management put back' -administrator on the help everyone here.' post, have heard newly-installed health closure surprise.
St John's Lewisham which will be - comment from Lewisham's district health planned closure of St John's Hospital. He should tell that to William Black, who had Just had a hernia op and was sitting out in the sun on the day Socialist Challenge paid a visit.
'I couldn't have waited any longer,' he says. 'Close this hospital? I'm totally opposed to it. It's different to other places you go in — much more personal, you're not just one of a number. Everybody seems to want to Dave Bloom and John Cox couldn't agree more.
Both gardeners and trade union activists (John is a steward for COHSE), they are in no doubt that the closure of St John's would mean patients having to join already lengthy queues for health care elsewhere.
With iwo of the hospital's wards 'temporarily"
closed a few years ago, and never re-opened, health commissioners considered that closing the remaining two will not meet a mountain of opposition. They are likely to be in for a leafleting, has been called by the Campaign Cuts, which is no mean campaign. model Malcolm Richardson, who is on as delegate Lewisham and / Deptford: Trades small, but for Besides, the abortions.
trade unionists.' the probably Council, and is no stranger to f campaigns, suggests that it is the very of what such campaign shorld he although that isn't his precise phrase.
A brief history: When the AHA Already the staff have voted to work-in from 1 October, and the porters have resolved to move nothing out of the building. St John's, with its 74 beds, might be its staff and beautiful, not least because of the spacious gardens.
hospital treated • over out-patients in July, and it is one of the few to do 'Everyone wàs dumbfounded at the news of the closure,' says John Cox, 'although I've been expecting it since I came here 30 years ago. But we're a very small unit, so we have to get support from other hospitals and "And that's starting to come,' adds Dave Bloom. "Through the meetings of the local and area campaigns we're making contacts. Elliott Automation with 2,000 workers is across the road, and they're sending over a deputation of stewards to see us. And then there's the demonstration on 29 September. From being a quie backwater, all this has sprung up in a few days."
was suspended last month, Rushey Party held a public meeting people turned up, health workers and unionists. They decided to launch a NURSES and pensioners were among those who picketed last Friday's AHA meeting North by the authority's finance sub-committee but pres sure from health workers and the community persuaded the AHA meeting on Friday to continue its rather than take an immediate decipatients that means thousand by health demonstrations leaders.
commissioners' well Fields ward of Lewisham Labour - 35| St Albans many of them Lambeth, • local C in NO. after Camder Labour I councillor Derel God- passed, frey put forward a motion opposing all cuts in gervices demanding full information the administration, and stating that there had to be know - now and SWP who are agreement on the policies required. A meeting of the area-wide campaign last Friday, attended by 150 people, unanimously called for:
Opposition to all health cuts; more money and resources for the health service; the reinstatement of area health authority members, and no co-operation with the commissioners; full support for any action taken The campaign further committed itself to any action needed by way of lobbying, leafleting, and the like, reverse the cuts. It has also called for support from the labour movement The 29 September march defend St John's Hospital is the first initiative. It won't be the last, because the next hospitals line for the bulldozers are: St Olaves, St Giles, Belgrave..
*The demonstration leaves Lady.
adjacent to Ladywell Station, at 11am, Saturday 29 Sept.
*A conference to discuss now to fight the cuts is to be held by the Lambeth, Southwark, and Lewisham campaiga on 10 November, at 11am, Hall, Penton Place, SE17. Details from th campaign secretary, Janet Maguire, tel. 01-407 7600 ext 3164.
these proposals could lead to the sus pension of the AHA. |IS your community taking the curs lying cownt ll not, let Socialist Challenge . Socialist Challenge 13 September 1979 Page 5