Say No to NHS Cuts and March to Save Glenfield

Glenfield congenital heart centre in Leicester saves children’s lives. No wonder there is so much anger at NHS England’s threat to stop children’s heart surgery there. It is the only place in the whole of the East Midlands that carries out these operations.

My son was one of 332 children who had heart surgery there last year. Yet NHS England’s main reason for ending this surgery is that they now require 375 operations a year.

They ignore the fact that Glenfield is increasing its capacity and is likely to meet that arbitrary target soon anyway, and the fact that it has been praised for its “excellent outcomes”.

The closure plan has been strongly opposed by patients’ families and campaigners. The campaign has also been backed by Unite the union regionally, the Midlands TUC, as well as local trades councils and union branches. A combined total of 60,000 people have so far signed either the online petition or a paper version.

Real motives?

If NHS England’s arguments don’t add up, what are the real motives? They deny it’s about money. But is it a coincidence that this is happening at the same time as the government demands £22 billion in ‘efficiency savings’ – cuts – from the NHS?

Many local campaigns are springing up to save NHS services and hospitals. We need to pull these all together and it needs union backing. (see http://www.healthcampaignstogether.com/)

Let’s unite to stop the Tories taking the heart out of the NHS!

Demo details:

• Saturday 29 October
• Assemble Victoria Park, Leicester from 11am
• Ending in a rally in Jubilee Square at around 1pm
• Campaign web site http://saveglenfieldheartunit.org.uk/