Mass rally against cuts in health

Plans are being drawn up for community ownership of hospitals

UP to 5,000 people turned out for a rally in the Forest of Dean against £40m of cuts to the health service.

Staff and patients came together on Wednesday night to protest against the closure of hospitals across the county.

The Dilke hospital and Colliers Court are due to close within the year, and Lydney hospital faces closure once a new smaller facility has been built.

Speakers promised the crowd that Foresters would buy back the hospitals, rather than allow them to close.

The next stage in the fight is a mass lobby of Westminster, before Parliament rises for the summer.

Beds threatened

In the meantime a group called Forest Health Future, lead by local MP Mark Harper, is drawing up a plan for community ownership of Forest hospitals.

Across Gloucestershire five community hospitals, one maternity hospital and a clinic have all been earmarked for closure taking with them 500 jobs and threatening 240 hospital beds.

Stroud Maternity Hospital is due to close later this year, and plans to cut maternity and obstetrics services across the county will see all facilities moved to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

The beds to go include those already closed at Fairford and Tetbury and others at Delancey Hospital.

Further bed reductions are proposed at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital.

Winchcombe Hospital is also earmarked for closure as are Berkeley Hospital and the Sandpits clinic.