SIDCUP: Queen Mary's Hospital A&E may be cut back (From News Shopper)

SIDCUP: Queen Mary's Hospital A&E may be cut back

9:48am Thursday 2nd July 2009

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THE A&E department at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup could be partially closed as early as next month.

Bexley councillors have been told if staff vacancies are not filled in time, the department may be forced to close between midnight and 8am in August as “an interim measure”.

However despite rumours to the contrary, Roger Smith, medical director of the new South London Healthcare Trust which encompasses Queen Mary’s, said there was no fixed date already decided on which the Sidcup A&E service would close.

In answer to questions from Sidcup councillor June Slaughter, Mr Smith said Queen Mary’s was currently looking at its staffing levels over the summer and recruiting staff.

He told a meeting of Bexley Council’s health scrutiny committee that, despite an advertising campaign, there were concerns some posts in areas including A&E would not be filled by August.

Mr Smith said: “Should the posts not be filled we are looking at using staff in a different way and are considering closing A&E at night, as an interim measure.”

He added if there was not enough staff, patient safety had to come first.

All the changes under a Picture of Health have to be completed within the next two years.

But Mr Smith said the Government, when approving the changes, had been very clear urgent care centres at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough and Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich, and a 24-hour centre at Queen Mary’s, would have to be in place before the Sidcup A&E service closes.

Councillors also heard an outline of plans to turn the Queen Mary’s site into “a healthcare campus”, with seven-day 8am to 8pm GP services, It would also include a 24-hour urgent care centre, ante and post-natal care with a midwife-led birthing unit, outpatient and diagnostic services, a medical assessment service, 23-hour day surgery, primary care services such as dentistry and physiotherapy, rehabilitation and mental care, as well as act as a centre of planned surgery.

Queen Mary’s project director for Bexley Care Trust and Sidcup GP, Dr Jo Medhurst, said: “The Queen Mary’s site will look very different in two years’ time. The campus will not look or feel like a hospital.”

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