Campaigners from across the county came together on Saturday in a further bid to stop the removal of QEQM Hospital's stroke service.

A march from the hospital's main entrance began at midday, with crowds of people bearing banners and calling for support.

Organisers, Save Our NHS in Kent (SONIK), claim it was the biggest protest in 16 years.

A SONIK spokesman said: "The last time people came out in such numbers was when the accident and emergency department of Margate hospital was under threat.

"We saved A&E then, now we're going to do all we can to save the stroke unit."

The protestors marched from Margate hospital to Westwood Cross shopping centre, where they stopped for a rally and were addressed by a numbers of local activists including Thanet councillor Ian Venables.

He said: "This is an absolute outrage. We will not accept the stroke unit closure here.
"We will not accept any reduction in healthcare services in Thanet. We want the best healthcare provision for all residents of east Kent."

One campaigner, who spoke at the demonstration, is the son of a stroke victim and is calling on people across Kent to fight to keep open the stroke unit at QEQM.

Cliftonville resident Jason Tipple, whose father collapsed with a stroke earlier this year, said: "Of all the services you could move, stroke isn't one of them. You've got to have that in your local hospital."

Jason's father was taken by ambulance to Margate hospital, a journey of just ten minutes and was successfully treated.

But, if the planned closure goes ahead stroke victims will have to travel for even longer to the nearest stroke service unit and, Jason says, risk being severely disabled or dying.

He added: "Everyone knows how urgent it is to have speed in treatment for strokes.

"This is too important to play with.

"My father has had one stroke and it's woken me up to how important this is.

"And I think if people care about their loved ones, about themselves and their health, then I think this is one thing we've got to get together to fight for and get a good service in our local hospital."

The protest was organised by Save Our NHS in Kent group, which says that the proposal for three new hyper acute stroke services in the region means the lives of Thanet people will be sacrificed to save on costs.

A spokesman for the group said: "The official advice is that speed of treatment is vital for stroke victims - so Thanet people will die as a result of having to travel to the nearest new proposed unit in Ashford.

"And where'e the sense in closing a stroke unit in Thanet, an area of high deprivation and ill health where stroke victims are likely to be most common. It's madness."

The NHS has defended its proposal, however, saying that it would be better to travel for longer for a higher quality of treatment.

A statement from NHS is east Kent says: “There is overwhelming evidence that NHS proposals to create a new hyper acute stroke unit in Ashford would save lives and reduce disability for the people of Thanet and the rest of east Kent.

“With stroke, what counts is getting the right treatment from specialist staff, whatever time of day or day of the week it is.

“It is better to travel an hour in an ambulance to a specialist unit where your treatment starts in 30 minutes, than to spend 15 minutes in an ambulance and wait three hours in A&E.

“Our proposals recommend Ashford as the right place for the hyper acute stroke unit because it has the range of services that are desirable for a hyper acute stroke unit and it can be reached in less than 61 minutes from everywhere in east Kent.”