There have been numerous birds trapped in the cruel bird netting over Darlington Hospital that are left in distress taking days to die before their bodies are removed. 

There is now a blackbird stuck in the courtyard which can’t get out and amazing staff have been feeding it to keep the poor thing alive but it cannot get out. Its mate has been waiting for it beyond the netting and it is in distress being trapped in there with no escape. Kind staff have kept it alive by feeding it and if this wasn’t the case it would like the others, just starve to death. The facilities staff have said it will find its own way out and access for wildlife rescue has been refused. It is more likely to become trapped in netting and is very unlikely to find its own way out past bird netting. 

For a place that works hard to save human lives but leaves animals to needlessly suffer and die like this is cruel and unacceptable. Hospitals are a place for healing and kindness and this should extend to the wildlife that lives in the hospital grounds too. 

Please sign to ask Darlington NHS Hospitals Trust to allow wildlife rescue in to free this poor blackbird and get the netting off the hospital in favour of more humane and wildlife friendly alternatives. 

We are in a biodiversity crisis and access to nature in a health setting is medically proven to help with healing and health. Cruel policies like this have no place in a nature and climate crisis.