Carroll Takes Maternity Fight Back To Whitehall

9.40.06am GMT Mon 15th Feb 2010

Maidstone Maternity Campaigner Peter Carroll will be back in Whitehall on Tuesday 23rd February to fight against the downgrading of Maternity services in the County Town. Peter will be standing outside the Department of Health at 11.00am with over 3,000 letters from local people all asking for the Secretary of State to intervene and stop the downgrade. Many of the letters will be stuck to a 100ft long banner. This visit to Whitehall follows on from Peter handing in an enormous petition to 10 Downing Street a few weeks ago.

Peter said, 'Trying to get the voices of local people heard can sometimes be very difficult. Our petition to Downing Street received a polite but unhelpful reply. During my campaigning work on this issue, I have amassed over 3,000 letters from members of the public in and around Maidstone personally addressed to the Health Secretary. So far, I have not found it possible to get a meeting with the Minister. On Feb 23rd, I will be going to the Department of Health with all 3,000 letters - some attached to a 100ft long banner so that the Minister see just how strong local feeling is on this. I will be attempting to hand in the letters at the door of the Department of Health - I am determined that our voice will be heard'.