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SECURING QUEEN MARY'S FUTURE

James brokenshire

Conservative Parliamentary Candidate

Old Bexley & Sidcup

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

7 December 2009 ● E/46/12

Securing Queen Mary’s Future

Conservatives launch campaign to fight for the future of Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup

Conservative campaigners will take to the streets this week as part of the launch of a new public campaign to put pressure on local health managers to stop the cuts in services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup and set out a clear plan for its future.  Since the autumn the hospital has seen the closure of its accident and emergency department at night and the shutting of a stroke rehabilitation ward.  Yet plans to add services to secure the long term viability of the hospital have yet to come to fruition despite the proposed closure of all A&E facilities at the site which South London Healthcare NHS Trust now expects to complete by May of next year.

Despite promises that the hospital would become a centre of excellence for planned surgery under the controversial ‘A Picture of Health’ plans even this scaled back ambition for the hospital is being questioned. The South London Healthcare NHS Trust is considering plans to transfer elective care from Orpington to Bromley instead of Queen Mary’s.  The Trust claims that if implemented this would be an interim measure with the intention to transfer the services to Queen Mary’s by 2011. But the fear is that once transferred to the Princess Royal University Hospital the onward move to Sidcup will fail to materialise.

Conservatives are asking local residents to sign a petition opposing any further cuts in services at the hospital and urging local health bodies to take immediate action to secure the future of Queen Mary’s Hospital for the benefit of Bexley residents.  A street stall to enable people to sign the petition will be in Blackfen on Friday afternoon and in Sidcup on Saturday morning.

Commenting Old Bexley & Sidcup Conservative Parliamentary Candidate James Brokenshire said:

“Despite promises to make Queen Mary’s a centre for planned surgery, even these scaled back proposals have question marks hanging over them.  Queen Mary’s simply cannot be allowed to ‘wither on the vine’. 

“With two cash hungry PFI funded hospitals to run at Greenwich and Bromley, the risk remains that QMH will simply get squeezed out.  This is despite serious outstanding questions on existing patient safety standards and the ability of the other two hospitals to cope with increased patient flows.

“The current hospital reorganisation plans are unacceptable and should be called to a halt.  That’s why we’re asking the public to sign the petition calling for a stop to the cuts in services and demanding a clear commitment to the future of Queen Mary’s Hospital.”

-         ENDS –

Notes to Editors:

-         The timeline for the closure of A&E services at Queen Mary’s Hospital by May 2010 was revealed in the board papers of the South London Healthcare NHS Trust Board Meeting of 25 November 2009. 

For further information please contact James Brokenshire on 0777 567 6354

For further information please contact James Brokenshire on 0777 567 6354