Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt’s decision to press ahead with the downgrade of Lewisham Hospital’s maternity and emergency services was a kick in the stomach for Lewisham’s community.
The plans were roundly rejected by local people, by the staff who work in the hospital and by local GPs. The Council will now fight to save Lewisham Hospital by challenging this decision through the courts.
"I made clear to the Trust Special Administrator and to the Secretary of State that I did not believe that they had the statutory power to make major changes to Lewisham Hospital," said Mayor of Lewisham Sir Steve Bullock. "We have now started the process to take legal action against the decision.
"People in the community asked me how they could contribute to this legal action. That is why we have set up a Legal Challenge Fund to enable people to make their own financial contribution to the legal action. I would be delighted if you wanted to make your own contribution."
All the money given through this page will go to fund this important legal action.
In the event that the court awards costs in the Council's favour or if for any other reason your donation is not needed for the legal action then the Council will donate your money to local charity Children First Lewisham.
Children First Lewisham was established in April 2002 to help children and young people whose health, education or social needs are special.
Update on legal challenge
Our challenge is due to be heard in the High Court over three days from 2-4 July.
The grounds for our challenge are simple – that the decisions are beyond the powers set out in the Unsustainable Provider Regime. The UPR confers powers on a Trust Special Administrator and on the Secretary of State respectively to make recommendations, and to take action, about the NHS Trust to which the TSA has been appointed, in this case the South London Healthcare NHS Trust. It confers no powers to take action about and NHS Trust, such as Lewisham Healthcare, to which a TSA has not been appointed.
The Council has already succeeded in securing an undertaking that no service changes affecting Lewisham Hospital as a result of the Secretary of State’s decision will be implemented before the matter has been dealt with by the court.