Labour launches campaign to save Croydon University Hospital
Steve Reed, Labour candidate for Croydon North, and Labour campaigner Sarah Jones have launched a campaign to save Croydon University Hospital. The hospital, known locally as the Mayday, is under threat of closure thanks to severe NHS underfunding by the Conservative Government.
The Conservatives have cut NHS funding by a fifth in real terms and now Croydon University Hospital has been officially named as one of four hospitals in South-West London at risk of closure or downgrading. Croydon NHS is already facing cuts of £36 million next year alone – equivalent to the wages of over 1000 nurses.
Steve Reed and Sarah Jones are calling on local people to use the General Election on 8 June to save Croydon University Hospital.
Sarah Jones said:
Gavin Barwell said he’d fight to protect our hospital. But in Government he’s allowed Croydon University Hospital to be listed as an option for closure and has underfunded Croydon’s NHS so severely that we face £36 million cuts in the next year alone.
Steve Reed said:
Two years ago the Tories said they would protect Croydon University Hospital, but instead they are threatening to close it. Croydon has the biggest population of any London borough. We can’t be left without a hospital. I want Croydon University Hospital to be removed from the closure list and given guarantees it will stay open with the investment it needs to improve. Croydon residents can tell the Tories to keep their hands off our hospital by voting Labour on June 8th.
Steven Reed is Labour MP for Croydon North and Shadow Minister for Children and Families. In 2018 his private member’s bill on reducing violent mental health restraint became law. In June 2019 he launched Labour’s civil society strategy outlining radical plans to empower citizens and communities.
Steve chairs the Cooperative Councils Innovation Network, co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for London, was Leader of Lambeth Council 2006-12 where he led the council’s children’s services to become best-rated in the country and pioneered the public-health approach to tackling violent youth crime. He worked in publishing for 16 years and was an elected trade union branch secretary.