26 February 2014 — OurNHS   

Fight to protect your local hospital from fast-track closure! A day of action in London on Thursday 27th February.

Please join us in Westminster tomorrow (Thursday 27th February) for a day of protest against the Hospital Closure Clause (Clause 119).

The Clause allows fast-track hospital closures to be imposed by the Health Secretary regardless of local wishes. Closures could happen in as little as 40 days, regardless of how well hospitals are performing. They tried and failed to close Lewisham A&E and maternity in this way – but now they want to legalise this fast-track closure everywhere else in the country.

Come together with campaigners from across the country, let your voice be heard, and and hear speakers including:

Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham MP

Michael Mansfield QC

Louise Irvine from Save Lewisham Hospital and National Health Action Party

Kailash Chand Deputy Chair of the British Medical Association

Lord Phil Hunt

Caroline Lucas MP

Dr Wendy Savage of Keep Our NHS Public

Dr David Wrigley,BMA

Caroline Molloy, Editor of OurNHS

and more

Join us in Whitehall at 10.30 am when our 150,000-strong petition is presented at No10 Downing St.

Then we will rally from 11.30am on College Green (opposite the Houses of Parliament) before going into parliament. 

If you contact your MP in advance saying you’d like to lobby them, you can join us when we go into parliament for the main speeches. 

Everyone is welcome to the petition hand-in and rally.

If you can”t make it down to London on Thursday but want to make your views known, more information and sample letters are here. 

The clause (part of the Care Bill) is due to be voted on finally in a couple of weeks.

Hope to see you tomorrow – we must speak out now to protect our hospitals.