SAVE OUR HOSPITALS: Fear over "hijack" threat at hospital protest meeting

Campaigners fighting to keep full, consultant-led services at Worthing and Southlands say leaflets were circulated in Worthing at the weekend encouraging people to disrupt the next major meeting, planned for Worthing on October 15.

The leaflet is not signed by any organisation or individual, but invites people attending the meeting to invade the platform and take over the proceedings so a full, "democratic" vote can take place.

Hospital campaigners want people to join a massed march before the 7pm meeting at Worthing's Pavilion, but have called-on supporters to strongly reject any idea of invading the platform or disrupting the meeting.

KWASH chairman Tom Wye said: "Feelings are running high but this call to take over the platform is dangerous and unhelpful in the extreme. We can get the strength of feeling over without resorting to these kind of tactics and I must stress that such action would do the cause great harm."

"The police have got copies of the leaflet that were distributed in the town. We think we know the source but we hope that people will recognise that what they are asking is wrong. It's not democratic to take something over by force. If anyone is intending to disrupt the meeting, they should do the campaign a big favour and stay away."

There was no police presence at the previous meeting organised by the trust, at Worthing's Charmandean Centre. Up to 400 people were locked out when the hall became full. Security guards had to deal with one incident when a man tried to force his way in.

The trust switched the latest meeting to the Pavilion after the earlier meeting had been dubbed a "public relations disaster".

Campaigners on October 15 are being asked to meet from 5.30pm at Homefield Park, close to Worthing Hospital, for an organised, marshalled march down to the seafront. Families with small children are particularly invited, to emphasise that maternity services are under threat at proposals being put forward by the primary care trust.

Major Wye said: "We hope that as many parents and children as possible can join us. If they don't want to take buggies down to the park they can join us on the route."

The trust, which is organising the meeting as part of the consultation process into the plans for change, is hoping to avoid the angry scenes in previous events, where people have been locked out of venues.

As well as 860 places in the Pavilion itself, organisers had planned an overspill marquee with a sound system in Steyne Gardens, but this was shelved on police advice due to health and safety reasons.

Other dates for the campaign:

October 30: The KWASH petition of well over 100,000 names will be handed in to the government in London.

November 13/14: Campaigners will hold an all-night vigil as the last hours of the official consultation period tick away. People are invited to attend any part of the vigil outside Worthing Hospital.

At about 6am on November 14, campaigners have organised a "bed push" from the hospital to the primary care trust offices in The Causeway, Durrington, to arrive at about 8am. The consultation period officially closes at 9am that day.