Sue keeps vigil for RSCH

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 13th Dec 2006

Ming Campbell joined the night time protest to learn more about the closures facing the Royal Surrey

Sue Doughty and leading local Lib Dems including Baroness Margaret Sharp, County Councillor Sarah Di Caprio and Waverley Councillors Celia Savage, John Savage and Ken Reed kept watch outside the House of Commons on a cold December night to draw attention to the threats to the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

Joining other politicians and members of the public, were Chair of the Save the Royal Surrey Campaign Professor Chris Marks, and leading orthopaedic surgeon Chris Coates. Despite the cold night the group kept vigil, singing carols and other songs and sharing mince pies.

The group was joined at midnight by Sir Menzies Campbell, leader of the Liberal Democrats who had come to find out more about the problems being faced in Guildford.

Sue Doughty, Parliamentary Spokesperson for Guildford said "It is a national disgrace that we have to stand outside Parliament like supplicants to get support for the future of this excellent hospital. The government has tried to shift the responsibility for this to local trusts but the reality is their pledges and promises cannot be delivered in the South East. You cannot promise an 18 week service, and expect hospitals to balance their books all by next year. I find their claims that hospitals are not doing enough short stay and day surgery astonishing for a hospital which has led the way in this area in order to manage the old problems of bed blocking."

Sue has urged local people to continue to write to the Chief Executive of NHS South East, and also to the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt. "You are likely to get a letter back saying that it is not their problem" she pointed out, "but they cannot avoid the responsibility for this state of affairs. It is the number of letters arriving day in day out which will get results."

If you are worried about the future of the hospital do write. Each letter matters and your letter does not need to be long, it just needs to say why you and your family are worried and how it will affect you if the hospital closes.