CAMPAIGNERS pledged to march from Ealing to Downing Street at a meeting attended by about 300 residents worried about A&E closures.

The event at Hanwell Methodist Church, in Church Road was hosted by campaign group, Ealing SOS, on Thursday (5). Its chairman, Colin Standfield, was joined by a panel of politicians comprising London Assembly member for Ealing and Hillingdon Dr Onkar Sahota, Ealing Council leader Julian Bell, Conservative deputy leader and health spokesman Gregory Stafford, and MPs Virendra Sharma and Steve Pound.

Mr Pound gave the most rousing speech in which he called on people to march to Downing Street.

He said: "The NHS is not just a monolith which has grown since 1948, it has changed. Anyone who says standing against these proposals is standing against progress is speaking nonsense.

"There is an element of beggar my neighbour about this, it's bigger than a local issue, this is about the NHS."

He called on campaigners to march from Ealing Hospital all the way to Downing Street picking up those fighting A&E closures at Central Middlesex, Hammersmith and Charing Cross along the way.

After many from the audience voiced support for the idea plans have been put in motion for early September.

Mr Standfield took apart arguments made by NHS North West London, proposing the changes. He said consolidating services into centres of excellence does not work with A&Es.

And added: "You can go 10 miles down the road for a liver specialist but when your arm's hanging off you want to get to A&E quickly."

Dr Sahota explained how Southall's population has a higher proportion of residents who need A&E services than elsewhere, one example being the average rate of diabetes, five per cent nationwide but 17 per cent in Southall. He said the assumption GPs and other community care could pick up the slack after A&E closures is a fallacy and people would suffer.

Consultants and GPs lined up condemn the plans which they described as "criminal" pointing out many vulnerable people will be put at risk. They said doctors in Southall were already overstretched and cannot take on the care of the many seriously ill patients who need Ealing A&E and the services which rely on its staff.

One said: "We've been screaming about this but we're wondering who is listening to us."

Many in the audience spoke out about the consultation, how it was full of leading questions, written in opaque language and difficult to get hold of hard copies.

But the audience were asked to be determined and make their views heard.

The consultation runs until October 8, visit www.healthiernorthwestlondon.nhs.uk.

Go to www.ealing.gov.uk/petitions to sign a petition against the A&E closures.