Residents join march to save key health services
Save the DGH march along Eastbourne seafront Saturday 15th September 2012 E38055N
SEAFORD residents joined in the Save the DGH march on Saturday and listened to their MP’s defiant message on plans to centralise key services.
Town councillor Sam Adeniji was part of a group that joined thousands of people on Eastbourne seafront at the weekend.
They walked from the Redoubt Fortress to the Wish Tower where Norman Baker and Eastbourne’s MP Stephen Lloyd gave speeches, along with Liz Walke, who helped organise the demonstration.
The march was in response to proposals by East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust to concentrate stroke care, general surgery and orthopaedics at either the DGH or at The Conquest in Hastings.
Like much of the Eastbourne community, many Seaford residents have voiced their anger at the plans, stating in particular that Hastings would be too far for Seafordians to travel to.
In Seaford there has been a fight for better health facilities in the town and residents fear the latest proposals to centralise key services will further impact on the community, particularly if they have to travel to Hastings.
Cllr Adeniji, who was among Seaford residents to take part in the march, along with representatives from Seaford Seniors Forum, said, “It was a very good turnout. The DGH is very vital to the people of Seaford. If the services go over to Hastings and the DGH is downgraded Seaford will be adversely affected.
“That’s why we wanted to show our support [to the campaign].”
He was joined by Tracey Cornford and her twin sons Charlie and Sam.
Mum Tracey said services shouldn’t be downgraded and it was too far to travel to Hastings, while son Charlie said, “It’s a matter of life and death. If anything we need more hospitals. Brother Sam stated, “Together we must stop it.” They were they to listen to speeches from key figures including MP Norman Baker who said, “Thank you for coming up this morning, it’s a fantastic turnout.
“It sends a very clear message to the NHS bosses that we do not want downgrading of our services in Eastbourne or Hastings. We saw the threats off last time and we’ll see them off this time. The battle is on, you have spoken, we will win.”
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Tuesday 21 May 2013
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