Public Meeting called to back the Save OUR Royal Victoria Campaign

Shepway Liberal Democrats have called a public meeting to give local people an opportunity to protest about the possible selling off of the Victorian parts of the Royal Victoria Hospital. The meeting will be held on Tuesday 9th January 2007 at 7.00pm in St Johns Church, St Johns Church Road in Folkestone.

The meeting will be chaired by leader of the Lib Dems on Shepway District Council, Lynne Beaumont, who is also the councillor for Park ward in which the hospital is situated. Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesman Toby Philpott has already agreed to speak, and George Jenkins, the Chair of the East Kent Hospital NHS Trust, Ann Sutton, Chair of the PCT, Janet Andrews, Mayor of Folkestone and MP Michael Howard are also invited to attend and speak.

The East Kent Hospitals NHS Hospitals trust announced it is considering selling off the Victorian part of the hospital for redevelopment in a press statement issued just before Christmas.

Cllr Lynne Beaumont said:

"Local people are outraged at this possibility. Only a two years ago the last 'in-patient' wards were closed in the face of strong local opposition. People were disappointed but we were given assurances that the hospital was safe. There are over 40 types of health care provision at this site and local people have said in no uncertain terms that they want these services delivered locally - not in Ashford or Dover."

Toby Philpott, Shepway Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman added:

"As someone who has relied upon services at the Royal Victoria Hospital this is appalling news. Chronic NHS funding crises under both Conservative and Labour governments have finally brought us to this. First they axed inpatient wards at the hospital and now the local trust wants to take away our local services all together. The local Lib Dems will do all in our power to fight this threat and ensure that local people can still get hospital treatment in Shepway."

All local residents and organisations with an interest in local health care are invited to attend. Persons wishing to speak at the event are requested to contact Cllr Lynne Beaumont on 07885 940 945.

In addition to the public meeting an on-line campaign to Save OUR Royal Victoria Hospital has been launched at www.sorv.org.uk - and people from across Shepway are being urged to get involved. The SORV site was launched by the Shepway Liberal Democrats on Tuesday and features an on-line petition and also asks for local people to send their experiences at and memories of the Royal Victoria.

The new www.sorv.org.uk web site is a key part of the campaign against the potential sell-off of the main building of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Folkestone. The proposed sell-off was announced last week by the East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust as a cost cutting measure. Many local residents believe that many of the services currently at the hospital will end up being relocated to hospitals elsewhere in East Kent including the William Harvey and Kent and Canterbury if the main building is sold off.