Trust denies hospital closure
Health bosses have been accused of misleading the public over a hospital's future.
South London Healthcare trust today denied it will close Queen Mary's in Sidcup - despite board discussions over down-sizing the trust from three to two hospitals with the loss of 700 jobs.
Health chiefs said closing one hospital was just a scenario or last resort - and that Queen Mary's could operate as a "wellbeing" centre. This means it would provide specialist surgery and outpatient treatment as well as community-based health services.
But Gavin Davies of the GMB union claimed the trust was being deliberately obscure over its plans for Queen Mary's. South London Healthcare must cut £30 million costs by 2014 to improve its finances so that it can become a foundation trust.
The last government approved plans for Queen Mary's to lose its maternity and A&E but then the Coalition announced a halt to all closures. South London Healthcare also runs Queen Elizabeth hospital in Woolwich and the Princess Royal in Bromley.
The trust said it intended to continue running all three hospitals. "As part of the requirements for our progress towards foundation status, we need to detail our plans to achieve financial viability.
"This is why we have needed to work out a scenario in which our trust is only based on two sites. We don't support this approach."
