MP "outraged" over St Helier cuts proposal (From Sutton Guardian)

Mitcham and Morden MP "outraged" over St Helier cuts proposal

8:10am Friday 11th May 2012 in News By Omar Oakes

Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh said she is “outraged” by a recommendation to shut St Helier hospital’s A&E and maternity units.

Yesterday, a panel of 60 representatives made up from south west London hospital trusts, local authority members and community representatives, recommended St Helier lose its frontline services over Croydon University and Kingston hospital.

They scored each hospital as part of the NHS’s Better Service, Better Value healthcare review, which announced two months ago one of the hospitals faced the cuts.

Miss McDonagh said: "It's absolutely outrageous. All the figures suggest that demand has increased for these services at St Helier. The NHS needs to provide the required service for what patients need.

"Of course this is all about money. They are simply saying we can reduce four to three because it is cheaper.

"What we are seeing is the impact of the Government's NHS reforms and I'm afraid we will see more closures being recommended in London.

Paul Burstow [Sutton and Cheam MP] needs to look at his position too. Is it tenable for him to be against this closure when he is a health minister in a Government presiding over these changes?

Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh

"Many patients know they will be seen within four hours in A&E but they probably won't be if they call their out-of-hours GP service. It is wrong to think having new GP commissioning groups mean we need less A&E units.

"It's now up to residents and democratically elected representatives to fight these plans. Paul Burstow [Sutton and Cheam MP] needs to look at his position too. Is it tenable for him to be against this closure when he is a health minister in a Government presiding over these changes?"

A final decision on whether to shut the services is subject to more NHS scrutiny and a public consultation.

Related

St Helier should lose A&E and maternity, says panel

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