Petition tosave kids’ heart unit

Dewsbury residents and members of the 38 Degrees campaign group will hand a copy of the names to Dewsbury and Mirfield MP Simon Reevell when he holds his surgery outside Dewsbury Town Hall at noon tomorrow.

The reforms could close the cancer ward at St James’ Hospital in Leeds and see the children’s heart unit at Leeds General Infirmary moved out of Yorkshire.

Christine Hyde from 38 Degrees said: “Simon Reevell must accept this petition as more evidence of the opposition to the government’s plans for the health service.

“These changes could spell the end of the NHS as we know it. Hundreds of thousands of us all over the UK don’t want these changes to go ahead.”

The government’s proposals for the NHS will give GPs more say on how budgets are spent. There are also plans to encourage more competition with private companies.

The organisers of this petition believe the reforms have been rushed through without proper consultation. They say the reforms risk breaking up the NHS, and may cut beds, wards, doctors and nurses.