Save OUR Royal Victoria - SORV On-line Campaign Launched

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 SORV 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.

The SORV web master Tim Prater has explained the idea behind the site. He said:

"The intention is two-fold. Firstly, we want as many signatures on on-line on-line petition as possible against the closure. Every local resident who can sign on-line please do so at www.sorv.org.uk, and if you can't on-line, please write to Tim Prater, SORV, FREEPOST CU592, Folkestone CT20 3BR and we will add you to the petition.

"We also want to show the personal impact that the sell-off at the Royal Victoria would have. We're asking anyone who has had treatment or has memories and experiences at the Royal Victoria to let us know about them, and why they would be hurt by the loss of services at the Royal Victoria. We will then publish these stories on the web site at www.sorv.org.uk to show the real people that would be hurt by this devastating proposal.

"We think showing the personal impact is really important, and makes this campaign different to many petitions. Lots of local families don't just rely on the Royal Victoria now, but have done so for generations. We hope to have stories from the widest range of people to show just how much the Royal Victoria is valued.

"In recent years, Folkestone residents have won a number of battles, including fighting off the proposed closure of Harcourt Primary School in Cheriton. With the support of people from across the area, we can fight this threat to the Royal Victoria as well - and win."

Send details of your name, address, treatment and why YOU would be hurt by the loss of services at the Royal Victoria Hospital to info@sorv.org.uk. If possible, attach a photo of yourself, and we will publish as many people as possible on the site.