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Tom BrakeLiberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington |
Thank you for seeking more information about the future of our local hospital, St Helier.
As you may have heard on the news recently the A & E and maternity services at St Helier are under threat as a result of a Better Services Better Value (BSBV) review. I want to make all my constituents aware of the problem and encourage you to support the hospital. I know that many people locally value the services at St Helier Hospital; my children have also needed the hospital on occasion and I value it too.
Firstly let me assure you that no final decisions have been made. However, the reports in the media are very worrying and there is no escaping the fact that this is probably the most serious threat our hospital has faced. Please be assured I will be fighting, I hope with your support, for St Helier to retain its A&E and maternity.
I will give you a brief history. The BSBV review, a local South London review, conducted by some clinicians, has recommended changing the shape of future health services in South West London. This includes centralising essential and life-saving services in order to improve quality and safety and so that high quality care can be provided seven days a week. The review, which affects four hospitals in South West London: St George's, St Helier, Kingston and Croydon University Hospitals, is recommending concentrating A & E and maternity in 3 hospitals. The theory behind this is that it will enable there to be more consultants available for longer hours, meaning that lives will be saved. However BSBV has proposed that one hospital, our St Helier Hospital, is designated as a planned elective care centre (which people will go to for planned operations only) without A & E or maternity services. I am also aware that the Children's Hospital is also earmarked for closure.
In my view the process that led to the recommendation is flawed. This recommendation was made without necessary data, with insufficient information about travel times and is based upon expanded community health services that are not even built, let alone providing a service yet. Local people, especially those who are from more deprived areas, who cannot afford taxis who may have a predisposition to poor health, need a local A&E to be easily accessible.
I have called upon the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, to meet with me and local councillors urgently to discuss the concerns of local residents and health professionals.
Mr Michael Bailey, senior hospital surgeon and Acute Medical Director for BSBV, has said that no decisions will be made without the views of local people being considered in full. I want to hold him to this promise!
I have launched a petition to represent the views of local people who want to keep the A&E and maternity units at St Helier. This petition is on my website www.tombrake.co.uk. Paper copies of the petition are available from my office on 020 8255 8155. The petition calls on Andrew Lansley to urgently intervene and requires NHS SW London to abandon its flawed Better Services Better Value review, to listen to local residents' concerns and keep open St Helier Hospital's A&E department and maternity unit. You will pleased to know that I collected over 1000 signatures in 72 hours, which is an indication of the local support for the hospital.
I am also collecting stories about St Helier, how it has helped people and why it is valued, which I will submit to both the Health Secretary of State and the BSBV directors. If you want to submit something to me you can do so via info@tombrake.co.uk .
If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter (@thomasbrake) I will post campaign activities if you want to get involved. To get involved in the BSBV consultation you can follow the progress on Twitter (#BSBV) via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BetterServicesBetterValue or via the website http://www.southwestlondon.nhs.uk/Haveyoursay and click on Better Services Better Value.
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