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From: The Socialist issue 1020, 28 November 2018: End Tory misery - general election now!

Search site for keywords: East London - Labour - London - Socialist - Councillors - Hospital - Dagenham

King George A&E faces closure again

Demonstrating against the proposed closure of King George A&E in east London, 14.10.17, photo Mary Finch (Click to enlarge)

Pete Mason, East London Socialist Party

King George Hospital A&E remains under threat. That's the warning from a march and rally on 26 November.

A year ago, in a major victory, Save King George campaigners forced reluctant Labour councillors from the affected London boroughs of Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham to back their campaign to force the government to keep the A&E open.

The result was a promise from the local sustainability and transformation partnership (STP) to review the proposed closure. Yet no review has taken place in the last year. Now, a new report from the STP excludes King George from a list of east London hospitals with A&Es.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party has pulled its support for the campaign. It would not support the latest demonstration, which was backed by the Socialist Party, two residents' associations and others.

Campaign leader Andy Walker told Redbridge councillors: "Jeremy Corbyn says that a Labour government will save Telford A&E." So why can't Redbridge Labour-led council back our campaign?

If local councillors do not defend A&Es, campaigners should stand candidates against them.

Queens's Hospital in Romford, where many patients would have to go if the King George A&E closes, is already in "financial special measures" and has had £20 million in emergency bailouts. It was built through PFI, a 36-year obligation to pay back £211 million to big businesses like infrastructure-investment firm HCIL - which made £192 million in profits April-September 2018.

Meanwhile, as reported in the Socialist (see 'new winter crisis looms - Tories out now to save our NHS' at socialistparty.org.uk), King George has closed its chemotherapy ward, and there's already a threat that the A&E will close at night. Campaigners will challenge the lack of consultation on the cuts that have taken place and demand that they are stopped and reversed.

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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
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