§ Mr. Simon Hughes (Southwark and Bermondsey)I beg leave to present a petition on behalf of 24 nurses and others, the nurses being employed in Guy's hospital, Southwark, and working for the Lewisham and north Southwark district health authority.
The petition has been organised by the Guy's hospital nurses action group, who have been to the House twice in the last seven days to make their views known to hon. Members. More than 50 nurses visited the House last week and 23 nurses came to the House today on the occasion of the Second Reading debate of the Health and Social Security Bill.
The petitioners say:
We wish to express our anger and concern at the recent cuts in financial allocation to the Lewisham and North Southwark District Health Authority which has resulted in the threatened closure of beds in most hospitals throughout the district.We deplore the closure of 180 beds and any lessening of the facilities available for the people of this community which will lead to lengthening time on waiting lists and needless suffering which may even result in some patients dying whilst awaiting admission.We urge the Minister and Her Majesty's Government not to renege on the promise that they made before the last General Election, that the National Health Service is "safe in their hands". The petition contains 15,000 signatures of people who share the anger and concern that is felt on this issue, and who have signed the accompanying petition which is in similar wording and which is to be presented by hon. Members representing other parts of the district, one of whom, the hon. Member for Lewisham, East (Mr. Moynihan) is present tonight.
To lie upon the Table.