Don’t send patients to stretched A&Es, health bosses urged GPs

 
Warning: health shadow Andy Burnham says lives could be at risk under plans to close A&Es in north-west London

Health chiefs urged GPs to consider not sending patients directly to a London A&E as it was overwhelmed with admissions, a leaked letter reveals today.

Maeve O’Callaghan-Harrington, head of emergency planning at North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, wrote to family doctors last week telling them the casualty units at Northwick Park Hospital and Central Middlesex Hospital were full.

Northwick Park had 19 casualty patients waiting for a bed, she added, after a “very challenging last 24 hours”. Patients were also waiting for beds at Central Middlesex hospital, she wrote. The revelations of the A&E crisis on Tuesday cast fresh questions over plans to close casualty units across London.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: “As this email shows London’s A&Es are struggling as it is and it is not at all clear how the Government can close so many without putting lives at risk. The planned closures in northwest London look drastic and the onus is on the NHS and the Government to provide clinical evidence for how they can be justified.”

In her letter, Ms O’Callaghan-Harrington asked GPs to consider referring patients to the STARRS assessment service, which sees patients who may need to be admitted to hospital within two hours of referral by their GP.

David McVittie, the chief executive of The North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We have not been closing to emergency admissions. However, in light of the pressures we experienced over the weekend of December 8, we reminded GPs of the others services available to patients should they need to be reviewed by a clinician in hospital.

“I want to reassure patients that our planning for winter started sometime ago and we have plans in place to help us ensure we can offer the best care during busy periods. There are plans to open an ambulatory care unit at Northwick Park Hospital which will help to reduce pressure on A&E.”

Central Middlesex, Ealing, Charing Cross and Hammersmith hospitals are all at risk of losing their accident and emergency units.

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