A twitter hashtag, #thankslewisham has started, which allows people to say a message of thanks for care they received at Lewisham. The responses over the first 48 hours were so moving that they have been copied here, so non-twitter users can see what Lewisham Hospital means to people.
Why not join in? Tweet your #thankslewisham message to @SaveLewishamAE or post your messages/stories in the comments section below.
Lewisham Hospital is a well respected, well managed teaching hospital and has been for many years now. So, bearing this in mind, it is absolute madness to close a recently refurbished A+E department and Maternity Services when it is actually QE2 and PRUH hospitals which are the ones that are badly managed hospitals. The hospitals surrounding Lewisham do not have the capacity to deal with the patients if it is closed, remembering that Queen Mary’s Hospital Sidcup has also been downgraded and lost its Emergency and Acute Medical Services. Also remember that Lewisham Hospital is an important place for excellent teaching and training and Medical Education for many doctors, nurses and health care professionals. I am an old GKT (Kings College) Graduate and am now working as a GP in Bexley, so this potential closure will have a knock-on effect to all our patients. It is really disheartening that local health care professionals have largely been ignored in the consultation process; if the Government goes ahead with this proposed plan, we will have totally lost faith in Justice, let alone the future of the NHS.
We can’t believe that, the plan to close Lewisham a&e dept and other services
Recently our 13 yr old son, was taken ill and was seen at urgent care then fast tracked into A&E at Lewisham, at 11,30 am by 4pm he was in surgery having his appendix out…
The treatment that was given to our son, by the nursing staff and drs was of such a high standard,
If Lewisham Hospital wasn’t there things may have ended so differently…..
It is unbeliverable to think, Lewisham is not in the red, but we the public, have to loose such a wonderfully hospital , caring staff, all because the other trust are in the red… And clearly over stretched and can’t cope with the resources that they already have and can’t cope…
How on earth are they expected to cope with all of Lewishams patients… Putting the NHS to breaking point,,,
We will join the rest of Lewisham and protest on the 26th jan 2013…
Karen & Luke Fleming
Yes Lewisham is a good hospital. Please don’t believe that QEH and PR Hospitals are ‘badly managed’ though – QEH is my local hospital, and the problem is the private finance initiative ‘debt’ NOT bad management. Of the South London Trust’s reported deficit of £74 million per year, £69 million is made up of interest payments to private investors. We need to point the finger where it belongs – at these privatisation by the back door schemes, not at our fellows struggling to keep All of our Heath Service public.
As a resident of Lewisham, and the mother of someone whose life was saved by the Accident & Emergency Staff of Lewisham Hospital, I make this simple plea: kindly leave Lewisham Hospital alone. Like K and L Fleming, one evening a couple of years ago, my son also had a dire emergency, and undoubtedly the prompt professional service he received in A&E, saved his life. However, having the hospital within a reasonable distance was the real clincher. I’m scared to even imagine what would’ve happened had we had to travel any further than we had to that evening. So if people like my son run into medical difficulty and actually die because they couldn’t get to a hospital on time, that’s just one of things, or what?
It’s always down to some strange mixture of cash and politics, but things always seem to work out for some: bankers being compensated for failure, more than enough funds available for MPs’ expenses, but somehow a hospital that serves thousands so well, should be threatened in this way. I wonder if Jeremy Hunt, MP & Co have any idea how much despair and anguish they’re causing with these threats.
On the day of the demonstration, the Government spits in our faces by announcing an ADDIONAL £21M for Syrian aid. That’s a total of £90M so far – how warm and fluffy do they think that makes us feel when our A&E is being closed?
I understand that savings need to be made, but that need does not mean bad decisions should be made that potentially risk lives. I suggest you look for other ways to make savings as Lewisham residents cannot do without the hospital’s services. Also, to make cuts to a hospital that is effective, does not have a huge overspend and has recently been refurbished seems bizarre. I have personal experience of the importance of Lewisham’s A&E and maternity services. Both our children were born in Lewisham hospital. My first child was born by emergency c-section. There were no indications that there would be any problems in labour, but during the second stage of labour she turned awkwardly and got stuck. Attempts were made to turn her, but in the end she had to be born by c-section. If I had had to travel to a neighbouring hospital (particularly during rush hour) I doubt that she would be with us today. To downgrade Lewisham A&E and maternity service would leave a huge gap in hospital provision in South-east London and is dangerous. Find savings elsewhere.
I am a Consultant Paediatrician now working in Scotland, but count my experience as a junior doctor in Lewisham A+E in 1999/2000 as some of the best training and experience that I gained anywhere in my career.
Don, thanks very much for your message -I will pass it on to the hospital. You will be pleased to know that we are fighting on together with the hospital – and that we looking right now into a judicial review of the TSA process and report. You can see from all the letters from clinicians and other groups on the website how evidence was simply ignored. You might be interested in the correspondence around Sir Bruce Keogh – look under the Latest tab on the site. If you want to feel the spirit of Lewisham you could even buy our single – see the rap item also under the latest tab – with a special spoken version by A and E consultant Chidi Edimofo. The community and hospital has put every fibre of its being into this – but we still need to do more – so it’s great to have your support from Scotland.
Olivia for SLHC