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Boris at odds with Ken over plan for NHS 'polyclinics'
Pippa Crerar, Political Correspondent05.02.08
Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson were on collision course over the future of London's local hospitals.
The Mayor has given his backing to Lord Darzi's NHS blueprint to set up 150 large "polyclinics" while cutting beds at some maternity and A&E units.
Critics claim the proposals will put some hospitals at risk of being downgraded or closed but Mr Livingstone believes the plans present a "compelling vision" of future healthcare in the capital.
He said the scheme makes financial sense, although he believed Londoners would be more likely to accept the changes if the polyclinics were "fully operational" before existing services were scaled back.
His support put him at odds with the Tory Mayoral candidate, who warned that access to services across the capital would actually decrease.
Mr Johnson said the scheme, which would cost £3billion, was untested. "It threatens the closure or downgrading of existing services, breaking the Londoner's link with their family doctor," he said. " Increasing their travel to see the doctor will reduce access to healthcare, not improve it.
"But despite the threat to local services, the incumbent Labour Mayor backs them. The Mayor should be fighting London's corner. Despite the concerns of ordinary Londoners, the Mayor is silent."
At present, London's Mayor has only limited powers over public health but the Government is expanding these to give him a new duty to reduce health inequalities in the capital.
Mr Johnson called for a moratorium on existing proposals to cut hospital services and urged the Government to name which ones were under threat so patients and professionals could be properly consulted on the changes. Campaigners claim dozens of local hospitals in London face being downgraded and a handful could be shut under the shake-up proposed by Lord Darzi.
They say those at risk of losing services include Queen Mary's Sidcup, the Royal Free in Hampstead and Hammersmith Hospital. Under separate proposals, Chase Farm could lose its A&E department and maternity unit, which would transfer to Barnet hospital 10 miles away, or North Middlesex Hospital, five miles away.
Lord Darzi, a surgeon appointed by Gordon Brown, suggested the 32 acute trusts operating in London should be replaced by 15 super-hospitals each with a catchment area of around 500,000 patients. There would also be three hospitals for patients with life-threatening injuries and another five specialising in the treatment of stroke victims.
More than half of patients in the city would be treated in 150 new polyclinics instead of outpatient departments at local hospitals within 10 years. These clinics would provide about 50,000 people with a range of round-the-clock services, including GP care, dentistry, sexual and mental health treatment and minor surgery.
Local hospitals are likely to be converted into treatment centres specialising in routine operations or patient rehabilitation.
Reader views (3)
Would Boris have any ideas of his own on health? When has he cared about public services being maintained for all?
- Eric, London, UK
Shed loads of money have been thrown at the NHS during this present government's tenure, yet the standard has not increased proportionally to a world-class standard that we could be proud of. The idea or yet another restructure to cost £3 billion of our money beggars belief! Government takes the money from us and has the choice in how it is spent. Instead of short-termism, rearranging the furniture, "Good government" would take a long-term view and help give a quality of life to its citizens by developing a public realm which encouraged participation and involvement. Walking, cycling and outdoor pursuits, parks, swimming pools, youth clubs, community centres, healthy living initiatives, theatres, the arts, creative workshops - every initiative to do with well-being gets little support and lurches from one cash crisis to another. Our general quality of life could be much improved, yet government is complacent. The rich, the masters and the bureaucrats are doing quite nicely thank you. Well-being, fun and joy should be the mantra to offset Dis-Ease. Let's make our city a better place for all to enjoy. Spend the money on the ground where it will have the most benefit and prevent people from having to go to the NHS in the first place!
- Michael Davis, London SE1
Bear in mind that Labours aim of "reducing health inequalities" actually means that anyone with a job and their own home would be sent to the back of the queue whilst getting an extra mayor's tax demand to pay for the queue.
- John Graham, London UK
