A&E closures in North West London, “ballooned in cost to £1.3 bn”, are seriously jeopardising health care services and must be halted immediately, according to an investigation. Amongst the nine hospitals in North West London, only five will retain A&E services with Central Middlesex and Hammersmith A&E units closed already along with the Ealing Hospital maternity ward. Closures will amount to 25% reduction in bed space, putting pressure on other already overburdened hospitals.
“NHS is a treasured part of our culture and these closures are threatening the very principles of NHS,” said barrister Michael Mansfield QC who headed the investigation under the Independent Healthcare Commission for North West London, called by five councils - Hammersmith, Ealing, Brent, Harrow and Hounslow. The closures come as part of the NHS programme ‘Shaping a healthier future’ which aimed to improve health care services and to cut costs by £1bn. The report finds that instead of saving costs, £235mn were spent in 'programme costs', with £35mn going towards management consultants. There are also plans to decimate Charing Cross Hospital, but they are currently on hold.
The programme planning which began before 2012 has greatly underestimated the growing population size and medical needs of North West London, lays out the report. Councils lament that Out Of Hospital care is still not in place and yet A&E services at major hospitals are being scrapped. “The programme has been too NHS-focussed with little participation from local councils,” said Brent Councillor Krupesh Hirani. The 320,000 residents of Brent of which 40% are South Asians are being adversely affected by the closure of Central Middlesex Hospital’s A&E services. It's putting more pressure on Northwick Park Hospital which has become the worst performing in the country with a waiting period of four hours, he added. Ealing Councillor Julian Bell said, “There will be a big impact on the 51% BME population of which a substantial number are South Asians. They are already suffering by missing out on culturally sensitive health care services at their doorstep because of the closures.”
Patients would also be redirected to Urgent Care Centres (UCC), but the report outlined “widespread confusion” among GPs, consultants and patients as to which health issues and patients UCCs could deal with. Additionally, London Ambulance service is also on special measures, putting even more pressure on other hospitals with A&E units. “Councils should consider a judicial review if the programme is not halted,” said Mr. Mansfield.
Shaping A Healthier Future argued the £1.3 bn figure and said that patients now had better access to GPs with approximately 250 practices providing evening and weekend appointments with an “additional 11 consultants, 31 nurses and 21 junior doctors delivering A&E services and 113 staff for midwifery and neonatal services across North West London”.
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The 320,000 residents of Brent of which 40% are South Asians are being adversely affected by the closure of Central Middlesex Hospital’s A&E services.
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