Don’t hit us while we’re down
CAMPAIGNERS FEAR CORONAVIRUS COVERS DOWNGRADE OF HOSPITAL
EALING Save Our NHS (ESON) supporters voiced their concerns over hospital staff being “betrayed” as they marked the 72nd birthday of the NHS in a social-distanced gathering outside of Ealing Hospital on Sunday.
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, was among the most badly hit hospital providers during the height of the pandemic. Its Harrow-based site Northwick Park Hospital took the brunt of coronavirus cases, and services and equipment had been reorganised to respond to the crisis.
But campaigners are hitting out at the prospect Covid-19 is “providing cover” to re-introduce plans to downgrade Ealing hospital.
Last year controversial plans to cut the borough’s accident and emergency department were ditched by the NHS, but the hospital did lose its children’s A&E and maternity services as part of a restructuring programme in 2016.
According to ESON, trauma and orthopaedic surgery has been stopped during the pandemic, and increased intensive care beds have been removed.
But a LNWH spokesperson said the trust is working to hike its critical care capacity to 18 beds, which is double the number before the pandemic.
ESON campaigner Eve Turner said: “In the height of the Covid-19 crisis Ealing staff worked over and above, we’re all so grateful. But now we feel that fantastic performance is being betrayed by health bosses who are constantly removing services and staff from Ealing.
“Covid-19 is providing cover for the re-introduction of plans to downgrade Ealing Hospital from a great District
General Hospital that supports the community, to something less – a series of clinics with an adult-only A&E without 24-hour emergency surgery. We have a high number of elderly and BAME local residents who are at risk and need support.”
ESON chair Oliver New added: “Of course services had to be reorganised to deal with the pandemic emergency, but other things have been going on at the same time and we now worry that the old and discredited plans to undermine Ealing Hospital are being taken out of the bin and brought back.”
Protesters branded it “unthinkable” that Ealing residents, particularly in Southall where the hospital is based, could be forced to travel to Northwick Park Hospital which “many people don’t know where it is” or how to get there.
Ms Turner explained: “The point we are trying to make this is a really vulnerable community with high levels of deprivation and poverty and there are vital services they can’t travel to and must be provided for them.”
Responding to the fears, a LNWH spokesperson countered the claims saying the trust is “absolutely committed” to continuing its 24/7 A&E department and said bosses were pleased to run daytime emergency surgery to support A&E during the crisis.
They added: “During the pandemic, we did move some equipment to where it was most needed at the time. This included moving some equipment both to and from Ealing Hospital, as well as purchasing new equipment needed at Ealing.
“None of our departments are missing any equipment that they require to provide care.”
They also revealed a review was underway on how the trust provides trauma surgery across its sites and with other North West London partners.
Trust bosses say this is so “rigorous” infection control can be put in place to protect staff and patients who need routine care, and keep possible coronavirus patients treated separately.
They added: “We will be fully led by evidence-based quality and equality impact assessments as we conduct this review. We know that many of our patients in Ealing are waiting for important but routine surgery, and it’s important that we are able to provide this to them in the most effective way, while also minimising their risk of becoming infected with Covid-19.
“We are taking all these complicated factors into account as we consider how we can best continue to care for all our patients.”
Hospital bosses also confirmed there is no plan to reverse changes to maternity and children’s services at the trust and to return them to Ealing Hospital, and said a 2017 review of paediatric services across north west London showed children were receiving better care than under the previous arrangement. anahita.hosseinpour@reachplc.com @anahitahpour