Government announces plan to dissolve South London NHS Trust and keep Lewisham A&E open
The Government has today announced that the South London NHS Trust will be dissolved by October 2013. It has also confirmed that Lewisham A&E will remain open.
South London NHS Trust has had significant clinical and financial challenges since its inception and, in the three years since its formation in 2009, the Trust has generated a total deficit of £153 million. This is forecast to be £207 million by the end of 2012/13, making the Trust the NHS provider with the biggest deficit anywhere in the NHS.
A Trust Special Administrator was appointed in July last year to make recommendations to the Secretary of State on the future of South London Healthcare NHS Trust. Earlier today, the Secretary of State made his decision in response to the final recommendations made to him by the Trust Special Administrator.
After careful consideration the Secretary of State has accepted the broad recommendations of the report, which are:
· the Trust will be dissolved, with each of its hospitals taken over by a neighbouring hospital trust. These mergers are subject to approval from the relevant regulators;
· all 3 hospitals within South London Healthcare NHS Trust – Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, Queen Mary’s in Sidcup and the Princess Royal in Bromley – will be required to make the full £74.9 million of efficiencies identified by the Trust Special Administrator;
· all vacant or poorly utilised premises will be vacated, and sold where possible; and
The Government has also announced that it is in the best interests of patients that Lewisham Hospital should maintain its A&E department. Lewisham Hospital will retain its ability to admit patients with less serious conditions, and will continue to have 24/7 senior medical emergency cover, allowing it to remain open as a working A&E department treating up to 75% of the patients who currently use it.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Bob Neill MP said:
“There is a £200 million problem to tackle here, so we need to be realistic about expectations. It was always going to involve compromise and tough decisions to balance conflicting pressures.
“The proposals set out today offer a practical way forward and I am particularly optimistic about King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust taking over the running of Princess Royal University Hospital. For this to work, it is important to get an early resolution on the funding arrangements for the link up. This is an issue I have raised with the Secretary of State for Health and I am glad that he has recognised it as a priority. I shall be following this up.
“I am grateful to Matthew Kershaw and Government Health Ministers for conducting this entire process transparently and in close consultation with colleagues, stakeholders and, most importantly, the public.”
Health Secretary,the Rt. Hon.Jeremy Hunt MP said:
“The longstanding problems at South London Healthcare NHS Trust must not be allowed to compromise patient care in the future. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent on paying for debt rather than improving patient care for the local community in South East London.
“What is in the clinical interests of patients in South East London has been at the heart of my decision making process, and as a result I have followed clinical advice to keep open the A&E in Lewisham.
“However, some changes need to be made so that money is spent on patient care rather than servicing historic debt. The decisions I have taken today will ensure that and that patients in South East London will be able to rely on the NHS for years to come.”
Bob is speaking on LBC Radio tomorrow morning (1st February 2013) at 7:00 am to discuss the proposals.