Archive

Archive for the ‘Campaign Updates’ Category

Press Coverage and a Public Meeting

February 19th, 2010 5 comments

First up, The Camden New Journal and Islington Tribune ran a large feature about the campaign, including more celebrity support and background to the plans for our A&E and focusing on the uncertainty these plans have created for staff at the Whittington:

FEAR and uncertainty over the future of Whittington Hospital could spark a mass exodus of specialist staff, union leaders have warned.

Unison’s national head of health, Karen Jennings, said proposals to close down the Whittington’s accident and emergency department had left a dark cloud over the Highgate hospital.

She said A&E staff were “afraid” and “intimidated” and that hundreds of jobs will be axed if the casualty section is closed. Read more…

Campaign Update from Shirley Franklin, DWHC Joint Chair

February 16th, 2010 1 comment

Hi everyone,

The day of the demo looms closer so most of our activity is focusing on making it as much of a spectacle as possible.

Please note the *new route *- Assemble at *Highbury Corner at 12*, not Highbury Fields – and it will go to the front of the hospital in Magdala Avenue. Islington Tribune have hired a bus that will go ahead of the march – regs, I’m afraid.

*Mass leafleting* at Holloway Road, by Morrisons entrance *11.30 on Saturday 20th *February.

Please leaflet wherever you can and also use the petitions in hard copy and on line. You can use this leaflet for yours and others’ windows, in addition to the fab info and posters in last week’s Islington Tribune. Look forward to seeing you at the above events – especially the demonstration!

Shirley Franklin,

Joint Chair of Defend the Whittington Hospital Coalition

Cavalcade

February 13th, 2010 No comments

OK, it wasn’t much of a cavalcade to be honest but it was a smashing few hours by Archway Station. The DWHC car spread the message, flyers were distributed and several sheets of petitions were filled. Jeremy Corbyn came along bearing much appreciated coffees and support.

People really do feel very strongly about this. Having spent much of my leafleting time for other causes seeing people take a leaflet and shortly thereafter chuck it in a bin it’s a real pleasure to see them stop in their tracks as they read DWHC leaflets, turn around and come back to find out more.

There are a couple of photos but unfortunately WordPress seems to be having a bit of a moment and won’t let me put them on the site.  I’ll pop ’em on the Facebook group instead and hopefully get ’em up here when WordPress stops being stroppy.

Thanks to all of you for your support.  We can save our A&E if we shout loudly enough and our voices aren’t even warmed up yet.

Dave Plummer,

DWHC secretary and web fella’.

Campaign Update: More Coverage in the Camden New Journal & BBC Radio + the Cavalcade

February 12th, 2010 No comments

This has been a busy week so probably not the best timing for the Googlemail address to decide it was no longer going to send emails. We’ve now set up a new email address at dwhc@dwhc.org.uk which we will use to send the weekly(ish) email updates. More regular updates will, as usual, be posted here on the site. You can sign up to the email list here.

DWHC joint chair Shirley Franklin was on Eddie Nestor’s  BBC Radio London this Tuesday talking about the campaign. The item starts about an hour and fourteen minutes into the programme  here (BBC iPlayer.)

The Camden New Journal have a front page story about the campaign this week, Stars Fight for Future of Hospital.

STARS of stage and screen have told how the threatened accident and emergency department at the Whittington Hospital helped their families – and how they are desperate for it not to close.

A host of famous faces have now swung behind a campaign – backed by the New Journal and our sister paper the Islington Tribune – to keep the treasured facility open.

Steve McFadden, best known as EastEnders hardman Phil Mitchell, said: “I don’t want to see the A&E close. I have used it a lot, particularly for my children as they have a fantastic children’s facility.

“The care is of a very high standard. When my daughter was a newborn baby she was ill and was admitted to the specialist children’s facility through the A&E. She stayed there for a week and the care she received was very good. The Royal Free is oversubscribed already and it’s not as if you don’t have to wait long enough to get seen.” Read more of the article Here.

The online petition reached 50 signatures this week and it looks like we’ve nearly 3000 on the paper ones.

Tomorrow’s cavalcade looks like it will be noticed! Please come along and join us at 11.30 outside The Whittington.

Please remember to join our Facebook group, sign up for the march and rally on 27th February, sign the petition, follow us on Twitter and spread the word.

Campaign Update: Jeremy Corbyn’s monthly report and Camden New Journal coverage

February 5th, 2010 No comments

This is from Jeremy Corbyn’s monthly report.

Defend the Whittington Hospital

It is apparent that the North Central London Health Authorities covering Camden,Islington, Haringey, Barnet and Enfield are trying to “reconfigure” services to make enormous savings. To do this they are looking at the possible closure of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit at the Whittington Hospital. As soon as this
became clear as a possibility, I sought and obtained a special debate in Parliament which is included in this report.
Read more…

Videos, Slideshows and Podcasts by Cincopa Wordpress Plugin