Epsom Hospital Update
Fight the Closure of Maternity June 2007
The Epsom and St Helier Trust has taken the decision to close Epsom Hospital's maternity department and transfer all inpatient services to St Helier. The decision has to be ratified after a public consultation this autumn.
The Trust is basing its decision on false claims about the safety rules that apply to Epsom Hospital, argues local MP Chris Grayling. "Epsom's maternity unit conforms to all the latest guidance from both the Government and the Royal College that sets professional standards for maternity care," he says.
The Epsom Hospital Campaign is planning a series of protest events to get the NHS to change its mind. On Monday 9 July, there will be a protest outside St Helier Hospital at 9.30am to mark the first day at work of the Trust's new chief executive. "We want to make sure she is fully aware of the strength of feeling in this area about the maternity service," says Chris. Please email John Bland, one of the campaign team, at johnkbland@hotmail.com for further details. If you cannot be there, please write to her, posting the letter on Friday 6 July to arrive on her first day at the trust. The address is; Samantha Jones, Chief Executive, Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust, Wrythe Lane, Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 1AA.
On 14 July the campaign is holding another day of action at the hospital. "We will be laying flowers outside the hospital in tribute to the work of the staff there," says Chris, "and we want as many people as possible to come to from a walking human chain around the hospital site." The event will start in Rosebery Park at 10.30am; please email Chris at graylingc@parliament.uk if you have any questions.
