Pic: Siobhan Lockhart

Goldsmiths College, University of London today, expressed their disappointment at the decision made by the Government  to downgrade the Lewisham Hospital A&E facilities.

In a statement the college said: “Goldsmiths, University of London is saddened by the decision taken by Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, to downgrade A&E and maternity services at Lewisham Hospital, in South East London, despite huge public opposition.

“We believe that the downgrading of our closest facility will not have a positive impact on our neighbours and students.”

Goldsmiths had submitted concerns during the consultation period about inadequate public transport to travel to other hospitals as well as fears that no plans were in place to deal with the additional demands that would be placed on the hospitals whose A&E departments would absorb the additional patients.

Goldsmiths students and staff joined the march on January 26, which had an estimated turnout of 25,000 people.

Goldsmiths Student Union Campaigns officer, Conrad Grant, commented before the march on why he thought members of the university were getting involved: “Students can feel isolated from the local community.  This is a good way to bridge the gap and say the students are involved, and we do care and see it’s a detrimental issue to the local community and it can come to affect them as well.”

Fifteen per cent of the school’s 8000 students live in residence halls in the borough of Lewisham.  Many of them are living abroad and away from their families.