ANY hopes of saving emergency services at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, now appear to have been dashed by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.

In a letter to MP James Brokenshire, Mr Lansley has backed the opinions of NHS London and a cabinet of Bexley GPs, that the A Picture of Health (APOH) plans should go ahead.

These will see the Sidcup hospital permanently stripped of its A&E, maternity and in-patient children’s services and all the back-up services such as intensive care.

Mr Lansley told Mr Brokenshire the “agreed implementation of APOH should recommence”.

At the end of last year, the South London Healthcare Trust (SLHT), which runs the area’s three hospitals including Queen Mary’s, backed by NHS London, “temporarily” removed all the emergency services from Sidcup on the grounds of patient safety.

These services have now been shared between the trust’s other two hospitals in Farnborough and Woolwich.

There were fears expressed then the services would never return.

Mr Brokenshire, MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, fought last year’s election on a pledge to keep the services at Queen Mary’s.

He said: “We had all earnestly hoped the Health Secretary would have overturned what I still consider to be a deeply flawed decision by NHS London over APOH.”

Councillor Ross Downing chairs Bexley Council's health scrutiny committee which has vigorously opposed the APOH proposals from the beginning, because of the effect they would have on Bexley people.

She said: "I am disappointed the APOH proposals are going ahead, although the news was expected." Cllr Downing added: "The most important thing now is for us all to focus on ensuring Queen Mary's future as a vibrant health campus, delivering the good quality service the residents of Bexley need and deserve."

MP still hopeful for the future

DESPITE Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s decision not to intervene over Queen Mary’s future, MP James Brokenshire still sees a glimmer of hope for the Sidcup hospital.

Plans now being put together by local GPs on how to develop the Queen Mary’s site into a health campus, will be revealed at the end of this month.

Mr Lansley has said the site should provide “an extended range of innovative primary, community and hospital services and to look to any willing provider who might want to look to run services.”

Mr Brokenshire, who has already called for the break-up of South London Healthcare Trust, said: “The response does open up options which had seemed closed before, with the potential for central London teaching hospitals, such as King’s and Guy’s & St Thomas’s, to provide more of their services from Sidcup.

“Until now the future of Queen Mary’s seemed inextricably and depressingly linked to the future of the South London Healthcare Trust.

“This no longer appears the case. We need to use this opportunity to attract other potential NHS providers to Queen Mary’s and re-shape the future of our local hospital.”

He added: “I have already started these discussions.”