Archived event: South Tyneside March and Rally 2017

March for the Alternative
MARCH FOR THE
NHS

Save essential children's A&E, maternity and stroke services from being downgraded.

AT RISK:

  • Children's and young people's A&E services will be downgraded from a 24 hour consultant led service to a 12 hour service. It will be less safe and sustainable.
  • Consultant led maternity services will go to Sunderland. A possible midwife led unit may remain - but no consultant led services. South Tyneside Hospital currently gives one of the best maternity services in England.
  • The special care baby unit (SCBU) will be closed. The next nearest SCBU is Sunderland. This service is vital for South Tyneside mothers-to-be and vulnerable babies.
  • Women's services (gynaecology) (covering inpatient surgery where you need an overnight hospital stay) will go to Sunderland.
  • Stroke services, specifically hospital acute care will go to Sunderland.

Whilst the claim is that this is a "Path to Excellence", it has not had the involvement, or support of most clinicians and staff. This is just the first of 3-phases, which we fear will include the A&E.

The government's austerity cuts have left a £30bn funding gap in the NHS. Theresa May's minority government plans to continue cutting hospital services throughout England. Cutting hospital budgets, downgrading and closing services, selling NHS land and buildings is happening at an unprecedented pace. It is a necessary part of the process required to privatise the NHS.

“...you also have to understand why the government is doing it. It's not just doing it to close the services, it's doing it in order to enable privatisation and the entry of health care insurance companies”

“What the government - this government - is planning, is the wholesale disposal and closure of health services, to leave a rump service behind, and for those who can afford to pay [to] go privately.”

Professor Allyson Pollock - Director, Institute of Health & Society - Newcastle University (2017-09-15)

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