Jo takes hospice fight to Downing St

4.37.00pm GMT Wed 4th Jun 2008

Hospice Chief Executive Sister Rita and Marjorie McCance were among those who joined Jo for the presentation at Downing St

Campaigners battling to save St Margaret of Scotland Hospice in Clydebank have taken their fight to 10 Downing St today.

Jo Swinson welcomed a group led by Milngavie resident Marjorie McCance, who has collected over 90,000 signatures in support of the campaign, to present a petition at the Prime Minister's door.

Commenting on the petition presentation, Jo said:

"To have amassed over 90,000 signatures from people opposed to cuts at St Margaret of Scotland Hospice is phenomenal. Support for the Hospice is extremely strong in the community, as well as among politicians from across the political spectrum.

"With today's petition to Downing St we are aiming to bring this special case to the attention of the Prime Minister, and ask that he urges Greater Glasgow Health Board to guarantee a secure future for St Margaret's. The proposal to remove funding from St Margaret's is against the best interests of patients and would undermine a fantastically well-run, caring institution."

A cross-party group of politicians travelled to London for the petition presentation

Hospice campaigner Marjorie McCance added:

"We are leaving no stone unturned in the fight to save the wonderful, professional and caring services provided at St Margaret of Scotland Hospice. We want to take advantage of every possible opportunity to press home the message of the campaign - that stopping funding to St Margaret's would be a huge mistake on the part of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board."

St Margaret's is the biggest hospice in Scotland. It opened in Clydebank in 1950 as a non-denominational unit and over the years has developed into a hospice with 60 beds - 30 for palliative care and 30 for care of older adults with complex medical and nursing needs.

Greater Glasgow NHS Board is proposing a funding cut of £1.2m to the hospice, along with the transfer of patients requiring continuing care from the 30-bed specialist care unit to a new privately funded hospital, despite the Hospice having recently completed a £4.7m state-of-the-art ward for these patients at no cost to the public purse. The Hospice already relies heavily on donations and continuously fundraises to meet the annual running costs of £30,000 per week.

Related Links:

St Margaret's Hospice online petition

St Margaret's Hospice