Protest for Lewisham A&E

Thousands of demonstrators today marched in protest against plans to scrap Lewisham hospital's A&E department and downgrade its maternity ward.

Thousands of protesters marched to demand that plans to scrap Lewisham Hospital's A&E department and downgrade its maternity ward be rejected.

Thousands of protesters marched around Lewisham Hospital this afternoon to demand that the Government withdraw plans to to scrap the hospital's A&E department, and downgrade its maternity ward.

Mike Farrar, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, said "the importance of changing services is to get the best outcomes for the money we have got available".

A GP has branded the government's policy on NHS trusts as a "failure regime."

Helen Tattersfield, a GP in Lewisham, where the Accident and Emergency department at Lewisham hospital is under threat of closure, said:

Thousands of protesters from around the country will march today against proposals to scrap a "high performing" hospital's A&E department and downgrade its maternity ward.

Under government plans, Lewisham Hospital, south east London, will see its emergency department replaced with an "urgent care" ward and its maternity services turned into a midwife-led unit.

It is part of a radical overhaul proposed by special administrator Matthew Kershaw in response to nearby South London Healthcare NHS Trust (SLHT) going into administration after it started losing approximately £1.3 million a week.