Desmond Desmond Tutu backs fight over ‘scandalous’ cuts at Lewisham Hospital

 
P25 Archbishop Desmond Tutu
BBC
Ross Lydall @RossLydall22 January 2013

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has described proposals to axe casualty and maternity services at a highly-rated London hospital as “scandalous”, a source said.

The South African church leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner is reported to have given his backing to the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign.

The hospital’s A&E has been earmarked to be downgraded to an urgent care centre and several of its maternity services could be closed.

The proposals are an attempt to solve a massive overspend at two neighbouring hospitals in Woolwich and Bromley, even though Lewisham is under separate management.

Malcolm Hancock, chaplain of Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust, said Desmond Tutu used to live locally and opened the Riverside building at the hospital in 2007. Mr Hancock said: “I contacted him to let him know about the proposals to close the full A&E and maternity services at Lewisham, which is a high performing and financially solvent NHS Trust.

“Although Desmond Tutu is currently on an educational world voyage, he responded straight away and asked for his name to be added to the petition against the proposals. He said that he stands foursquare behind the petitioners, and described the plans to close down vital services as ‘scandalous’.

He said that he hoped that good sense will prevail.”

MPs today called on Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to reprieve Lewisham and mothers and children held a “flash mob” at his office to warn of the dangers of cuts to the maternity department.

A parliamentary debate was secured by Heidi Alexander, the Labour MP for Lewisham East, who described the proposals as “unwanted, unfair, unsafe and unjustified”.

She warned that other hospitals did not have the capacity to deal with the demand from Lewisham, adding: “This isn’t just an issue for Lewisham, it will affect people across south London.”

Mr Hunt, who has to make a final decision by February 1, was also given a letter from other south London MPs concerned about the knock-on effect on King’s College Hospital in Denmark Hill, which has already had to close its maternity wards because they were full.

Under the proposals, a mother needing an emergency Caesarean section at Lewisham will no longer have an operating theatre on site but will be sent by ambulance to the nearest hospital.

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