Local rapper Question at "Born in Lewisham" protest

This is Lewisham rapper Question (aka Question Musiq) on the right of the photo, with his friend and colleague Snipez on the left, at the "Born in Lewisham" protest on March 16, 2013, promoting the official "Save Lewisham Hospital A&E" song, by Question, which was produced by Charles Bailey with support from Save Lewisham Hospital campaigner Jos Bell, and backing vocals from Lewisham NHS Choir, who were runners-up in October in the BBC series "Sing While You Work." CDs of the single were on sale on the day, and Question and Snipez also performed the song to the appreciative crowd, encouraging everyone to make the "L' sign in support of Lewisham Hospital.

As the description accompanying the video on YouTube explains, "Question tells the true story of how Lewisham Hospital saved his life at age 13 when his appendix burst. The doctors managed to operate in time but said he was lucky as 20 minutes more and he wouldn't be alive today, If the plans to close Lewisham A&E go ahead the closest hospital will be another 30-40 mins away, which means he wouldn't be here today -- and If the government are successful more lives will be lost."

The campaign was established in October 2012, when Matthew Kershaw, an NHS Special Administrator appointed to deal with the financial problems of a neighbouring trust, the South London Healthcare Trust (based in Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley), recommended that Lewisham Hospital -- which is not part of the SLHT and has no financial problems -- should merge with one of the SLHT's hospitals, the Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich, and should have its A&E Department closed and other frontline services -- including maternity -- severely downgraded. In Lewisham, this would mean tens of thousands of emergencies having to be dealt with elsewhere, as well as 90 percent of Lewisham's mothers having to give birth outside the borough.

The "Born in Lewisham" event on March 16 followed two huge marches, in November and January, and although Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, approved Matthew Kershaw's plans on January 31, judicial reviews have been launched by Lewisham Council and the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign, on the basis that the Special Administrator exceeded his remit when he included Lewisham in his proposals.

For more on Andy Worthington, see: www.andyworthington.co.uk/

For the video, see: www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3vsE8n1A-k

You can also buy the song on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/album/save-lewisham-a-e-single/id5975...

For the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign, see: www.savelewishamhospital.com/

Also see my most recent articles: www.andyworthington.co.uk/2013/02/01/tories-endorse-nhs-p...

and: www.andyworthington.co.uk/2013/02/19/defend-londons-nhs-m...

and: www.andyworthington.co.uk/2013/03/04/save-lewisham-hospit...

For my photos of the march in November, see: www.flickr.com/photos/andyworthington/sets/72157632089076...

And for the march in January, see: www.flickr.com/photos/andyworthington/sets/72157632616078...

and: www.flickr.com/photos/andyworthington/sets/72157632628284...

For the first set of photos from March 16, 2013, see: www.flickr.com/photos/andyworthington/sets/72157633009043...

For my most interesting photos, see: www.flickriver.com/photos/andyworthington/popular-interes...

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