Over the past few weeks, many Kingston residents have joined the effort to stop our beloved local Kingston Hospital from being forced to be shut down, to cut back on NHS costs. Flyers were handed out outside stations, people wrote letters of complaint, and over 13,000 Facebook users joined the group ‘Save Kingston Hospital,’ spearheaded by Kingston MP Edward Davey, and Richmond’s Sue Kramer, with Edward Davey calling the dilemma “unthinkable.” The closure of the hospital would have been potentially devastating for those living in and around Kingston.

Many people expressed their feelings towards the news with great shock, disbelief, and anxiety, with one pregnant mother writing on Facebook that she was ‘worried and confused’ about where she would be giving birth. Another group member, who happened to be a nurse at another hospital, made claims that no jobs are safe nowadays. Also, a large number of people spoke up to praise the politicians for their work to help their constituents, especially after Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg filmed a message saying that he would do everything he could to save the hospital. However, thankfully for most people, the hospital is now safe from any kind of closure in the near future. Unfortunately for our local politicians, however, the finger has been pointed at them for staging this hoax, in order to gain publicity, support, and consequentially votes.

On the 27th January, an open letter was sent to the patients and supporters of Kingston Hospital, officially confirming that the closures of the Hospital A&E and Maternity Wards were just rumours. After the sigh of relief from the mothers-to-be living in the Kingston area, badly timed Liberal Democrat flyers were sent through the doors of many Kingston residents. Ironically, they placed the blame on the Labour party for proposing the aforementioned threat to our National Health Service.

Many people now feel as if the risk to the hospital was hugely overstated and that the placard bearing Mr. Davey’s plan has backfired. It is common belief that our MPs should be the whistleblowers on threats to services to the local community, with our best interests to heart. This is generally what gets them their popularity and ultimately votes but could this be one of the crassest games played by a politician as of yet, on their very own constituents.