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London is threatened by the imminent closure of two hospitals.
The Camden and Islington Area Health Authority plans to shut down both the Liverpool Road branch of the Royal Free, and the Elisabeth Garret Anderson Hospital (EGA) as part of a rationalisation' programme. This is happening in spite of the fact that both hospitals meet the needs of women in important respects at present very inadequately catered for by the NHS.
The EGA, set up by a woman doctor 100 years ago, is one of only three hospitals in the country, which is staffed entirely by women, tor women. It has 90 beds covering all specialities, and in 1973, 21,600 outpatients attended from all over London.
The hospital provides an essential service, particularly for immigrant women whose religion prevents them from being examined by men. As one patient put it, women doctors *ask if they can look at your bodythe men just dive in.
The buildings have been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that it is no longer recognised as a suitable place in which student nurses can gain experience. The expense of replacing them with trained nurses (an extra £73,000) and the supposedly high cost to the Area of running a small hospital, added to the fact that 70 per cent of the patients are not local, are the excuses given for the closure. later this year. LIVERPOOL KEEP FORD HOSPITAL OPEN Davies (Report)
RC HOSPITAL open Photo: Chris Islington, which is used mainly by women.
men the choice of treatment by a removing already scarce facilities for family planning, abortions, ete.
"inadequate mothers' and a place of the NHS.
Sides maternity care (1000 births a year) and a gynaecological service (2000 operations and 400 abortions annually) for islington women.
at the cost of thousands of pounds for temporary use by other departments. It is planned to move all facilities out to the newly built Royal months. Only the present separate twenty-bed private wing will remain, and this may be expanded until the private beds at the new site are ready for use. Once vacated, it is rumoured that BUPA, who are building up a network of private hospitals, have made a bid for the site.
Closing this hospital will mean that local women will have to traWHY TRAVEL MILES TO THE HEAREST HOSPITAL?
KEEP LIVERPOOL ROIRD -ITAL KAAI WHY TRI RAAKA • MILES TE MERRE LIVERPOOL HOSPIT KEEF LIVERP!
HORE HOSPI URE» Part of the demonstration called against the closure of the Liverpool Road hospital in Closing the hospital will deny wo member of their own sex-something universally available to men, as well as Future suggestions for the use of pressure. the hospital have included a home for where private beds could be provided for consultants at the nearby teaching hospital when pay beds are phased out The Liverpool Road Hospital provCONVERTED Over the past year, six wards have either been closed down or converted Free five miles away in the next three sure.
tion.
Mary 26.
WHY TRAVEL PLES TO THE HOSPITRL?
LIVERPOOL OSPITAL OPEN vel long awkward journeys for maternity care. Abortions will be almost impossible to obtain, since the nearest hospital with a liberal abortion policy is in a different district, and is already under REDUNDANT Waiting lists for gynaecological operations will lengthen even further. One hundred and twenty workers, almost all women, will be made redundant, and two thirds of them, who are resident, will become homeless as well.
In both cases, the plans for hospital closure were not even revealed let alone discussed with the workers and patients concerned. Now that the news has leaked out, campaigns are under way to fight the shutdown. Workers at Liverpool Road are holding a series of mass meetings in the hospital, from which they should elect an action committee of all those prepared to struggle around the cloThis will involve the widest possible numbers in the organisaThe nearby women's centre at Essex Road has initiated a poster campaign and a petition with over two thousand signatures, and a local demonstration was held on JanuSTREET MEETINGS The Trades Council was approached to mobilise and through mass leafletting and street meetings, other women's groups, tenants associations and community organisations will be drawn into the campaign.
From these forces a support committee should be set up to continue the campaign in the area. Pressure should be put on the local Labour Council to refuse permission for use of the hospital for private medicine. By mounting pickets at, the entrance, any attempted rundown of the hospital by the removal of equipment can be prevented. And the workers are already discussing occupation, should the hospital gates be finally shut in March.
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AAAAA WHY TRAVEL MILES TO THE MERREST HOSPITAL?