St Mary's- ALL OUT- October 19th
Socialist Organiser1981 1981-10-15Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 16 →
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Middle Lane, London No, anu prined by East End Offset (TU) Registered as a newspaper with the GPO Published by the Socialist Urganiser , Signed articles do not necessarily rep London Ambulance Service are defying their management's instruction to halt the bringing of patients into the hospital from that date.
The Area Health Authority and the Minister of Health plan to use the closure of casualty to ambulances from the 19th to get rid of over 100 beds, shift workers out of the wards and continue the vicious path towards eventual closure.
The ambulance drivers' convenors in the North West District have sent out a letter to all ambulance stations. making it clear that the only conditions in which they will refuse to bring patients in are if the power is cut off: it there is no medical cover in casualty or nursing care. or if there are no theatres.
Other grounds will not be accepted by them as reasons for not bringing patients in.
And the St Mary's workers are calling for a Ty .
news of the socialist Uroaniser Alliance mass picket at the hospital gates from 1 7 am onwards on the 19th.
The ambulance drivers' stand is the vital action necessary in support of the steps already being taken inside W9.
Section after section of workers have refused to be intimidated or to go along with job loss and speed up.
Determination
Domestics. auxiliaries, nurses and sisters have shown their determination to carry on the light to sive this acute hospital which serves mainly the deprived inner-city areas of Paddington and North Kensington.
Junior doctors at their mass meeting last week also pledged that they would continue treating the patients that will be brought in. and local GPs are organising to de what support Erd Offset they can give.
A mass turn-out on the 19th is vital to develop the fight. If W9 is isolated it will have little chance of success.
In the way that Grunwicks represented a general fight for unionisation that captured the imagination of the trade union and labour movement. so St. Mary's can be the successful focus of the overa, ight against the cuts.
A victory now is within our grasp to defeat the Tory plans to mutilate the welfare state.
A conference is being planned which can discuss and put into action the policies needed to save St. Mary's as the first step in defending health care in London and nationally. Get your union and Labour Party branches to sponsor this conference and let's turn the tide now against the Tories.