Council Leader Condemns 'Dangerous' Plans to Cut Hospital Beds
After proposals published to slash 500 acute beds in H&F and neighbouring boroughs
Hammersmith and Fulham Council Leader, Cllr Stephen Cowan has condemned "dangerous" plans to remove hundreds of beds from local hospitals.
The proposals to cut 500 acute beds across H&F and neighbouring boroughs were published this month by North West London NHS as part of their "transformation plans".
These plans have already been heavily criticised and were labelled "deeply flawed" in Michael Mansfield QC's landmark Independent Healthcare Commission report published last year.
The council says the announcement has re-ignited concerns that a beds and funding crisis is threatening to hit local NHS services.
" The plans to consider cutting 500 hospital beds are frankly dangerous. And we will continue to fight to protect our health service at every level," said Cllr Cowan.
" It is further proof that the credibility of the entire North West London Transformation plan, including proposals to axe blue-light services at Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith, is now in tatters.
" Local health bosses should be under no illusion that their most recent scheme will only serve to galvanise those dedicated campaigners who have fought so hard to protect local NHS services, such as those at Charing Cross."
These proposals were revealed by the local NHS in Ealing, which recommend the closure of 500 acute beds in order to avert a £1billion overspend in health and social care over the next five years, as part of its NW London Sustainability and Transformation Plan or STP.
The STP includes the Shaping a Healthier Future, or SaHF programme, which has already seen blue-light services axed at Hammersmith Hospital – with Charing Cross next in line for the axe as bosses move to sell off most of the site.
You can read Michael Mansfield QC’s landmark report on North West London NHS ‘Shaping a Healthier Future’ programme here.
May 24, 2016
