Hundreds add name to hospital petition
NILA 22-09-12 BE 8 Cllr Glennice Birkin and rita Leverton collecting signatures against the closure of the manners ward at Ilkeston hospital. Helen Clarke.
Campaigners collected 600 signatures against bed closures at Ilkeston Community Hospital on the Market Place this weekend.
Another 113 people added their backing to the fight to stop the Manners Ward closure after a volunteer collected signatures from people attending lunch clubs at the Flamsteed Centre.
And a further 60 people have signed a form at the Advertiser office bringing the total collected so far to over 800.
Cllr Glennice Birkin collected signatures with Rita Leverton, chair of the Ilkeston and District 50+ forum on Saturday morning.
Cllr Birkin said: “It was unbelievable the amount of people who wanted to add their name.
“There were people queueing up to sign it.
“People are disgusted, they are frightened that this ward closure will trigger the closure of the hospital as a whole.”
Meanwhile, Leader of the Erewash Labour Group, Cllr Alex Phillips, has called for an emergency meeting to be held so that councillors can discuss the ward closure.
Speaking to the Advertiser, he said: “I’ve made this call on behalf of the whole council, this isn’t a party political issue.
“I know a lot of members feel disassociated from this whole decision making process and we feel in the dark about what has happened.
“I want to hear from the people making these decisions and their reasons for them and I think the public should have that chance also.
“Ilkeston Community Hospital is a valuable community resource and these changes will affect everyone in the local area.
“People don’t get 9-5 illnesses, we need to know that care is there for people as and when they need it.”
Speaking at a Derbyshire County Council meeting held last week, Tracey Allen, chief executive of the trust, said: “Ilkeston Community Hospital is an incredibly valuable resource and the services there have to change in that hospital to maintain, sustain and improve it.”
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Weather for Ilkeston
Sunday 26 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: West
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Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 16 C
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