Norfolk: Protest at hospital closure

Today more than a thousand letters from people in Norfolk appealing to the government to intervene and save a much-loved cottage hospital will be handed to the Westminster.

April Pond, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman for Broadland, will give more than 1,100 letters from Norfolk residents concerned about the proposed closure of St Michael's hospital in Aylsham, to the Department of Health.

The letters have been sent to April over recent weeks, many with added notes of personal experiences of the care at St Michael's, and they appeal directly to Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, for his help in saving the hospital, which was the only one targeted for closure in a shake up of Norfolk PCT services.

Ms Pond said: “The Department of Health has told us that health care decisions should be made locally, but we are saying that by ordering the repayment of the huge deficit the Norfolk Primary Care Trust has in less than a year, a huge pressure is being brought by the department to cut and close much needed and much loved local hospitals.

“We feel Norfolk is being badly treated and ask for Alan Johnson to intervene.”