Save Accident and Emergency in Darlington

When you drive into Durham City or Northallerton there are signs saying Hospital A and E on roundabouts and at junctions surrounding the access routes to the Hospital and the words Accident and Emergency Department appear on the billboards at the hospital, not just Emergency but Accident and Emergency. So why is that? Unless you read Sir Bruce Keogh's proposals in a trust document on page 9 of Right First Time 24/7 on the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust website the significance of the name Emergency Department might be lost on you.

Thank you. It has been really great of you all to more than triple the size of the original paper petition of 1500 names in four days. After a search of Darlington I have found only one sign which says H A&E. It is just before the roundabout outside Bondgate Methodists at the back of what was Route 66. Can anyone else find any others in Darlington? The words Accident and Emergency appear no where I can find on any sign, but are on the NHS website referring to Darlington. At the hospital there are signs saying Emergency Department. Google earth suggests the signs have been at the hospital since 2012. Read page 9 of the document Right First Time 24/7 on the County Durham and Darlington NHSTrust website to see the words Emergency Department are used by Sir Bruce Keogh's in his proposals to mean something less than a full service. .

TV reporters are looking for human interest stories and want people to come forward with their own experiences of how the A and E services saved them in the past. Please include your contact details when you message me so I can put you in touch with the TV people.

I am delighted to report Northallerton still have there A and E signs up this morning. I hope they continue to enjoy an A and E service.

Are there any civil litigation lawyers out there who are prepared to take the case on pro bono (ie for free) get into court this week and try and get us an injunction?

I am just going to check what is happening at Northallerton by taking a drive down there too. I will see what their A and E signs say now.

I have been to check at Durham Hospital this morning. They still have Accident and Emergency signs up there. Here in Darlington signs just saying Emergency have appeared . If you read page 9 of Right First Time 24/7 on the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust website it tells you the difference.

Tyne Tees TV are looking for human interest stories to broadcast from people who can comke forward and say how their lives were saved by Darlington A and E. They want the stories to go out on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

We are looking for a pro bono civil litigation lawyer who takes Administrative Law Natural Justice and Human Rights cases to challenge the decision in the courts and hopefully get an injunction asap. We also need a person to bring the case as client such as a pensioner living on benefits who does not own their own home and has no savings or assets to lose if costs go against them.

We have a paper petition already which 1500 people have signed. Please tell your family and friends about this issue please. This is a nationwide problem. We must stop these proposals to reduce the number of A and Es across the country. Those in power are planning to rename A and Es Major Emergency Departments and rename Walk In Centres Emergency Departments. They hope you will not notice the difference.

If you search Keogh's name on line you will also find references to Darzi. It was a report by Darzi which proposed the closure of A and E at Hartlepool 14 years ago. Locals in Hartlepool managed to keep their A and E open 11 years by running protests like this. Public protest works.

It is only when you know, there are 181 A and E Departments in England at present, that the full implications of these proposals to reduce them to between 40 to 70 begin to hit home. More than half of our A and E Departments are going to be closed. Maybe as many as 4 out of every 5 A and E Departments are going to close. The scale is shocking and breathtaking.