Your Local Hospital Needs You!
Waltham Forest’s Labour party members were out in force all over the borough at the weekend, campaigning to keep the services of our local hospital, Whipps Cross, local.
I was born in Whipps Cross hospital. I feel extremely strongly that the financial problems it is currently facing should not mean that local people lose much needed services.
Waltham Forest is not a rich borough and many people do not own a car. If we are forced to travel miles to receive essential treatment, local health inequalities – already some of the worst in the country – are just going to get worse.
The Waltham Forest Labour Party is appealing to Patricia Hewitt to do what is right and deliver the health provision that our local people need.
Whipps Cross should remain a full general hospital!
The ‘I Love Whipps Cross’ campaign is the local Labour party taking positive and concrete action. The weekend’s launch of the borough wide campaign has the support of the entire group of Labour Councillors, our two local Labour MPs Harry Cohen and Neil Gerrard and our London Assembly Member Jennette Arnold, who is also the Chair of the London Health Commission.
The weekend launch went very well and hundreds of postcards were signed.
In Walthamstow, MP Neil Gerrard and local party members were joined by Waltham Forest’s London Assembly Member Jennette Arnold (pictured above second from left) as they collected signatures.
In Chingford, Councillor Midge Broadley (pictured above) led Labour’s team.
Here in Leyton, myself and local party members from all over Leyton and Wanstead were joined by Councillors Tarsem Bhogal, Afzal Akram (pictured above left) and Councillor Chris Robbins (pictured above right).
Many local people did not hesitate to show their support. Below are some of the people who signed our postcard petition. We are very grateful to them.
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The Mukaka Family show their support.
The Robertson family say they want Patricia Hewitt to keep our local health services local.
Connaught School Pupils say “Save our General Hospital!”
The Browns support the ‘I Love Whipps Cross’ campaign.
The Maliks congratulate Cllr Tarsem Bhogal (pictured above centre) on his hard work, fighting for Whipps Cross.
The Benjamins say “We Love Whipps Cross!”
Another local resident adds his name to the petition.
I will be keeping you fully up to date with how the ‘I Love Whipps Cross’ campaign progresses, but please also visit: www.ilovewhippscross.co.uk.
Why? The hospital is notoriously bad. Frankly the Labour Party should be a bit more progressive than saying “no change”.
Dear NE London Resident, I’m afraid it’s not as simple as that. Yes, the hospital has not been as well managed as it could have been in recent years, but at least we have a hospital. You or I may be luckily enough to have access to a car but many of the people who live in my ward don’t – it is just totally unfair that they may have to travel miles and pay a whole load of money in travel fares, to get basic health treatment they struggle to pay their taxes for. And who’s talking about “no change?” What we’re saying is that we want our hospital to remain a general hospital. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t review the services, it just means we don’t want our hospital decapitated. Any thoughts you have on ensuring Waltham Forest gets the local and modern health provision it deserves will be gratefully appreciated by councillors of all parties in this borough. On this one, we are united.