SAVE LEWISHAM HOSPITAL

Lewisham Hospital was this week described as 'the most irrational, irresponsible hospital to cut'. 

http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/

Back in the summer of 2010 when the newly formed Coalition Government didn't seem all that bad, I interned at the The Mirror under political editor Jason Beattie. This was my first foray into journalism, and in turn presented me with unprecedented access to the powers that be, the political circus of Westminster and on one particularly sunny afternoon the opportunity to attend an initial review of Andrew Lansely's White Paper. At the time I didn't take much notice to the then health secretary and his proposal for "reforming" the NHS. I didn't see any immediate correlation between the Government's plans for the NHS and, well me. (Although others had stronger objections to Lansely's White Paper and shared them rather more vocally... ) Two and half years later, the word "Coalition" is no longer thrown around like a buzz word, Andrew Lansely is no longer the health secretary and the Government's "liberation" of the NHS is seen incontrovertibly as unrelenting cut backs. Now headed up by health secretary Jeremy Hunt, the NHS is attempting to pay off tens of millions of pounds of debt with the closure and cutting back of hospitals nationwide. But it wasn't until the closure of the new A&E departments, Intensive Care, Maternity and and children's services at Lewisham Hospital was announced that the state of affairs really hit home.

I was born in Lewisham Hospital, my Mother endured 30+ hours of labor in the process and received excellent care throughout, my younger sister was subsequently (with my Mother's insistence and the hospital's blessing) naturally born there and most recently my Father's life was saved by the A&E Unit in Lewisham Hospital. Lewisham Hospital is a high performing hospital that has become a victim of its own success. The hospital is only facing these closures as the lower performing, poorly managed hospitals in the local area are involved in disastrous PFI contracts. Lewisham has consistently ranked in the top forty hospitals in the country and its safeguarding services have just been marked excellent by Ofsted. This is a high performing hospital situated in a Labour stronghold, its fate is now in the hands of Conservative Jeremy Hunt. 

There is a strong community campaign to save Lewisham Hospital and I urge you all to join it. If anything the proposed closure of this community hospital has reunited the community. There is not a residential street in the area in which a campaign poster is not on display. This week the campaign gained further public support from Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu as well as countless others.  However after the future of Lewisham A&E was debated in Parliament earlier this week, the despicable Nadine Dorries responded to the campaign on twitter, "@SAVELewishamNHS Demo when I was at QT totally dominated by the Socialist Workers Party who were aggressive and rude. March will be same". This is not the case, the local people of Lewisham only express anger as their voices have been ignored, the Government's plans concealed and a dialogue with Jeremy Hunt denied to them. The people campaigning to save the hospital come from Lewisham's vibrant and varied community, they are peaceful but passionate.

Jeremy Hunt's decision will be announced on 1 February. A final march is due to take place on Saturday 26th January (this Saturday). 

I urge you to sign the petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/lewisham-hospital/

Like the Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/savelewishamhospitalnhs

Follow and support the campaign on Twitter:

http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/

A community united. 

"TAKING OFFENCE IS ALL THE RAGE"

Two weeks into navigating myself through the 'Abyss of 2013', and my new "YES" mentality has been serving me well. However it seems not everybody is feeling quite so positive. It would appear that "taking offence is all the rage", and nobody is about to do it quietly. Naturally you can always rely on the Daily Mail to be throwing some kind of hissy fit but last week the media was awash with offended individuals. From the on going critique of comedians (this time Jack Whitehall), the online witch hunt of Suzanne Moore and even the revelation of my own twitter faux pas. 

I recently discovered a woman I aspirationally covet had taken offence at something I had done, or rather tweeted. Said woman, who I will not risk offending further, had taken offence to and action against something I had uttered in complete jest and promptly wiped from my memory, (obviously not from hers). It was only when I went to look for her comment on something recently that it came to my attention that she had blocked me on twitter. WHOA. As it turns out I was discovering this nearly six months late but it still shocked me. Why had she taken such offence to my comment? Why did she even care? Why had she bothered to block me? Yes, my tweet to her was mildly offensive, which I was aware of but she had replied in jest too (at least I thought she had) - Would she have replied at all if it had been entirely unprovocative? I guess I am mostly disappointed because I though she was a sharp, funny and grounded woman who wouldn't indulge in the self-importance inherent to this kind of heightened sensitivity. It would appear that somewhere along the line she has lost her sense of humour somewhere up her own arse.

My personal twitter drama aside, Suzanne Moore caused her own furor last week after she republished an essay that seemed to offend and enrage just about everybody, (body being the sensitive issue). Ironically the ugly media storm caused by Suzanne Moore's article 'Seeing red: the power of female anger', in the New Statesman was about celebrating anger, but the anger she evoked was not quite what she had in mind. Moore's article raises some valid points and whilst we must all tread tentatively when it comes to issues of race, gender and sexuality her argument was completely highjacked by the offence virally adopted by a large part of the internet. Her mistake was clumsy and perhaps she should have just apologised immediately but her defiant response in the Guardian reminded me of the importance for those who do have the privilege to open up dialogue. You can't please everyone and who wants to? That's not interesting, or provocative or even productive. The way Moore was mercilessly hounded did not demonstrate the dispelling of her ignorance but more the way in which society finds it so much easier to unite through a negative cause, rather than engage in any kind of positive empowering unification. Commenting on the Moore witch hunt a (gay) friend tweeted, “It's a battle to see who can be the most offended...You both look good in heels! (Unless you think heels objectify you - then you don't)... This is a #minefield". Whilst I completely understand why people were offended by Moore's flippant reference to Brazilian transexuals, my friend's comment exemplifies the damage this kind of uproar can cause, ultimately we will shut down debate and exile people into silence. 

Here are some images to which you might want to take offence...

"Breading" my cat Jamal

Tiny breasts.

Lana Del Rey "modelling"

THE ABYSS OF 2013

Intellectual dreamboat Hadley Freeman declared one of the worst ideas of 2012 to be celebrities oversharing; "Memo to Kim Kardashian: no one wants to hear your thoughts on the Middle East."- Amen. Freeman makes a good point and perhaps people would rather not hear my opinions on the Middle East either but as an aspiring writer I can ill afford the mystique of silence. Kardashians and the Middle East aside, I will share some thoughts on lighter matters.

As the dust settles on this new year I've been struggling to think of what resolutions I should make, if any. Traditionally I avoid this annual flirtation with active self improvement but I appear to be at a point in my life where this kind of bull might be just what I need to kick me into gear. This year many people have opted for a "dry" January but I cannot understand why anyone would make their first foray into the new year more difficult for themselves...2013 already has a lot to live up to. 2012 was the year the Olympics came to London, we celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the world DIDN'T end and it was momentarily not all that bad to be British. 2012 was a year in which things were always going to happen, years of hard work and millions of pounds spent reached fruition. And I similarly sought the fruits of my own personal labours. 2012 was the year I wrote my dissertations, graduated from university and turned 21- all deeply traumatising and manifesting in differing emotional outbursts. And despite the unpredictability of my reactions to these events I was safe in the knowledge that I too would achieve in 2012, wheels were in motion. Now the final weeks of 2012 have been and gone, I am somewhat suspended in the wake of these relative achievements - I find myself staring into the abyss of 2013...

2012:

Celebrating her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee.

The Olympics.

Thus far in my life I have been quietly pottering towards the ambitious career carved out for me by my 8 year old self and my feminist mother. I have worked through an endless chain of productive and necessary steps; a-levels, university, endless interning, but what now? I no longer have the comfort of this predetermined productivity. 2013 is feeling like a bit of a free fall, the morning after the great party of 2012. I have decided that I will not succumb the stultifying indeterminateness of 2013. Whilst the press continue to remind me that my future as a graduate is bleaker than ever and my parents are less than hopeful I am determined to make things happen for myself, quit procrastinating ("positive" or otherwise) and continue with this oversharing for the foreseeable future.

Happy New Year 

+ +

The hopeful graduate. 

Graduate life in 2013.