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Sadiq Khan Mayor of London
Navin Shah GLA Brent & Harrow
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Navin's News: Northwick Park

Northwick Park A&E patients wait longer than 4 hours over Christmas

 

  • A&E crisis in London North West continues despite establishment of new A&E department
  • At Northwick Park and Ealing A&E almost half the patients have to wait longer than 4 hours in the week before Christmas
  • Over the 2 week Christmas period 2096 patients waited more than 4 hours at Northwick Park and Ealing
  • London North West worst trust in the country the week before Christmas
  • Across London nearly 17,000 patients across London waited more than 4 hours in A&E over the Christmas period

The A&E crisis in north west London continued this Christmas, with figures released today revealing nearly half the area’s patients waiting for more than 4 hours to be seen in A&E.  Despite the creation of a new A&E at Northwick Park before Christmas, 46.3% of patients at the Trust had to wait more than a 4 hour, making it the worst performing Trust in the country.

The closure in September of Hammersmith and Central Middlesex A&E departments has meant increased pressure on existing services.  In the week ending 28 Dec, nearly 900 patients missed the 4 hour target, over the whole Christmas period 2096 patients spent over 4 hours waiting to be seen.

The crisis facing A&E services in north west London are symptomatic of a London-wide NHS crisis.  In the week ending 21 Dec only 3 of the 19 London Trusts with A&E departments met the 95% target.  In the following week ending 28 Dec only 4 of the 19 London Trusts with A&E departments met the target.

For months the Government have told us things would get better with the establishment of a new A&E department at Northwick Park. I am afraid my concerns regarding the closure of Central Middlesex Hospital’s A&E have been proved correct. These latest figures show that the A&E crisis in North West London is not just continuing but is getting worse. This is what happens when you chose to shut down two A&E departments in one area.

With over 2,000 patients waiting longer than 4 hours its clear Northwick Park faced a Christmas of crisis as a result of the strain they are operating under. Whilst Boris and colleagues in Government are sitting idly by demand for A&E services is rocketing. We must of course urge patients only to resort to A&E in genuine emergencies, but with GP surgeries also being stretched it is clear we need action rather than more empty words from the Government.

With A&E departments like Northwick Park rapidly approaching breaking point, it is lunacy that the Government is set to close more West London A&Es this year. Last year’s closures have resulted in almost half the patients at Northwick Park waiting longer than 4 hours over Christmas.

Patients in north west London are paying for years of costly reorganisation and health service closures. Why is the Government blindly pushing through these flawed proposals? The Government must change course before the NHS crisis we are experiencing in North West London becomes permanent fixture.

 

 

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6th January 2015