NHS bosses came under fire from Labour councillors after they could not clarify what kind of A&E would be at Charing Cross when it is turned into a local hospital
Save Our Hospitals campaigners were left without answers
A new consultation on the future of Charing Cross Hospital’s A&E has been called for after NHS bosses could not confirm what emergency services will be left at the hospital.
Top doctors and representatives from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, could not provide any concrete details about what will happen to the hospital in Hammersmith which is to change into what the NHS calls a ‘local hospital’.
Confusion reigned over the hospital’s future at Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s health scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday, after the Trust’s board confirmed two months ago A&E services would be moved out , 55 per cent of the site will be sold and a new £150 million building built.
The meeting was told the hospital would have urgent and emergency care services appropriate to a local hospital but the board could not verify what that meant.
This was met with Hammersmith and Fulham’s ruling Labour party demanding Imperial publicly consult on the future of west London’s healthcare.
Dr Tim Spicer, chairman of the Hammersmith and Fulham Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We have to wait for NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh to publish his report which will tell us what a local hospital A&E will entail because it doesn’t fit into any definition we have at the moment.”
Dr Tracey Batten, CEO of the board, told councillors and Save Our Hospitals campaigners they have no plans to close the hospital’s A&E but doubts were raised after the board said there would be both primary care (such as GPs) and secondary care (such as hospital doctors) looking after emergency patients.
Hammersmith MP Andy Slaughter, said: “I was horrified at how just how shambolic and muddled Imperial’s response was. They seemed to constantly contradict themselves over exactly what emergency services would be left at Charing Cross and seemed extremely complacent about closing the A&E departments at Hammersmith and Central Middlesex .
"They are burying their heads in the sand and ignoring the growing crisis in the NHS. We urgently need a full and transparent public consultation ahead of their new plans for healthcare in west London. Any refusal to do this would be of great concern and worry to my constituents.”
Conservative health councillor, Andrew Brown, disagreed. He said: “Labour’s claims on the NHS made during the recent local elections started to unravel as local doctors confirmed plans for Charing Cross Hospital to have a new £150 million building on site. Doctors further explained Charing Cross will continue to have an A&E, and the hospital will be led by hospital consultants as well as primary care GPs.”
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