“Our granddaughter had childhood epilepsy and we were constantly at St Helier after extremely frightening attacks. It was very reassuring to have a hospital within easy reach.
“Our daughter’s hole-in-the-heart was also found by a doctor in St Helier’s A & E department and was successfully repaired.”
Brian & Maureen Martin, Carshalton Beeches
“When I had a need to attend emergency I received excellent service. Also I have been to emergency on several occasions with my aged mother and received excellent treatment though at times a little tardy but I accept that due to the fact there were more acute cases.”
Denzil Heatherley, Wallington
“I have a mother-in law aged 95 years old who lives with us and recently we have had two occasions when we have had to get her into hospital. On each occasion the waiting time was minimal and the treatment was 1st class. If the move had been done we would have had much longer to wait to get her in.”
Ronald Roth, Sutton
“Our young grandson had his first asthma attack four years ago, just before his first birthday. Since then our daughter and son-in-law have taken him to St Helier A&E on numerous occasions and he has always received exemplary treatment from the staff of the A&E Department and on the Children’s Ward where he has been a patient. My daughter and her husband have every confidence that their son will receive the treatment he needs at St Helier. It is a traumatic journey for them to take their small son to hospital with breathing difficulties and they need to get there quickly. If the A&E department at St Helier is closed they will be forced to make a longer journey to either Mayday Hospital, Croydon or East Surrey Hospital, Redhill, thus delaying the start of the vital treatment our grandson needs.
We would not like to see St Helier lose these vital departments forcing local residents to travel greater distances for treatment at a time of their greatest need.”
Jan Riches, Cheam
“During the recent election campaign in Sutton, the number one issue on the doorstep was St Helier Hospital and whether the two Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament would keep their promise – in Paul Burstow’s case, from within Government – to retain all the existing services at St Helier Hospital. This seems to have come to nought. I will do all I can in my position as the local London Assembly member to fight to save services at St Helier and, along with the Guardian’s excellent campaign, get this ridiculous decision reversed.”
Steve O’Connell
London Assembly Member for Sutton & Croydon