NHS campaign groups from around the country are gathering in Louth, Lincolnshire on Saturday 2 September to protest against the threatened downgrading or closure of Louth County Hospital:
The gathering is being organised by the campaign group ‘Fighting for Louth Hospital’.
Organisers expect up to 300 supporters to attend and the march will be headed by a 20 piece Samba Band from the Public and Commercial Services Union who are supporting the NHS campaign.
The future of Louth County Hospital is in jeopardy following the publication of the Lincolnshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) in December 2016 and due for review at the end of this September.
The gathering will take place at Westgate Fields and the march will pass through the town finishing at Louth Hospital Social Club.
An event in support of the hospital will follow and include guest speakers and an afternoon and evening of music featuring popular local bands. For more information about the event please visit the campaign website at: fighting4louthhospital.org.uk.
The situation in Lincolnshire mirrors the threat to hospitals and services across the length and breadth of England as the Tories continue their push toward a US-style, insurance-based system under the cover of STPs and sham consultations, so this is an event of importance to all NHS supporters, especially those living in England – the NHS is a devolved matter in Wales and Scotland – so if you can get there, be there.
Let’s see if we can swell this event a long way beyond 300 marchers.
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Is this the same County that voted Tory rather than keep their local NHS A&E open?? I would let it close as they made their choice last year. Then they might begin to understand their poor choice. Life without an NHS A&E or a very limited service. People who take such issues lightly need to learn. Very few immigrants left to blame in that area.
A bit of a harsh thing to say – letting it close. But on the (Fair, it must be said) point of them voting for a conservative MP/Govt (And not all of them did), I must admit part of me felt that way about the protest at Southport last week.
Like that other soft mare on question time, it seems they’ll ONLY learn when they’re directly affected.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwfoP0DshgQ
It is a harsh thing to say but it is the brutal truth. People who think that voting tory is a great thing to do then they must suffer the real consequences of their decision. I do feel sorry for those that didn’t and will be affected the most. Do the tories care?? should we care as much as we do?? perhaps some harsh lessons are needed. There is nothing in socialism that says we have to be a soft touch. The same must apply in Copeland in Cumbria. They are complaining about having to travel 40 miles on some poor roads to Carlisle hospital as they voted for the tories who promised to simply keep the Nuclear subs base in the area. Like labour would have shut them down tomorrow. or lose their A&E. I am sorry when they voted to close the A&E I am afraid they deserve all they get. It does show how people are thinking that no matter what things will always be there. A sharp and rude awakening is needed. Some real life education is needed.
Yes – Sadly, these instances’ll be cases of the undeserving few suffering just as much because of the consequences of the deserving many.
I just hope we can prosper enough under a future labour Govt. to reverse at least some of the damage these ‘people’ have done.
And if the many in those constituencies have any sense…
@gamechanger, I was the Labour candidate for the constituency this year and not everyone voted Tory! We made great inroads and have swelled the CLP numbers as well as looking to start 2 further branches. The fact that we are in the middle of blue territory is the perfect reason to support the march. The tories pay little heed when such things happen in the cities or Labour strongholds. This is the 3rd safest Tory seat in the country but it’s waking up! We need to make such a noise it rocks the very foundations of the Tories powerbase.
Thank you Skwawkbox for publicising our march. We will need all the support we can get. For those who have said that we deserve all we get simply by living in a Tory constituency, I think you are missing the point.
The organisers of this march and the local NHS campaign have been vilified by local Tories, councillors and treated with contempt by NHS management – we are scaremongers, leave things to the experts, our actions will lead to the closure of the hospital – and yet we carry on, against the odds, leafleting, fundraising, vigils, to convince people whose default voting is Tory, that the Labour Party is the party of the grassroots, the community and we stand for the ordinary person.
Help us to change things in Tory Lincolnshire, not cast us adrift as a lost cause.
Yes, precisely, creating awareness is key, and whilst I understand the sentiments of some of the posters about learning the hard way, we always have to bear in mind that millions of people are inculcated with/by Tory propaganda deceit and deception on a daily basis by the corporate press – ie the Sun and the Mail and the Express etc.
Whilst I wish you well and accept the point that not everyone voted tory There were enough that did. This is where the party has to ask some harsh questions bearing in mind that you are in the heart of some blue country. I hope you save the A&E as we are having some savage cuts and run downs in the Lancashire area. We do know what you are up against. I look to copeland who voted the same way, They voted to protect their jobs that were not under any real threat and allowed the Hospital and services to close. It is 40 miles of very poor country roads to the nearest A&E at Carlilsle. I can find no excuse for this action. they are now whinging about the run down. Why did our message not get through? It was a no brainer for me. or maybe you. so where are we going wrong with the message. For those old enough to remember the 18 years of tory misrule and the evil visited on working people then, I could not understand how the tories won 4 elections on the trot. Is this a working class frame of mind? A british thing? A know your place thing? people seem to struggle in this nation to realise their true worth for some reason. Yet the evidence of their value is staring everybody in the face. we need manual workers more now than ever. I am simply baffled as to the reasons why people have voted like they did. Good luck with the march but it does wrankle a bit that they had the choice to save the hospital in the first place.
Thanks for helping spread the word. There was a fantastic atmosphere with the PCS Samba band and lots of banners, with representation from unions, a number of political parties, and groups including the Fighting For Life Lincolnshire group.
This is an important issue for the town, and I wouldn’t take the number of boots on the ground as the only measure of support for the hospital. Many people in Louth and the surrounding area are older, and can’t easily march, but I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve told me that keeping the hospital and its services is vital to them.
It sounds like a good response now that people are realising the real agenda of the Tories. I just hope we can all get the message through and kick the evil tories out. We need to gather the same strength in numbers in our area. Well done everyone.