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On November 15th workers at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital (EGA) in London decided to occupy the hospital, which is threatened with closure, and maintain a 24 hour picket outside. On the 17th more than 2,000 supporters joined a demonstration organised by the Joint Shop Stewards Committee and the Save the EGA Campaign; they marched to Hyde Park to bring this first-ever hospital occupation in Britain to the attention of the 60,000 participants on the national Anti-Cuts March.
The EGA is just one of 120 of London's 150 hospitals currently threatened with closure. The EGA, however, is exceptional in that it is the only one for the exclusive use of women patients and staffed mainly by women. As such it provides a service which the labour movement should be attempting to expand against the range of other attacks facing women as the crisis bites deeper: abortion restrictions, offensives against women's right to work etc.
The arguments used to ease closure were that the EGA was in a bad state of repair. Also the lift suddenly became "inoperable" making the Ist floor "unusable". All very interesting for those who remember the closure of Robroyston Hospital in Glasgow and all the excuses made then about sewerage and health hazards.
In Strathclyde it is rumoured that a new hospital at Monklands will not open. A little further down the Clyd we find another new hospital where the top floor will be closed. (Lift problems perhaps?). The staffing levels in hospitals all over the country continue to fall while waiting lists lengthen and more nurses join the dole queue.
The fine example set by EGA shows how to fight against the cuts. And the occupation of a school in Easterhouse closed years ago for conversion into a nursery (never carried out because of the cuts) gives a local lead on how to
take the fight beyond spectacular lobbies of parliament.
The best solidarity that hospital workers can show with these actions is to follow their lead: to occupy against closures and for reversal of all
cuts. EGA shows the way. EGA stays OK.
NICK LOCKHART
(Further infonnation and donations fo: AGA, Joint Shop Stewards Ctee, Euston Road, London NI).