Watch: Joan Ruddock and Heidi Alexander make powerful, impassioned defences of Lewisham Hospital

Watch Lewisham Labour MPs Dame Joan Ruddock and Heidi Alexander make the case for saving Lewisham Hospital in today's House of Commons NHS Funding Debate.

On Left Foot Forward in recent weeks, we have chronicled the fight to save Lewisham Hospital, outlining the deadly consequences, economic cost and sheer irrationality of the plans.

Today, in the House of Commons NHS Funding debate, Dame Joan Ruddock and Heidi Alexander, the MPs for Lewisham Deptford and Lewisham East, respectively reiterated all those points and more, imploring health secretary Jeremy Hunt and prime minister David Cameron to listen the evidence, remember their promises to protect the health service and think again.

Here’s Dame Joan:

As she concluded:

“Let me urge the Secretary of State today that when he comes to view the report, whatever form it takes, from the TSA, that he will also review all of the evidence that has been presented by local people, local experts, local consultants, GPs and the hospital trust itself.”

“As the local Save Lewisham campaign says, this is not a difficult decision for government, it is potentially a deadly decision. I urge him to give the most careful consideration as to what is being said. The criticisms are indeed damning, and we have absolutely no faith in the proposals that the TSA will put before him.”

And here’s Heidi:

Recalling the Tory leader’s past pledges on health, she ended her speech by saying:

“Before the election, the prime minister told us that he would cut the deficit and not the NHS. In 2007, the prime minister promised a bare-knuckle fight over the future of services at Lewisham Hospital. How times have changed. He has broken his promises on NHS spending, and he has broken his promises about Lewisham Hospital.

“If anyone needs any proof that this government can not be trusted with the NHS they need look no further.”

We will have more on the latest from the campaign to save Lewisham Hospital later this week on Left Foot Forward.

See also:

Unfair, dangerous, unbelievable… Hunt’s death clock ticks down on Lewisham HospitalDecember 3rd, 2012

Banners and brollies: The fight to save Lewisham HospitalNovember 28th, 2012

Join the fight to save lives and Save Lewisham hospitalNovember 22nd, 2012

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