Goodbye hospital?

In our town we are involved at present in fighting to prevent the closure of the Royal Surrey County Hospital. The initial rumour was that only the A&E would shut, but now we are in a stand off. It is either us or St. Peter’s at Chertsey. But why should either close?

As we travelled recently we passed a campaign march in Westbury, Wiltshire, and many other areas of the country are threatened with similar hospital closures. What is going on?

Writing to the Health Secretary only produces an astonishing ‘couldn’t-care-less’ reply: ‘It’s nothing to do with us, decisions are to be taken locally.’ Hospital managers argue that a slimmed down system will be more efficient — but no one believes them. Local doctors have commented that there are problems in the way budgets are calculated. Middle-class areas tend to be populated by more health-conscious people who use hospital facilities more. Then hospital trusts are told ‘If such and such a hospital in this (working class) area can keep to budget, why can’t you?’