19.02.13
A&E unit closure decision due
The proposed closure of four A&E units in north west London will be decided today. Charing Cross, Central Middlesex, Hammersmith and Ealing hospitals could have their units cut back to urgent care centres.
Patients will have to use services at Hillingdon, Northwick Park, West Middlesex, the Chelsea and Westminster, or St Mary’s instead. The Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts will make the final decision today, which is proposed to improve care and reduce costs.
The four hospitals will become ‘local hospitals’ and offer urgent care, outpatient and diagnostic services, centralising specialist care at one of the five ‘major hospitals’ in the area.
Dr Mark Spencer, medical director of North West London NHS, said: “What we are recommending across north-west London is that we develop five bigger, better hospitals than we have at the moment.
“We can have consistently large teams of consultants making sure people get the very best care and in return for that we need to make some of our hospitals smaller designed around the services they need for their local community.”
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