now, thinking just of the initial impact of the closing down/re-organisation/relocating of these services, and the "logic" behind what has been put across as the "good reasons" why they have to happen, is that they will have a knock on and far greater effect!
Time is running out - only 6 weeks from today, for the consultation.

Lewisham, Kings & all other hospitals are struggling daily anyway & the proposed plans will make the situation even worse!
The Ward I work on in Lewisham Hospital is always packed, as are most others. We get (mostly) admissions from A&E. Some of these stay a minimum of 1 day, many for days more. Some stay weeks. For good reason. With the proposed changes, will my ward and others remain?
So much will, could and would be affected though that, it will be a disaster for the people who DO need NOW & who WILL need, IN THE FUTURE, these services - ALSO; family, friends, workers and many more WILL be affected.

We, as a Community, MUST act NOW!!!

The PETITION needs to be signed NOW!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/lewisham-hospital/
The LEAFLETS/FLYERS & POSTERS http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/coll...-leaflets/ etc. need to be printed out & placed/distributed so that they are seen by the people of Lewisham (and elsewhere) to make everyone aware, NOW!!
and MEETINGS etc. http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/take-action/ need to be attended, by everyone who cares & MP's & others need to be contacted NOW!!!
TELL the Trust Special Administrator Matthew Kershaw what you think via e-mail slh.matthewkershaw@nhs.net
.............. PLEASE help to try to stop this going ahead!!! :!:

I posted this earlier, on a campaign site, so will copy it here, in the hope that it will have some effect:-

As a devoted & concerned member of staff at Lewisham Hospital & also a Lewisham Borough
resident, I am extremely saddened and worried about this issue. I am following the campaign
daily and have signed the petition and am spreading the word, verbally & electronically.

I am willing to hand out leaflets at Forest Hill train station but do not have a printer and
am not able to get to a pick up point until at least Monday.
If anyone (local to me - SE23) has one and would be able to provide me with copies of campaign literature, I would be most grateful. I'd happily pay something for paper & cartridges but obviously, many MANY will be needed & I cannot afford to get 1000's done at a Printers or Internet Cafe
I would also be interested in hearing from fellow Forest Hill residents who would like to
join me in leafleting at FH station on Monday and Tuesday morning & evening next week.

Replies to this post will reach me at my e-mail address. THANK YOU in advance, for any help!
Please SIGN THE PETITION, spread the word and Save Lewisham A&E & other essential services!

Sue (proud HCA - Healthcare Assistant - working for Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust and it's
wonderful people/community!)

I am up for leafleting if you need an extra pair of hands. PM me!

Hi Sue

I have just signed the petition and have been talking to my customers about this post after chatting to you. As I said if you have any flyers please pop them in.

Sue I'll ask nearby shop keepers if they can help out with the use of a printer tomorrow and get back to you. My own printer has recently broken so I'm not able to help. Sorry!

Pico, thank you so much for your offer of help
I'll be in touch tomorrow night (sorry, worked 12 hour shift today and will do the same tomorrow, so unable to post until now).
I plan to go to FH station on Monday, dependant on if I have leaflets in my hand tomorrow night. Not sure of time as yet. I plan to do the same on Tuesday also. Possibly Friday as well.
Michael from FHS has offered me some leaflets and I am hoping I can collect them tomorrow night - favours asked of him and others within the community for this to happen. Oh what a great community!
I'll pick up more leaflets from somewhere else, sometime, on Monday, for Tuesday.

I'll PM you and post back here again, tomorrow night (around 10pm)

Regards
Sue



PS Thank you Pauline (Sugar Mountain) Michael (FHS) and Goo (aka Gulan - sorry if mispelt - (For Your Eyes Only) and also thanks to EVERYONE who has signed the Petition

Sue

Thanks for your posts. I will print out some flyers and put them them around and about. Do you think the local doctors surgeries will take them?

Everyone I know is completely horrified by this proposal, and it is especially frustrating when Lewisham Hospital was balancing its books and yet the hospital and residents are being penalised for mismanagament elsewhere in the NHS.

I have young children, I have fortunately only had to go to Lewisham Children's A&E once and the staff there were fantastic. It was a very stressful journey getting there and the thought of having to travel with hurt/sick children to Kings or Woolwich for A&E is horrendous.

The other thing that makes me really mad is that the government has just wasted about £40m on the West Coast Mainline bid fiasco (having to reimburse the companies involved because of mistakes made by DoT).... Yet here we are with our busy, thriving and recently refurbished hospital units being threatened with closure to save £17m.... what a total mess.

Hi,
I just want to apologise for my disappearance from the thread within the past week.
Unfortunately I have not been feeling well for a few weeks and now am off work with a chest infection which has made me unable to go leaflet
So sorry for not replying to thread posts and PM's but I am following it and the campaign, daily!
I could not go to the meeting on Thursday, obviously, but have been reading about it, all over the place, and am truly heartened by the turn-out of the public/concerned people and, where and when possible, I will continue to play a part and hope that our voices will be listened to.
Time is running out to put "our case" so please, please, continue to spread the word and do what you can to get our voices heard!

Some links:-


THE PETITION:-
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/lewisham-hospital/
Over 10,000 signatures to date
We need MORE! PLEASE SIGN if you have not already!

GENERAL INFORMATION & WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? -
http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/

LEWISHAM HOSPITAL:-
http://www.lewisham.nhs.uk/news/latest_n...tions.aspx

TWITTER LINK for THE CAMPAIGN:-
http://twitter.com/savelewishamae

FACEBOOK LINK for THE CAMPAIGN:-
https://www.facebook.com/SaveLewishamAe

THE TSA RECOMMENDATIONS:-
http://www.tsa.nhs.uk/news/press-release...tober-2012

TSA DOCUMENTS:-
http://www.tsa.nhs.uk/document-downloads


NEWSSHOPPER ARTICLE:-
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/100382..._building/

SOUTH LONDON PRESS ARTICLE:-
http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/News.c...0says%20GP

Regards
Sue

Another link, to a picture of a map.
http://flic.kr/p/ds8Pxy
Lewisham Hospital but, not as we know it, now

Signed the petition and linked it to my Facebook page - took all of 30 seconds.

There is also a Facebook Causes page specifically about the Maternity Services closure.

http://www.causes.com/causes/800852-save...uth-london

This is an interesting article to read.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/336225

The following quote struck me as I live near the South Circular - it seems these changes are going to affect Forest Hill residents the most.

"AB: Another scenario, someone has a heart attack, stroke or something like that, how much will this add in journey time from particular places?
IW: That depends where they are, and to which hospital the victim is taken. The draft report has done some calculations, but these don’t factor in the possibility that an A&E is full and putting patients on divert. The worst place to be would be South Lewisham, so that’s the South Circular."

I have worked out the following, using Google maps, that the nearest hospitals to me are as follows: (the timings are by car, according to Google Maps, and are without traffic jams obviously)

To Lewisham Hospital - 1.7 miles / approx 4 mins
To Kings Hospital - 4 miles / approx 12 mins
To QEH - 6.6 miles / approx 15 mins
To St Thomas' - 7.4 miles / approx 21 mins
To Princess Royal Farnborough - 8.5 miles - approx 25 mins

This will make a huge difference to the time it will take to get to hospital and I have a car - I dread to think what the impact will be on those who will have to use public transport to get to A&E.

Hi all,
Great turnout of concerned people on Thursday night but please can we keep pushing the Campaign?
Sign the petition & print out/pick up leaflets and distribute them. Attend the upcoming meetings and demonstrations. Tell everyone you know! Time is running out - 13th December deadline for the Public Consultation.
Some people are saying "it's hopeless! They have made up their minds already" BUT maybe, just maybe, this once, our voices will be heard?
I HOPE SO! If not, people WILL die! It's very scary!!!
Please forget the politics for now!
Lewisham Borough residents (& those beyond) need these services to stay open! Other hospitals will NOT cope!

http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/

Thank you so much!
Sue a Lewisham Resident & Hospital Worker

Some more useful links

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/41027


http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/lewisham-hospital/


http://www.writetothem.com/