Crucial point in fight to save E. London hospital

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31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1H the Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London London. Registered as a Newspaper at the Post Office.

The August Monthly Fund has got off to a good start with £133.15 in at the end of the first week.

But there can be no room for complacency in this month when holidays place big demands on the pay packets of our readers and supporters.

This momentum must be kept up if we are to make the £600 target by the end of the month. Donations should be sent to:

Socialist Press Monthly Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR Published by Folrose Ltd. for Printed by Anvil Printers Ltd. and the local community.

Defying authority

Ambulance drivers supported the occupation by continuing to bring patients into the casualty, defying the authority's instructions.

On 1 August, the occupation suffered a severe setback when the hospital secretary ordered the nurses out of casualty, informing them that they were no longer covered by insurance to treat patients there.

He then proceeded to stick hand-written notices around the hospital entrance saying the casualty was now closed, and an ambulance crew who brought in a cardiac case later in the morning was turned away, seriously endangering the life of the patient-even though all the necessary equipment was availwhole movement in London and to turn the struggle towards the shop stewards' movement.

The imminent closure was not given sufficient publicity throughout the health service shop stewards' movement. Also, the role of the trade union leadership in betraying the fight against hospital closures, prevented any large-scale mobilisations on 1 August.

Second class stamp!

A letter sent out by the South East Region of the TUC calling for general action throughout the region in defence of Bethnal Green on 1 August actually reached one East London hospital on 2 August, carrying a second class stamp!

The result of this treachery was that only one union branch -the Tower Hamlets NUPE must be countered by immediate moves to organise Londonwide strike action to reopen the casualty and prevent any further rundown of the hospital-such as the threatened closure of the operating theatres.

Bethnal Green stewards have agreed to call for the next meeting of Tower Hamlets JSSC to be turned into a conference of all London health service stewards.

It will be held at the London Hospital on August 17.

It is vital that this conference takes the initiative in organising action, and the demand must be made that the trade union leadership give full and official backing to this action.

The fight to reopen Bethnal Green Casualty must be made the central focus of the fight against hospital closures in London.

THEORETICAL JOURNAL OF WORKERS SOCIALIST LEA mber 3 includes:

* WSL British Perspectives * The Poisoned Well (document Xith World Congress of USFI).

* The Spartacist School of Invention. Price 60p plus 20p p&p from WSL, THE SUE for submi

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WE DONT WANT-U GERIATRIC •GHETFO PHOTO: Laurence Sparham, IFL

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