Six hospital A&E units face closure as NHS cuts costs

Up to three-quarters of the eight A&E units in north-west London could be shut or downgraded, under the plans.

NHS London has written to local officials warning that keeping even three major acute hospital sites is "clinically and financially unsustainable".

A secret review could lead to the downgrading or closure of units including at Ealing hospital, Central Middlesex and West Middlesex, with services transferred to other hospitals.

This comes as the future of another five acute units out of a total of 31 in the capital is under discussion.

Growing demand for health services means NHS London faces a predicted funding shortfall of £5 billion over the next few years and has ordered trusts to make massive efficiency savings.

But health campaigners said the plans represented "a secret carve up".

Geoff Martin, of London Health Emergency, said: "It's a scandal the future of up to a third of A&E departments is being decided in secret meetings despite the fact that they are life-or-death services paid for by Londoners in taxes."

Officials working in each of the five health zones covering London have all had to draw up cost-saving plans. Most are unlikely to be finalised until this September when the proposals go out to public consultation.

Bosses in north London have identified the Whittington's A&E department for possible closure. Early proposals include keeping the unit operating 24 hours a day or scrapping it and transferring services to the Royal Free.

Hospitals under threat in north-east London include Chase Farm in Enfield and King George in Ilford.

NHS London today said there were "no firm plans" to make any closures and that any changes would be made after consultation with the public.

NHS London denied any A and Es would close in north-west London although draft plans recommend that only up to three will offer dedicated acute care.

They said all London's major specialist hospitals and local hospitals will continue to operate 24/7 emergency departments. A spokesman said there were currently only plans to downgrade three A and Es in the capital- Chase Farm in Enfield, Queen Mary's in Sidcup and King George's in Ilford.

A spokesman for the North West London Commissioning Partnership said: "There are no firm plans for change in North West London at the moment. We are reviewing services across the sector to ensure that more patients can get a better standard of care in the most appropriate setting. This includes moving more care into the community and closer to home, as set out in Healthcare for London.

"Senior doctors, nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals in North West London have been working together over the last six months to review health services and this work is still in development. No decisions have been made about the future of any hospital sites in North West London but there are no plans at the moment to close any hospital sites.

"The NHS in North West London cannot guarantee today what services will be delivered from any specific site in the future but we are aiming to maximise the use of NHS estate and fully use the sites we have for the benefit of patients. This includes opening around 26 polyclinics over the next few years, delivering services to patients that are more local, more accessible and more appropriate to their clinical need."