THE British Medical Association yesterday warned against mass A&E closures implicit in a review of emergency services being carried out Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director of the NHS in England.
A BMA spokesperson said: ‘The BMA is very clear that service changes should be evidence-based, clinically led in partnership with patients, safe, and maintain or improve standards of patient care.
‘There should be no A&E closures without the support of doctors in this field working closely with their local population.
‘Change without this support is unsafe and against the best interests of a comprehensive healthcare system.’
Co-leader of the National Health Action Party, consultant Jacky Davis, told News Line: ‘While NHS services can’t be set in stone, we know that closing an A&E almost always leads to closure/downgrading of the hospital itself.
‘There is a political agenda to close hospitals and treat more people in the community and many will fear that this covert agenda lies behind the review. But the community services aren’t in place and GPs complain of being stretched to breaking point.
‘The successful reconfiguration of stroke services should not be used as a rationale for closing A&Es as these patients form a very small percentage of those who need an A&E.’
Keogh has announced he will lead a review of the model of urgent and emergency services.
• The West London Council of Action’s weekly picket of Ealing hospital to stop it being closed made a big impact yesterday morning.
Tom Davies, vice-president of Ealing National Union of Teachers, held the Council of Action’s ‘Occupy to Stop All Closures!’ banner.
He told News Line: ‘We have to keep this hospital open, along with all the other hospitals they are threatening. I believe that occupying to stop the closures is necessary.’
Concerning this week’s report that Education Secretary Gove is sending Ofsted ‘hit squads’ into schools unannounced, Davies said: ‘He is trying to create a climate of fear. Teachers are really angry.
‘Gove is also pushing performance-related pay which destroys the career structure and what the job is really all about, which is caring for children.
‘There is massive anger. We are already working to rule, involving 90% of teachers in joint action across the two main unions, and there will be a national strike before long. It will be a huge one. The mood is really strong.’
Ealing Hospital nurse and RCN member Edwina Foray said: ‘We have heard they are going to close the A&E.
‘There is a large population in Southall and Ealing and this hospital is vital for very many people. Closure would be terrible.
‘If it closed it would also not be good for us members of staff, some of us would lose our jobs and others would be redeployed. It would be dreadful. No-one thinks it should close.’