The Gazette is calling on the community to raise £40,000 in two weeks to allow a legal challenge to the hospital's demise to go ahead.
The cash will only be needed if a judicial review in the High Court fails - if successful the money will be returned.
The judicial review, which if successful could force a rethink on health services in the town, offers the last lifeline to the embattled hospital.
To make a donation: Make cheque payable to Dacorum Hospital Action Group and send to: Zena Bullmore, DHAG, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1PA.
NB: Include your address so cheques can be returned if the challenge does not go ahead
CLICK HERE TO VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE CAMPAIGN
YOUR COMMENTS
League: Comets 6-a-side -17th June-U10
Result: Tournament winners
Report: Hemel Aces entered two teams at U10 level for the Comets Tournament
with the "B" team coming through their qualifying group unbeaten, their first
game against Gaddesden,a tense 0-0 ,their second game against Echoes was a
thrilling 2-1 victory with a Tyler Osborne bullet header winning the game,the
remaining two other games being a 0-0 draw against a spirited Tornados side and
a 2-0 win against Comet C.
Into the Quater-Final,Aces played their strongest opponents of the Tournament
against Harrow St Marys,with Aces soaking up the pressure to hit St.Marys on the
break for Elliot Richardson to hit a wonder strike to take the game 1-0.The next
game was a tight affair against Comet Dolphins with the game finally going to
penalties with Aces going through.
The final was against Echoes who they had already played in the group stages
with Echoes taking the lead with a well taken shot but Aces were not to be
denied and up popped Jack Burnell to clinch a crucial goal to take the game in
to over time,Aces had plenty of chances to seal the game but again it went
penalties with Aces nerve holding stronger going on to lift the trophy.
Well done to: N.Stearn,T.Osborne,J.Stevens,R.Bellis,J.Burnell,S.Sambucci and
E.Richardson...Plus a BIG thank you Kev.Richardson.
Name: Paul Emerton
Address: hemel Hempstead
Views: Firstly, I must say I have contributed to this fund - we all need to put in every penny that we can.
As a community, we can save our right to standard health care.
In this day and age, we should be increasing the support and services for both our most vulnerable and also those of us who may not need hospital services now, but will unexpectedly in the future.
That goes also for our friends and families and those we care about dearly. How many people will speak about this, but wont even donate the small £1 figure asked for? I've put in, the people above have put in, now you and everyone else needs to do the same. This is a real chance to stop the hatchet men in their footsteps and retain and build on hospital services.
They have announced in public that they will dispose of 'unneeded' land on the Hemel Hempstead site - so to add insult to injury, they will be reducing hospital services and supporting the growth of a ever more dependant population.
Please, everyone, dig deep. Business can support this cause too (tax free!) so lets all do something.
Name: PETER WARBURTON
Address: Alexander Road Hemelhempstead H
Views: Please I hope they don't Close Hemel Hospital as Hemel is GETTING BIGGER and SOMEOF US CAN NOT TRAVEL VERY FAR
From: Jon Morris
Address: Berkhamsted
I am about to post my contribution to the legal fighting fund. Comments on this web page suggest that this is a done deal and no matter what we do, the Trust will go ahead with its plans to move A and E to Watford anyway.
That's true - and is precisely the reason we need to take it to judicial review.
The Trust has held a number of utterly cynical public consultations before doing what it wants - how else can we interpret a consultation in which they ignored the fact that 84% of those consulted asked for a temporary surgicentre to be cited at Hemel and put it elsewhere instead .
The Trust and the Government do not want to be accountable for their actions and policies - the only place in which they can be challenged is in the courts.
From: mr ivor longman
Address: bennetts end,hemel hempstead
I think its a disgrace that a town the size of hemel should lose its hospital.I was hopitalised after having a minor stroke.the care was second too none.Everyone in dacoram should contribute to the fund,you never know you could be next,do you really want to travel to Watford.Also i agree with dr tony Hall-jones, The Trust should be held responsible,and brought to account.ps I think Zena Bullmore should be made a Dame for all her hard work over the years
From Lisa
I am appalled at all this going on. Hemel Hospital should stay and that is all there is to it. If we have to start travelling to Watford lives WILL be lost. I have had to do many a journey to both Watford and St Albans Hospitals, fortunately for nothing serious, and it usually takes me at least an hour to get to Watford, sometimes longer. On a match day, when the football is on at Watford stadium, it has taken me nearly two hours.
Travelling to St. Albans is not quite so bad but again on a bad day, it has been known to take me at up to an hour. If someone is seriously injured and it takes this amount of time to get to one of the alternative hospitals they would be arriving dead.
At the end of the day, I truely believe, that all they want to do is save money without any regard to how it will seriously effect the public and their health. If plans go ahead and it effects anyone in my family in a serious way I would do everything within my power to sue.
It would not be saving them so much money then now would it?!
Name: mr angry of Bennetts End
Views: Why oh why!!! are they spendng all that money on the new eyesore lighting as you come off the motorway and not putting it to a practical use and donating the money to save hemel hospital, surely the hospital is more important to the town than some stupid lighting seen mostly by commuters passing through and not living in the town
Name: Steve Roberts Address: Hemel
Views: Just read of the campaign t raise £40K. What a waste of time this is and it is just irresponsible to ask the public to support such an appeal. Whilst I respect people's committment to try and save the hospital, it is sadly misguided.
We have had these campaigns in Hemel for as long as I can remember, and have they ever achieved anything? Did we ever get a new hospital? Did we ever get to keep maternity or A&E etc etc?? The list goes on. This is not OUR hospital and the sooner people wake up to the reality that we actually have no say in what happens to it the better. I am bored with it all frankly.
The future, as forced upon us by this government, is for people to take out private medical insurance. The government is not interested in hearing about those who cannot.
Name: Name and address supplied
Views: I think HEMEL Hospital should stay in HH If there was an RTA ON M1 Near HH there take them to HH hospital and not Watford some pepole can not drive to get over to watford you need 2 buses to get over to Watford hospita one from HH to watford town and AN 2 buse from watford town to Watford hospita and same thing back again come on let HH hospital say in HH
Name: Karen Weedon
Address: Grovehill Hemel Hempstead
Views: IMPORTANT Hi i just saw your artical on front page of gazette to raise money to save the hospital.I do agree with this and know of a solution.A long the redbourne road near the texco/somerfield garage there is a house called the middway house it use to be for disabled or handicaped people but for at least 6 years its be left to go derelict.If the NHS were to sell this property they would make more then enought to save the hospital and more besides.
Name: Tom Price
Address: Lincolnshire
Views: This really is the last chance If everyone chipped in £1 it would do it Where can we send a contribution - we had a season ticket to casualty when we lived in Hemel
