More than twenty thousand people streamed through the streets of southeast London on Saturday to protest against the proposed closure of services at a major hospital.
Organisers said an estimated 25,000 people from the local community and across the capital had turned out to support the Lewisham Hospital march, though the Metropolitan Police declined to give any information on crowd numbers.
A controversial government report has recommended shutting down the new accident and emergency department and maternity unit at the hospital after a neighbouring NHS trust ran up debts of £150 million.
The government-appointed administrator said the two key units at Lewisham would close in order to solve the debt crisis at South London Healthcare NHS Trust.
Campaigners say the plans would leave one A&E unit for around 750,000 people living in southeast London.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt will decide on whether to green light the administrator’s proposals on Friday.
Earlier this week Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu joined the chorus of protest against the closure. The archbishop used to be resident in the borough. He described the closure plans as “scandalous.”
The colourful march included a number of families with pushchairs and children wearing placards reading ‘I was born at Lewisham Hospital’ while others held signs reading ‘My life was saved at Lewisham Hospital.’
An AFP photographer at the march said turnout was likely boosted by sunny weather after days of wet weather and freezing temperatures. “A really wide range of people came along. There were lots of families and several pensioners walking with sticks. When they passed the hospital the nurses came out onto the steps to support them.”
More than 30,000 people have signed an online petition in support of the campaign.
Chaplain of Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust, Malcolm Hancock said: ?Everyone I have spoken to opposes these plans. There simply is no reason to close vital services for a population where the local population has high health needs.?
Earlier in the week Labour’s Dame Tessa Jowell, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood said the proposals had caused “enormous clinical alarm” in hospitals and locally.
Thousands march against London hospital closure plans
