Hospital chief talks of future

11:01am Tuesday 12th August 2008

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THE chief executive of Queen Mary's Hospital has been outlining her hopes for the hospital's future.

Kate Grimes has been criticised for opposing Bexley Council's move to refer plans to strip the Sidcup hospital of its emergency services to Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

The A Picture of Health decision by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts for Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham will see A&E, maternity and inpatient children's services removed from Queen Mary's and the Sidcup site become a centre for planned operations.

The removed services will go to the Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough, and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich.

Lewisham will keep its emergency services, although surgical admissions to A&E will be restricted to between 8am and 8pm.

All four hospitals will keep their day surgery, but planned surgery will go to units at Queen Mary's and Lewisham.

Ms Grimes says she accepts people will be disappointed by the decision but says Queen Mary's will continue to exist, although in a different form.

She opposed the reference to the Health Secretary because of the uncertainty caused to staff by the delay in implementing any decision.

Ms Grimes said: "We have been working desperately hard to retain our clinical staff. It is a daily task.

"It also makes the hospital more vulnerable."

Far from being reduced to a polyclinic, as many people fear, Ms Grimes says the hospital will need extra operating theatres to cope with the new work.

She said: "Queen Mary's has a strong future dealing with planned surgery cases for more than a million people. "

This will mean bigger surgical teams which would be able to sub-specialise, with up to 18 consultants instead of five or six.

There would be guaranteed dates for operations and less risk of hospital-acquired infections.

Ms Grimes added: "We will need all of our present staff, and probably more."

She says the hospital hopes to expand its other services such as for cancer, neurology and cardiology, so patients no longer have to travel to London hospitals for planned surgery and treatment.

The hospital will also have intermediate care, for people transferring from acute hospitals who no longer need acute care but are not ready to go home, and rehabilitation care.

It will continue to provide day surgery, a 24-hour urgent care centre and children's services not requiring emergency admission.

Ms Grimes said she hopes the hospital will also be able to keep its midwife-led maternity suite.

Committee chairman unhappy at council decision

THE chairman of the committee which plans to strip Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, of its emergency services is unhappy at Bexley Council's decision to refer the decision to the Health Secretary for further scrutiny.

Michael Chuter, chairman of the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) for Bexley Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham, said his committee was "disappointed" at Bexley's decision.

He added: "In taking our decision we have committed to improving the clinical quality and safety of local healthcare.

"The referral could delay us in delivering these improvements for local people."

Bexley decided to refer the JCPCT decision because it claims the consultation process was flawed and its outcome will not be in the best interests of Bexley people.

The joint committee of councils charged with scrutinising the JCPCT decision could also refer the decision to Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

It was split six-six at its July meeting and, on the casting vote of its chairman, has put off its decision until next month.

BLOB The Independents to Save Queen Mary's Hospital is planning a 12-hour vigil outside Queen Mary's from 8am to 8pm on September 20.

It is also trying to raise £75,000 to mount a judicial review against the JCPCT decision. To donate, go to faect.org.uk