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7,500 march
in support of local hospital
The event began with local people marching from Clair Park through the centre of Haywards Heath to Victoria Park where a rally was held. Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames, who hosted the rally, promised MPs would continue fighting the threatened cuts. Suzanne Gielgud's film of the event can be viewed here, a summary of Jonathan Teasdale's speech can be found here, and photos from the event can be found here 'Wonderful hospital' The rally was opened by Dame Vera Lynn, a Ditchling resident, who said: "this isn't the first time we have had to keep this hospital open. This threat to our wonderful hospital mustn't keep happening. It is absolutely ridiculous" 'Bursting at the seams'
'Gross mismanagement' Wearing a campaign t-shirt, Cllr Paddy Henry said: "There has been 20 years of gross mismanagement of health services across West Sussex that has led to £100million of debts and we have seen administrators come and go. They have butchered our health service here. The way they seek to balance the books is to destroy the health services not just here but in the whole of Sussex"
Wealden MP Charles Hendry said: "We live in the fifth wealthiest country in the world and this part of the country pays more taxes than anywhere else so why are we seeing health services cut back? This part of the country is under more pressure than anywhere else for new housing so why aren't we seeing any investment in our health infrastructure rather than seeing it dismantled? We have to send the clearest message to Ministers to tell them what an integral part of the health community this is. This is a fight that we are absolutely determined to win" 'Anonymous figures' Lewes MP Norman Baker said: "Our hospital belongs to us. It does not belong to anonymous figures in anonymous rooms making plans for our future without involving us or telling us what they're doing. We are the people who will decide the future of our hospital, not those people in those offices" 'Joined-up thinking' Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert said: "We are told we are in this position because of the deficits, which are our fault. What about the endless time-consuming and costly reorganisations the NHS has been put through locally over the last few years? These reorganisations are good for one group of people and one group only - the management consultants who we are paying millions of pounds, easily outstripping the deficits that we are being told we have to get rid of in just a few months. "The Government likes to talk about joined-up thinking but it is not very joined up to tell us we have to have 58,000 new houses in Sussex over the next two decades and then downgrade the hospital provision for those new homes or to talk about a second new runway at Gatwick or talk about the terrorist threat and then take away one of the hospitals that would have to deal with an emergency should it arise."
Speaking after the event, Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames said: "local people did Mid Sussex proud on Saturday. It was a wonderful coming together of the whole community and everyone who came there, and anyone who saw it on the news, would have been heartened by the astonishing level of local support for our much loved and greatly valued hospital and its essential services" Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert said: "it was a spectacular day; a fantastic turnout, a great atmosphere and it sent a real message to the NHS managers and those responsible for what is to be brought forward in the consultation that we will not accept second best and that there are vital reasons for retaining a blue-light A&E, maternity services and all the other services which make the PRH so essential to the local community". Nicholas Soames continued: "I would like to thank everyone for making the effort to come and I thank the Police and the local Council and most especially Ginny Heard whose remarkable organisational skills made all this possible" The event was well covered by the media, and featured on the BBC and ITV regional news programmes, as well as a report on BBC News Online and The Argus
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