100 signatures reached
To: East London Health and Care Partnership (ELHCP); Board of Directors, Homerton Hospital; City & Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
Keep a full range of hospital services at Homerton University Hospital
We seek a written public commitment to retain a full range of general hospital services at Homerton University Hospital with no reduction in the range of services currently provided. This must include a commitment to providing, on site, the pathology and other diagnostic services required for these hospital services and to meet the needs of local GPs, and commitment to the continuation of Homerton’s Type 1 A&E Department.
Why is this important?
ELHCP are drawing up plans in secret for Hackney’s NHS, in line with the Government’s 2019 NHS Long Term Plan. These plans have not been published in full, but we do know they could make deep cuts to NHS services and increase privatisation.
Homerton Hospital is likely to be heavily affected by the plans. ELHCP are not consulting us about the plans, but we need them to know that local people do not agree to any reduction of NHS services, or longer journeys.
Under ELHCP plans, Homerton Hospital could be re-purposed as a surgical centre, taking patients from a much wider North East London area, and in future might provide only limited ‘core’ acute services.
Homerton’s excellent ‘Type 1’ A&E service could be downgraded to provide much more limited ’Type 3’ Emergency services. The plans could mean Hackney residents having to travel to other hospitals across North East London for many services currently provided at Homerton.
Meanwhile, Homerton’s pathology lab is set to be downgraded to a ‘spoke’ of a ‘hub’ based at Bart’s Hospital. This means much longer turn-around times, and could severely limit the services Homerton can provide. This threatens the treatment of sickle cell disease, difficult births, bariatric surgery, and brain injuries. Homerton has already seen the building of a new Path Lab stopped; more and more tests moved to other hospitals; and loss of experienced staff, leading to existing staff becoming demoralised and overworked.
ELHCP’s plans also involve the relocation of 100 mental health beds out of Hackney to Mile End.
ELHCP is an unaccountable body making critical decisions about NHS services across the North East London boroughs of City and Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge and Havering.
These proposals reflect Government policy to impose cuts through reorganisations, with hospital services spread out over a much greater area, meaning much longer distances and travelling times for patients and visitors.
NHS bodies have a legal duty to consult the public about any significant proposals for change as part of the development of plans. This should happen before any plans are published or decisions are made.
Hackney Keep Our NHS Public (KONPH), is a local campaign group. KONPH is one of around 80 groups across England affiliated to a national KONP campaign against cuts and privatisation of the NHS. KONPH demands that ELHCP keep a full general hospital in Hackney, with an appropriate pathology lab and A&E department, acute psychiatric care, and facilities for care of elderly people.
Homerton Hospital is likely to be heavily affected by the plans. ELHCP are not consulting us about the plans, but we need them to know that local people do not agree to any reduction of NHS services, or longer journeys.
Under ELHCP plans, Homerton Hospital could be re-purposed as a surgical centre, taking patients from a much wider North East London area, and in future might provide only limited ‘core’ acute services.
Homerton’s excellent ‘Type 1’ A&E service could be downgraded to provide much more limited ’Type 3’ Emergency services. The plans could mean Hackney residents having to travel to other hospitals across North East London for many services currently provided at Homerton.
Meanwhile, Homerton’s pathology lab is set to be downgraded to a ‘spoke’ of a ‘hub’ based at Bart’s Hospital. This means much longer turn-around times, and could severely limit the services Homerton can provide. This threatens the treatment of sickle cell disease, difficult births, bariatric surgery, and brain injuries. Homerton has already seen the building of a new Path Lab stopped; more and more tests moved to other hospitals; and loss of experienced staff, leading to existing staff becoming demoralised and overworked.
ELHCP’s plans also involve the relocation of 100 mental health beds out of Hackney to Mile End.
ELHCP is an unaccountable body making critical decisions about NHS services across the North East London boroughs of City and Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge and Havering.
These proposals reflect Government policy to impose cuts through reorganisations, with hospital services spread out over a much greater area, meaning much longer distances and travelling times for patients and visitors.
NHS bodies have a legal duty to consult the public about any significant proposals for change as part of the development of plans. This should happen before any plans are published or decisions are made.
Hackney Keep Our NHS Public (KONPH), is a local campaign group. KONPH is one of around 80 groups across England affiliated to a national KONP campaign against cuts and privatisation of the NHS. KONPH demands that ELHCP keep a full general hospital in Hackney, with an appropriate pathology lab and A&E department, acute psychiatric care, and facilities for care of elderly people.
