Saving services that save lives

While thousands across the UK turned out on the streets to protest against austerity, a few hundred people from Pembrokeshire headed for the Senedd in Cardiff to protest (again) against the planned downgrading of our hospital, Withybush,  and the removal of many of its vital services to another hospital in the next county. This would include emergency obstetrics and paediatrics, the special care baby unit,  and conceivably 24-hour A&E  itself. The alternative hospital is 30 - 40 minutes further away which would mean that lives would be lost or jeopardised by the delay in reaching it.

Speeches were made, songs  were sung,  slogans were shouted and teddy bears were piled up bearing messages of concern, dismay and outrage. It's not the first such protest nor will it be the last. The ultimate fate of our hospital probably depends more on the up-coming parliamentary elections but the demonstration, which involved many families with young children,  was a successful expression of popular feeling about the loss of such vital services (and jobs).

After the event I was able to spend a couple of hours with my younger son and his girlfriend (top left in the collage) so the day was even more of a success for me.

Woo-hoo! It's just been pointed out to me that I'm in the third image here , standing centre with white cloth bag on my shoulder.