Ealing Conservatives Refuse to Back Hospital Motion

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Letter to Health Secretary about cuts signed by Labour and Liberal Democrats

In what's likely to be a major local electoral issue Labour and Liberal Democrats on Ealing Council have written to the Secretary of state for Health, Jeremy Hunt, calling for an urgent review of proposals to downgrade local hospitals including Ealing and Charing Cross.

Cllr Julian Bell’s letter, jointly signed came after Ealing Council endorsed a Labour “Save Our Hospitals” motion (* see below) at its meeting on 4 April. Ealing Conservative Councillors voted against the motion.

The motion argued that “a 50-bed hospital, with no surgery, no critical care, no acute beds, no blue-light ambulances, no A&E, no maternity unit and no children’s ward is not in fact a ‘hospital’ any resident of the Borough would recognise.”

The Council agreed that “these changes will result in the closure of Ealing District General Hospital and its A&E, followed by its replacement with a day-care clinic and minor injuries unit.”

Cllr Bell said, “The local Tories and their government are closing Ealing & Charing Cross hospitals. To argue that what will remain is a ‘local’ hospital is the biggest con of all. Jeremy Hunt made a promise in parliament that both Ealing and Charing Cross hospitals would keep their A&Es. These plans show this is a lie and so Labour-run Ealing Council will continue to fight these ludicrous plans using all available means at our disposal.”

Labour’s Cabinet member for Health, Cllr Hitesh Tailor added, “Jeremy Hunt must scrap these proposals as a matter of urgency. To leave Ealing and two other Boroughs - with a population the size of some UK cities – without a District General Hospital is short-sighted and dangerous

We have asked the Conservatives for a response.

* The Motion reads:

The Council notes the maternity unity at Ealing hospital was closed in July 2015.

The Council notes the children’s ward at Ealing hospital was closed in June 2016.

The Council notes that in December 2016 the NHS published a business case that sees blue-light ambulances, critical care and potentially all surgery removed from Ealing Hospital by 2022. As part of the plans the NHS aims to save more than £1billion over 10 years.

The Council notes that there are currently 288 beds at Ealing hospital. However, if the ‘Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP)’ is implemented, there will be only be 50 beds remaining – a cut of over 80%. This means that of the 500 beds due to be removed across North West London, nearly half of the cuts fall on Ealing hospital alone.

The Council believes that a 50-bed hospital, with no surgery, no critical care, no acute beds, no blue-light ambulances, no A&E, no maternity unit and no children’s ward is not in fact a ‘hospital’ any resident of the Borough would recognise.

The Council believes these changes will result in the closure of Ealing District General Hospital and its A&E, followed by its replacement with a day-care clinic and minor injuries unit.

The Council believes that residents deserve full and easy access to health services across the Borough and that it is the role of the Council to fight to protect our NHS where it is under threat to ensure better health outcomes for all residents.

The Council resolves to resist the closure of Ealing & Charing Cross Hospitals and will support local campaigns to Save Our Hospitals across North West London.

The Council agrees that the Group Leaders communicate to the Secretary of State for Health the continued opposition of Ealing Council to the plans outlined above.

April 27th 2017