Millwall's FA game Friday – March to Save Lewisham Hospital today

Lights on for Millwall's FA Cup clash with Aston Villa 

The FA Cup match between Millwall and Aston Villa was brought forward because of the big march to protest at the planned closure of facilities at Lewisham Hospital including the Accident and Emergency, intensive care, maternity and children's services. Millwall got the march off to a good start by beating Aston Villa 2-1.

Details of the campaign here.    

The march starts at noon at Lewisham Roundabout. It will go past the hospital and on to Mountsfield Park.  

Read article on campaign here and here.

Save Lewisham Hospital

There is a campaign to save the accident and emergency hospital facilities at Lewisham Hospital. Details of a march this Saturday and a petition to sign.  

‘Act Now!

Defend yourselves from having one A&E between 750,000 residents.

As you hopefully know, various services at Lewisham Hospital are under threat due to the recommendations of Matthew Kershaw, the TSA  appointed to review the South London Health Trust. The South London Health Trust was created in 2009 to try and solve the problems of the Princess Royal in Orpington, Queen Mary's in Sidcup and the Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich which were losing money. It has failed to solve the problems and the trust has since accrued debts of more than £150M. The TSA has made a series of recommendations to the Secretary of State for Health on how he would deliver access to safe, high quality, affordable health services and a long-term sustainable health economy for the people of south east London. These include closing parts of Lewisham Hospital, selling off land and expecting us to go to King's College Hospital in Camberwell or Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich.  We, and many physicians, disagree with his conclusions.

Save Lewisham Hospital is a community campaign fighting against the proposed closure of Lewisham Hospital including its new A&E department, Intensive Care, maternity and children's services. We will be joining them in a demonstration on Saturday 26th January to show Jeremy Hunt that the people of Lewisham are determined to SAVE LEWISHAM HOSPITAL! Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, will make his decision at the start of February.

If you would like to join us, please either meet us at The Capitol (JW Wetherspoon's) on London Road at 10:45am or at Catford Bridge station, where we will be catching the 11:38am Southeastern train service towards Lewisham and London Cannon Street Rail Station. The march will start at Lewisham Roundabout (by the station) at 12 noon on Saturday 26th January and march past the hospital to Mountsfield Park for a rally, music and giant petition (about two miles).

Over 10,000 people marched through Lewisham on 24th November 2012 – young, elderly, families and people from every background, so we have allowed for delays in getting to the march. We need a huge turnout, so encourage everyone you know to come and march with us on Saturday 26th January. We will be easy to spot - we will have placards and hi-vis jackets on.

I look forwards to seeing you there.

Richard Hibbert
Chairman, Forest Hill Society
07833-315563’

Forest Hill (London SE23) – butchers to open + fight to save hospital facilities

The Butchery Ltd – the pop-up shop version  that was around between 
the beginning of December and Christmas Eve

News from the Forest Hill Society:

'The Butchery Limited, one of our stallholders from the Food Fair and a SEE3 PopUp, have signed a lease for 49 London Road. They are busy installing permanent refrigeration and hope to open the doors once more in early to mid February. We are delighted that another of our stallholders is moving into permanent premises and wish them well in this venture. Some people have asked why a local family was not given the chance to try the shop as a PopUp. Although Ruth and Nathan have an outlet in Bermondsey, they live in the heart of Forest Hill, so we couldn't get more local.'

This will be the first time Forest Hill has had a butchers in many years. There hasn't been one here since Dewhurst closed (no great loss!) some 20 or more years ago. There was also the much missed Miles & Son on Kirkdale but that is probably officially Sydenham.

Lewisham Hospital

The TSA for the South London Health Trust, Matthew Kershaw, presented his final report to the Secretary of State for Health on January 6. The Secretary of State now has 20 working days to review it and make a decision on the future of the NHS in south east London by 4 February 2013. The final report makes the same recommendations as the draft report. ie that the A&E and Maternity units at Lewisham Hospital are closed and that we all use King's College Hospital or Queen Mary Hospital in Woolwich instead. These plans could have serious impacts on health provision in South East London and, once implemented, cannot be undone as they are planning to sell off 60% of the land. If you haven't already done so, please sign the petition against the closure of Lewisham's A&E and Maternity unit. There is going to be a march from the roundabout outside Lewisham Station to Mountfield Park on Saturday, 26 January from noon to 4pm. Watch our website for details of where to meet if you would like to join us - we will probably meet in Forest Hill first.'