Whittington Hospital plan dropped

Published: 10 September, 2010
by TOM FOOT

HEALTH bosses have dropped their original plan to dismantle the Whittington Hospital – but campaigners fear the threat to services may not be over.

Stephen Conroy, a director at the North Central London (NCL) health authority, told the New Journal on Monday that a review of services at the  Highgate hospital had been closed.

The review, published in February, listed seven future scenarios – two would have seen the outright closure of the hospital’s accident and emergency and maternity units.

Mr Conroy said: “We have closed the Service and Organisation Review, which was initially halted in May 2010. The seven scenarios will not be developed for public consultation.”

The decision follows a massive people power campaign that forced front-bench politicians into pre-election pledges to save the Highgate hospital.

Mr Conroy added that, following an intervention from health secretary Andrew Lansley, there would now be no “major service reorganisations” and savings would be made through new “service initiatives”.

Shirley Franklin, who chairs Defend Whittington Hospital Coalition, said she still had “genuine” concerns, adding: “they talk in gobbledegook to confuse us”.

DWHC has called a public meeting in Archway Methodist Hall on Thursday September 16.  

For more information see www.dwhc.org.uk