SIDCUP: Future of Queen Mary's reaches the last throw of the dice (From News Shopper)

SIDCUP: Future of Queen Mary's reaches the last throw of the dice

7:10am Thursday 18th November 2010 in Bexley

TORY MP James Brokenshire says the fight to save emergency services at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, have reached “the final roll of the dice”.

The MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup was speaking after Health Secretary Andrew Lansley told local MPs he intends to visit Bexley before the end of the year to meet health staff.

But Mr Lansley has indicated he is unlikely to intervene in the row over the temporary closure of services at Queen Mary’s.

His promise of a visit came when Mr Lansley met a delegation of Tory MPs who underlined their “serious concerns” about the future of hospital services in the area.

The delegation included James Brokenshire (Old Bexley and Sidcup), David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford), Bob Neill (Bromley and Chislehurst) and Jo Johnson (Orpington).

They spoke to Mr Lansley about the anger and concern of local people at the decision by South London Healthcare Trust (SLHT) to “temporarily” close the A&E department at Queen Mary’s, from next Wednesday evening (November 24).

The Sidcup hospital’s maternity unit will also close to new births on December 13 and the emergency medical back-up wards and services and the children’s ward will be transferred elsewhere.

SLHT justified the temporary closures using patient safety grounds over the winter months.

But trust chief executive Dr Chris Streather has already admitted no plans have been made to reopen the Sidcup services in the spring.

Mr Brokenshire and Mr Evennett accompanied News Shopper editor Richard Firth to 10 Downing Street on October 28, to deliver nearly 3,000 letters from local people, urging Mr Lansley to intervene to stop the temporary closure and questioning the impartiality of the people making the temporary closure decisions.

But Mr Lansley told the MPs because the decisions had been made on safety grounds with the support of external clinical evidence from NHS London, “it would be unprecedented for the Department of Health to intervene”.

Mr Lansley had banned the trust from implementing A Picture of Health (APOH) proposals, which involved the same Sidcup service closures, pending a review of APOH.

He told the MPs the temporary closures would not affect his assessment of the APOH proposals or the review.

And he said he would be making his own judgement on the situation before announcing his final conclusions.

After the meeting Mr Brokenshire said: “Having taken matters to Downing Street and now to the Department of Health, we have taken the issue right to the top of government.

“This is the final roll of the dice.”

He added: “The Secretary of Stae clearly understands the seriousness of the situation.

“I think he appreciated the anger and the clear anxieties people have about the impact of the temporary closures at Queen Mary’s on both the Queen Elizabeth and Princess Royal hospitals.”

Mr Brokenshire said: “We are in the hands of the Health Secretary and all we can do now is await his determination.”

In the meantime, SLHT has denied claims the Kent Women’s Wing building at Queen Mary’s is to be demolished on the grounds it is no longer fit for use, after maternity services at the hospital close next month.