On 11th January 1993: Activists from the St Charles Hospital (in West London) Campaign occupied the office of Chief Executive Neil Goodwin, (in St Mary’s Hospital, in Praed Street, Paddington), in protest at impending closure of the Accident & Emergency Department, at St Charles, due to be implemented on 1st February.

Through 1992-3 there had been a local campaign to try and prevent the planned closure, which had involved candle lit vigils outside hospital, among other tactics. Despite the mass local support the campaigners enjoyed, the A&E did close in February that year…

It was suspected locally that the A&E closure was a prelude to the eventual shutting down of the whole hospital… Though it still exists, services were gradually run down in the succeeding years.

More on the history of St Charles Hospital at http://www.ezitis.myzen.co.uk/stcharles.html

That’s all we know… We’d welcome more info on this campaign if anyone out there knows more or was involved…

A past tense dossier on some UK hospital occupations can be found at:

Click to access occupational-hazards.pdf