AHA removes cancel patients through picket line

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TEIGH BUNDRO DL Please send me trial sub/six months/one yea of Socialist Press. I enclose ... ...

Send to: WSL, BM Box 5277, London WCIN Following close in the wake of the St. Benedicts closure, the authorities have so far been stopped in their tracks in attempts to close St. Columba's Hospital, on Hampstcad Heath, London.

Listed

St. Columba's is a hosptial for terminally ill cancer patients and has been listed for closure for over a year by the hatý Trial sub (U Six issues..

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Address 3XX Kensington, Chelsea and minster AHA.

Opposition to the plan by staff and local hospital trade unionists has so far prevented the closure.

Too ill

At the beginning of October, the district administrator, Mi Hunt, announced that the closure was to go ahead, and the remaining 8 patients were to be transterred.

The acting consultant at the hospital, Mr Hopkins, appeared on a Inames Television proKARTA For clear RATES:

£8.00 ,14.00 £9.00 £10.00 ramme condemning the declaring that the patients were too ill to be moved.

Picket mounted

The administrators responded by sacking Mr Hopkins and going ahead with the transfers.

A picket line was mounted on the hospital gates in an attempt to prevent the moves, with official backing from NUPE, and strong support from local ambulance drivers and hospital workers throughout London.

Against opposition from hospital staff, patients and a refusal by London ambulance unions to move the patients, Hunt and his team of adminstrators pressed ahead with their Even private ambulance companies refused to make the move. But this did not deter Hunt. On Tuesday 21 October three seriously ill patients were escorted through the picket line in minicabs.

So angry was the response from trade unionists and in the medical world, that Hunt has made no further moves since that date.

The picket line has been maintained, and opposition to the closure is spreading throughout the London labour movement.

The chairman of the neighbouring Camden and Islington AHA Mr Freedman, has visited St. Columba's and made a press statement declaring that they may be prepared to take over the hospital, providing funds can be found.

The Camden AHA meets on November 3, and the final decision will be taken there.

Whatever the Camden AHA decide, they have so far given no indication that they will prevent the transfer of the remaining patients or the redeployment of staff at St. Columba's.

Staff at the hospital and supporters of the campaign realise that it is only the mobilisation of hospital workers and trade unionists that will save St. Columba's.

Chance of victory

Local NUPE full-timers have given official backing to the picket line, and printed leaflets, but they have not even attempted to mobilise a single hospital branch against the closure.

At this time, there is still a chance of victory at St.

Columba's.

If the authorities are allowed to go ahead with the transfers it will almost certainly amount to legalised murder.

Five of the St. Benedict's patients died this week after they were moved and the chances of this happening at St.

Columba's are greater.

As well as supporting the picket line (from 7 am. to 5 pm.

everyday, at the Hospital in Spaniards Lane NW3) local branches must pass resolutions demanding that the public sector union leadership call immediate strike action throughout London save St.

Columba's. closure anu productive only a

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and strike...from front page

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