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Community LifeYou are in: London > London Local > Barking and Dagenham > Community Life > Hands off our hospital! Hands off our hospital!Lebo Diseko It's not every demonstration where campaigners leave their hospital beds to make their voices heard.
But Callum Handip felt so strongly about proposals to close the Accident and Emergency department at King George Hospital, that's exactly what he did. Speaking from his hospital wheelchair, and still attached to his drip, the Dagenham resident told me: 听鈥淚'm being treated at King George鈥檚 鈥 if it closed I'd have to go over to Queen鈥檚, but they haven't got enough room. 鈥淭he hospital鈥檚 big but it hasn't got enough beds 鈥 When I was in hospital in March they were sending patients from Queen鈥檚 hospital to King George鈥檚鈥. He was just one the many people from Barking & Dagenham who helped form a human chain outside the hospital, in protest at the possible closure.
The plans to cut services are part of a number of options being considered under a听 programme called听 鈥淔it for Future鈥. The scheme is being undertaken by NHS Primary Care Trusts in the North East of London. If the closure goes ahead, patients from Barking & Dagenham as well as Ilford will have to use Queen鈥檚. This would mean the Romford hospital would have to serve three boroughs: Havering, Barking & Dagenham and Ilford. There are fears this will lead to increased pressure on services, and impact on patient care. Speaking at the protest Barking MP Margaret Hodge told me that: 鈥淲hen we got the agreement to build Queens we argued that we needed two hospitals in the area. An enormous number of people attend the A & E hospital [at King George]. 鈥淚f your child falls down in the playground, if you break your leg, or if you're having a miscarriage, you want to go to a local A & E鈥 Closing this would be a disaster鈥 In a statement Barking Havering & Redbridge NHS trust said that: 鈥淲e understand the depth of feeling felt by local residents in their campaigns to ensure that the A & E department at King George Hospital is maintained, however we would emphasise that no decision has been made about [the] proposals." They said local residents will get the chance to put their views across at the public consultation, which is expected to take place in October. So what do you think? Let me know your views by emailing lebo.diseko@bbc.co.uk The 麻豆社 is not responsible for the content of external websites The 麻豆社 is not responsible for the content of external websites last updated: 28/12/2007 at 12:03 You are in: London > London Local > Barking and Dagenham > Community Life > Hands off our hospital!
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