S W London NHS Statement

27 January 2010

Local Liberal Democrats Edward Davey MP and Susan Kramer MP have made claims that NHS organisations in south west London are considering an option to close the maternity and A&E at Kingston Hospital.

Healthcare for South West London strongly refutes any claims that there are secret plans to close A&E or maternity units at Kingston Hospital or any hospital.

Yes, clinicians are clear that there are significant challenges to the NHS in future years. Rising birth rates, an older population, increasing costs of drugs and treatments and, if we do nothing – big increases in the prevalence of long-term conditions will all test the NHS to the limit.

Clinicians are also clear that no change is not an option and we need to look at how healthcare services are provided across the sector to deliver higher-quality care and ensure our services are sustainable in future.

But in response to media requests, clinical directors Dr Howard Freeman, Dr Martyn Wake and Gavin Marsh said:

“This work is at an early stage and has not considered any specific sites for closure nor have we agreed any numbers of hospitals that will be required to deliver A&E, maternity, complex surgery, critical care or specialist children’s care.”

Over the past few months we have regularly briefed MPs, councils, patient groups and others on the work of clinicians – who have been asked to look at how we can improve services for patients. This review is not secret.

The clinicians from across the area are leading the work. They have told us that we must improve the quality of care for local people and look at new ways of delivering care, such as providing better access to urgent care at hospital and in the community. Providing high quality, sustainable and clinically viable healthcare services will necessitate changes at every site, but we do not have worked up plans for how we deliver this.
 
There is a lot of work to be done over the coming months to look at best practice, how different specialties could relate to each other and, at some point in the future, what this might mean for hospitals in south west London.
 
The outcomes of the clinical working group discussions on the case for change are to be published in February. These have already been discussed with patient representatives.
Please find attached the briefing pack on these issues that was circulated to PCT Chief Executives in order to inform their discussions with MPs, councils, patient groups and key stakeholders; along with various background documents that explain the work to date.

If you would like to discuss this issue further please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Sian Bates
Chair of NHS Richmond and sector chair of NHS South West London