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Major hospital loses its A&E as Johnson downgrades services
Sophie Goodchild8 May 2009
A London hospital will lose its A&E department after a decision that could lead to further cuts in health services.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson today said that emergency care services at Queen Mary's in Sidcup can be replaced with a 24-hour “urgent care centre”. He also gave the go-ahead to downgrade the maternity unit by replacing it with a midwife-led birth centre, and said inpatient care for children can be axed.
In an emergency, critically injured patients will be taken by ambulance to the Princess Royal University Hospital in Bromley, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich or University Hospital in Lewisham.
People with less serious injuries will be able to attend outpatients at Queen Mary's at any time. They should be seen and treated by a doctor within 90 minutes. The shake-up affects one million people in Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham.
Geoff Martin, chairman of campaign group London Health Emergency, said the changes were another step in a city-wide plan to slash services.
He added: “This flies in the face of public opinion and is devastating for services. People have been overwhelmingly opposed to these changes. This is not about improving care but is purely motivated by finances.”
The proposals attracted so much opposition — including from Mayor Boris Johnson — that they were referred to the Health Secretary. But a report by a special panel advised Alan Johnson to approve the plans, which are expected to be implemented by 2011.
The decision will spark fears that more hospitals could lose A&E and maternity departments to new “super specialist” centres. The A&E at Chase Farm hospital in Enfield is already being replaced with one of these centres, which are intended to deal with the “walking wounded” who represent the majority of cases at A&Es.
Roger Smith, medical director for South London Healthcare NHS trust, acknowledged there had been opposition to the cuts at Queen Mary's. He said: “There have been groups against these changes but there has also been a lot of support.
“This will improve the quality of care. Our resources have been spread too thinly and these changes will allow us to deal with that. It also means we will be better equipped to deal with the most unwell patients.”
Mr Johnson has previously given assurances on London A&Es, telling the Commons health select committee in 2007 that NHS reforms would not lead to cuts. He said: “It will not mean the closure of any hospital or any A&E. It will mean a difference in these hospitals and a difference in these A&E wards with more specialist care.”
Reader views (14)
showing his true Tory ways CUT CUT CUT !!!
- Brian, Wiltshire, 11/05/2009 08:05
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As a resident of Enfield and a current user of services at Chase Farm, I would like tooffer sympathy with the campaigners of St Mary's in Sidcup. When Alan Johnson endorsed the decision to downgrade services at Chase Farm last September his decision was made with a number of provisos relating to improvements in Primary Care services,accessbility and transport. Since September the residents of Enfield have seen no tangible evidence of Alan Johnson's recommendations being addressed. indeed we have recently learned the Enfield PCT is in deep financial difficulty. The state of the NHS's local finances brings into question the ability of the PCT to provide extra services closer to the community...and brings into question the whole premise on which the downgrade of services was based.
- Kieran Mcgregor, Enfield.UK, 10/05/2009 10:01
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John Austin, Belvedere
You must be the Labour M.P. for Erith & Thamesmead (the "safe Labour seat embroiled in a controversial Parliamentary selection for the next General Election).
You state in your post:
"It will reduce the risk of cancellations and because admissions can be screened, reduce the incidence of infections such as MRSA and Cdiff."
Given that a very recent survey described as shocking by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) showed that 37% of Hospital Nurses reported that they had to resort to using Bathrooms to clean equipment this will make absolutely no difference at all.
The almost complete Commercialisation of NHS delivery - like most Public as well as Private Services under this Labour Government- is very arguably responsible for both the Queen Mary Hospital, Sidcup decision to "downgrade services" and the scandal over the availability of NHS equipment cleaning facilities.
I have not Labour since 1994 to endorse the commercialisation of the NHS.
However, electing the Conservatives for that matter is even worse given that they are still wedded to Thatcherism and could possibly privatise the NHS wholesale if they win the next General Election.
No matter who you vote for you get the same. I despair. God help us all...
- James Thurston, Daventry, Northamptonshire, 09/05/2009 17:38
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I must point out that if you live in central London you may have quick access to the major services proposed but those living on the outskirts of London will not. Which will put life at risk and be an inequality of care.
For Chase Farm Hospital in north London and Queen Mary's in Sidcup it means maternity services will be midwife led services only, those with last minute complications will be transported to another hospital at that last minute vital time.
The A&E provision will be for" Minor" A&E only not" Major" A&E emergency provision.
There is of course also the costs of transferring patients to other hospitals if those hospitals have sufficient funding or space to accommodate the extra patients that would have attended Chase Farm or Queen Mary's with so many trusts in debt.
- Ivy, Cheshunt Hertfordshire, 09/05/2009 17:37
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Ivy in Hertfordshire has got it almost spot on although:
PCT = Particulary Corrupt Twits
and
NHS = Not in a Healthy State.
- James, Northamptonshire, 09/05/2009 12:40
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There will only be 4 major trauma centres, where patients will be taken there first, all in central London for serious injuries/ ailments with a calculated 45 minutes to reach them from the outskirts of London, who can say lives won't be put at risk on route ?
The eight hyper-acute stroke unit hospitals calculated to be reached in 30 minutes is questionable but part of the proposed vision with 3 hours in all before treatment is finally given, where every minute counts if massive brain damage is to be avoided.
There is inequality for those living on the outskirts of London, and many clinicians are against the proposals.
But if we are talking about both Chase Farm hospital in north London or St Mary's in Sidcup both losing their Major A&E department and consultant led Maternity and Children's services, in a rob Peter to pay Pauls scenario, that is equally of concern where the vast majority of people need these facilities close to home.
We have and will continue to protested in our thousands!
- Ivy, Cheshunt Herts, 09/05/2009 12:32
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As one of the local MPs served by Queen Mary's, I agree totally with Medic, London in his/her comments. If I were to suffer a stroke or cardiac arrest, I would not necessarily wish to be transported to the nearest hospital, I would want to go the the nearest hospital which had the facilities to deal with my condition. Trying to preserve every A&E and trauma centre will cost lives not save them. Queen Mary's has developed an excellent emergency care centre and many who have praised the A&E and called for it to be saved were actually treated at the emergency care centre and not the A&E.
It is also a nonsense to suggest that the hospital is being downgraded. It's role is being clarified and extended. It will become the major provider in the area for pre-booked surgical operations, becoming a centre of excellence in orthopaedics, for hip and knee replacements, for ophthalmology, gynaecology, hernias etc. It will reduce the risk of cancellations and because admissions can be screened, reduce the incidence of infections such as MRSA and Cdiff. It is great news for Queen Mary's providing it with a sustainable future, providing essential services to the local community. It is NOT a downgrade, it is just that the four hospitals serving our area will perform different functions a develope specific expertise.
- John Austin, Belvedere UK, 09/05/2009 12:08
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Just like Chase Farm Hospital lives will be put at risk through time and distance.
P.C.T Should stand for Pernicious Calculating Treachery
N.H.S Should stand for Negotiable Hanky-Panky, Sabotage
- Ivy, Hertfordshire, 09/05/2009 07:37
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What most of the public don't get is that many smaller local hospitals, like the QM lack the 24hr specialist medical teams to do the job properly in the real life or death situations. Quite simply, this is not for want of money, but because in a smaller hospital not enough specialist doctors can be present 24/7 and not enough specialist cases (in certain acute specialties) can come through the door for the senior medics to be proficient in offering care to the standard such instances, such as severe RTA type head injuries, require. By having regional centres where there can be more doctors and more specialists, care will improve overall. Most doctors seriously believe moves like this will save lives overall. Unfortunately public ignorance seems to always get it the way of such positive steps. That is what costs lives.
- Medic, London, Uk, 09/05/2009 01:30
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There is a simple message here: don't visit the capital! The emergency healthcare is medieval.
- Mark, Venice, Italy, 09/05/2009 00:28
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Yes but look on the positive side at least we will have the Olympics to look forward to. OK so a few thousand OAP's and other vulnerable people might die but that will also be a saving. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful caring sharing government. And to think Tony Blair only had 24 hours to save the national health service those 12 long years ago, how far we have come.
- Stephend, London, England, 08/05/2009 17:25
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If you have ever had the misfortunte of going to Queen Mary's A&E - a 90 minute wait would be a breeze - I waited 4 hours with no attention - the staff were more concerned about their late night pizza/burger order. I would never return & would welcome somewhere else to go in time of need.
- An, London, 08/05/2009 16:34
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The money has got to come from somewhere to pay for MPs expenses.
- Strongbow Sullivan, Paris,France, 08/05/2009 16:30
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This is making a mockery of Labours Boast that the "Tories are the party of cuts"
it is obvious now that the burglers are in the house, they have stolen the family silver, bankrupted everybody and are now searching the corners for every penny that might be left before they run away and leave the British taxpayer to clean up the mess!
- Dene Wood, Grays, Essex, That little country by the sea that used to have, 08/05/2009 15:35
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