The scene at Hounsiow Hospital last Friday was one of coletion. Puris of beds lav scuttered around the ward Flowers thrown on the floor showed the brutal haste of the snatch squad of officials, consultants, police and scabs. Fulse teeth floating in a mag remained behind after the body watchers had hauled patients out of their beds into the waiting feet of scab ambulances.
They started to pour into the hospital. Workers going to the late shift at the airport. Housewives doing their shopping. Vis tors bewildered at the rapid departure of their elderly relalives. Health workers from as far as Central London and the East End. They stood, some shaking with anger at what had happened to 'their hospital.
And it is their hospital -ever since the staff at Hounslov declared a work-in and demand ed that the hospital be tramsformed for use by the communthe area; not on Govern ment's need to run down, to It was management's Tear of the growing support for demand that provoked their un*Support From the lousands mumber of patie mats being teletr GPs and doctors i near sapient die sea enly discovered that it hac underspent E300,000 — more than enough to keep the hospital open while The way in which the Hourslow Hospital was dealt with 1s a warning to other bospitals under Maternity. But it is also a trailer for the sort of managemen! will take again: occupations in industry and on the campuses once the reviso be used.
The work-ins going on at the London haspitals are an inspirat ion and lead for the scores of bospitals which face closure al over Britain That issue was one mong many which the Labou Party Conference pot permitted to diels Another was an emergency resolution ondemning the Hounslow Hospital raid, which general secretary of NUPE, hac promised to move on behalf of the occuplers.
The workers at Hounslow realise that they can only rely on their own strength and strength of all those who are interested in keeping their hospital open, to win the fight.
This is the mood which makes by not a nurse any more. Now 1 am just bere to fight to keep the hosnital oren.
Or as bousewife Ellen Cleary whoafter seeing the damage in the hould be a revolution abou things like this!
883533808888888883533033 Elizabeth action that last week was Alan Fisher, indedbyemptybeds