Will new Whipps Cross Hospital cut beds?

HOSPITAL PATIENTS in Waltham Forest have long felt the poor relation in the Barts NHS Trust family – with a hospital that is well overdue for refurbishment. Now a Whipps Cross Hospital is to be delivered.

Boris Johnson promised, before December’s General Election, that a Tory Government would build six new hospitals. Local NHS campaigners are delighted by the news that their local Whipps Cross Hospital is to be one of them – but they are worried that a rebuild will come with a loss of services.

They have come up with two simple demands:
•that a new Whipps Cross Hospital should have more beds to meet the increased demands of a growing and ageing local population;
•that it must also have a fully functioning “blue light” A&E department, open 24/7 and with all the specialisms needed to support that facility available on site.
The demands have been supported by 5,703 people who signed a petition which also calls for a rebuilt Whipps Cross Hospital to be properly funded.

Members and supporters of the Waltham Forest Save Our NHS group travelled to Whitehall on Friday, 14th February to hand the petition in to the Department of Health and Social Care. Campaigners pointed out that the Barts Trust commissioned a (hugely expensive) report on future needs, which predicted that the Trust needed an extra 240 beds to cope with increased demand – Waltham Forest has one of the fastest growing populations in London. However, initial plans suggest that a new Whipps Cross Hospital will have fewer beds than the current one!

Helly McGrother, campaign spokesperson and Whipps Cross patient, said, “We are displaying hearts on Valentine’s Day to show our love for our local hospital – but we have a serious message to the Government about providing enough beds, adequate A&E services and the right clinical specialisms for our growing population.

“We know the NHS is at breaking point. We don’t want to see our sick family and friends waiting in ambulances or stuck on trolleys in corridors because there are not enough beds. This is a unique chance to build a hospital that’s right for the future. We urge the Government to listen to the community, scrutinise the plans carefully and take the opportunity to properly fund the hospital that’s needed in North East London.”

•Read more about it:
Campaigners call for new Whipps Cross Hospital
Get ready to save the NHS in Tower Hamlets