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| Stafford Hospital march for children's services to stay | Stafford Hospital march for children's services to stay |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Thousands of campaigners have marched in opposition to plans to move maternity and paediatric care from Stafford Hospital. | Thousands of campaigners have marched in opposition to plans to move maternity and paediatric care from Stafford Hospital. |
| The rally, organised by the Support Stafford Hospital (SSH) pressure group, comes just days before a public consultation ends. | The rally, organised by the Support Stafford Hospital (SSH) pressure group, comes just days before a public consultation ends. |
| Trust Special Administrators want to break up the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and move some units. | Trust Special Administrators want to break up the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and move some units. |
| Children's and maternity services could be moved to neighbouring hospitals. | Children's and maternity services could be moved to neighbouring hospitals. |
| SSH have opposed the plans, saying they equate to a "downgrade" of care for patients. | |
| Cheryl Porter, from the pressure group, said: "We have to keep going and keep fighting for this and we have to show people how important it is because they [the administrators] are obviously ignoring what we've told them before. | |
| "This is just to say we're staying around, we're not going away and we're not lying down and being given what you think we should have." | |
| Protestors gathered in Stafford's market square before marching to the nearby hospital in a "public show of strength". | Protestors gathered in Stafford's market square before marching to the nearby hospital in a "public show of strength". |
| The organisers claimed there were between 15,000 and 20,000 participants at the march. | |
| Afterwards, the chief executive of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Maggie Oldham, paid tribute to those involved. | |
| "I thank the organisers who have invested a great deal of time, energy and resources into making today's march a happy and safe occasion," she said. | |
| "Also I would like to say a big thank you to all of the children and to everyone else who has taken part. | |
| "It means a great deal to staff to witness the strength of local feeling and the widespread support for the hospital." |