Health summit paves way for hospital revolution

Senior managers and doctors are meeting to draw up plans that will abolish traditional hospitals.

They are finalising a major consultation document that asks every Londoner to decide if GPs should move into big polyclinics.

Patients will be asked a series of crucial questions - signed off at today's meeting - that will lead to the massive changes next year.

They will be asked if London should have three hospitals specialising in the most serious injuries, instead of just one "major trauma" centre and numerous casualty units.

The public will also be asked if more maternity departments should be run by midwives instead of doctors, and if children should be seen in specialist hospitals.

Further questions ask if care of stroke victims should be concentrated in only seven hospitals to improve results.

The consultation will be launched at the end of the month and is likely to trigger battles to save local services.

Bosses have refused to name the hospitals and surgeries that should close and are consulting on "ideas" first.

Robert Creighton, chief executive of Ealing primary care trust, and one of the leaders of the consultation, said: "This process will lead to visible improvements for people using the NHS in London. We want to get people's views about the proposals and we intend genuinely to listen to what the public have to say."

But doctors have warned that the plan is being driven through. Dr Stewart Drage, head of Londonwide Local Medical Committees, said: "We have reservations about this whole process. We are concerned that the local input is going to be very limited."

It comes as campaigners find out the results of a consultation to downgrade Chase Farm hospital in north Enfield. Thousands have been fighting plans to move A&E and maternity services to Barnet and North Middlesex and make Chase Farm a community hospital. The summit meeting into changes across the capital - taking place at the Sofitel hotel near St James's Park - could mean the plans for Barnet and Chase Farm change again.

The proposals are based on plans drawn up in the summer by junior health minister Lord Darzi, who is now leading a nationwide review of the NHS.

WHO BACKS THE PROPOSALS ... AND WHO IS AGAINST

FOR THE CHANGES
NHS London - the strategic health authority
Health bosses say care in many parts of London is not good enough, especially for patients needing urgent or specialist attention. They say urgent changes are needed to solve these problems.
Primary care trusts
Most local health authority managers are enthusiastic about the plans, saying evidence shows specialist hospital units provide better results for patients.

AGAINST THE CHANGES
National Association of Patient Forums
Chairman Malcolm Alexander says it is inevitable hospitals will close under the plans.
London Health Emergency
Campaigners have claimed the proposals are a foil for cash cuts across the health service. They have not rejected the move outright - saying there are some decent ideas.

TO BE CONVINCED
British Medical Association
Doctors issued a highly critical report into the polyclinic proposals for London. They support specialist units for stroke victims and severely injured patients.