NHS trust accused of misleading people over possible hospital closure (From News Shopper)

NHS trust accused of misleading people over possible closure of Queen Mary's Sidcup

9:19am Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Health News By Abigail Woodcock

NHS trust accused of misleading people over possible closure of Queen Mary's Sidcup

AN NHS trust has been accused of misleading people over the possible closure of Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup.

By 2014, South London Healthcare Trust, which runs Queen Mary's, Queen Elizabeth Woolwich and Princess Royal Bromley, must become a foundation trust to meet government guidelines.

To do this, it has to make £30m in savings over four years as part of plans to clear its £69m debt.

In its financial plan, it came up with different scenarios to show its progress towards financial stability and viability in becoming a foundation trust.

This included a proposal to move Queen Mary’s services to Woolwich and Bromley, and cut 695 jobs.

However the trust claimed this was just a scenario and that it does not support this approach or "believe that it is the most workable".

But trade union GMB chief officer Gavin Davies said: "For the Trust to give the impression that this is only scenario planning is to mislead the public of their real intentions."