Hospital protests of the past: Supporters of St Richard’s in Chichester most vocal of all hospital campaigners

We were reminded recently of the campaigns of 2006 and 2007, when a major shake-up of the health service in Sussex was proposed and thousands of people took to the streets of Chichester and Bognor Regis in protest.

With St Richard’s under threat, Chichester had the loudest voice of all the West Sussex campaigners fighting for their hospital – and almost 5,000 wrote directly to health chiefs with their views.

The strategic health authority, which was overseeing a consultation on the controversial discussion document Fit For the Future, had received more than 6,000 representations from the whole of Sussex and Surrey about the plans – and the majority of them were from residents in the Chichester, Bognor Regis and Midhurst areas, showing their support for St Richard’s Hospital.

A petition of more than 130,000 names was also collected by the Support St Richard’s Campaign.

A report to the SHA’s board said: “A total of 6,226 people responded to the discussion document. This includes 3,651 people who signed a petition or campaign letter to protest against the perceived closure or downgrading of a local hospital and 2,575 who wrote in with a more detailed response to the issues raised in the document.

“The majority (81 per cent) raised concerns about the possible closure of St Richard’s Hospital and most responses were sent by members of the public (87 per cent).”

Health secretary Patricia Hewitt was left in no doubt over the strength of feeling against any cuts to services at St Richard’s Hospital after meeting with campaigners in January 2007.

Consultant Marjory Greig was included in a tiny delegation from across the country invited to meet Ms Hewitt and share their views following a protest rally at Westminster.

"I think she received the message," she said.

Dr Greig told the health secretary that without local support, any proposals to shake up the health service in West Sussex would fail. Healthcare workers were not supporting the proposals because they were concerned patient safety would be compromised.

Campaigners, armed with their campaign T-shirts and placards, travelled in their ‘battle bus’ to London for the rally at Westminster Hall, where Dr Greig and Chichester MP Andrew Tyrie spoke on behalf of St Richard’s. Retired GP Dr Keith Stenson from Arundel also put forward the hospital’s case.