March and Demo For Ealing Children's Ward

Campaigners fear for future of health services

Hundreds marched through Ealing on Saturday to protest against plans to close the children’s ward at Ealing Hospital. It's part of cuts being made through the through Shaping a Healthier Future programme (SaHF) and endorsed by the Ealing Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). They claim the changes will result in an improved service.

However, Oliver New from Ealing Save Our NHS said: '' Health bosses want to close our children’s ward, and stop sick or injured children going to A&E. If parents take them to A&E anyway, they will just be sent elsewhere. The delay could be serious or fatal.

“Local parents are right to be really angry. Already they closed Maternity and it seems clear they are clearing the way to close the whole A&E at Ealing Hospital.”

Speakers included GP and GLA member Dr Onkar Sahota, Steve Pound MP, junior doctor and mother Helen Laycock and paediatric hospital consultant Tony O’Sullivan. Local mother Mary Lynch, spoke at the rally afterwards, saying her children had need of Ealing Hospital several times and that it had saved her son’s life.

The Paediatric Ward a Ealing Hospital is scheduled to shut in June.

16th March 2016