NW London NHS - Constrained Cost Envelope !Hospital Closures confirmed

150 people attended the NW London NHS consultation titled 'Shaping a Healthier Future' at Lord's Cricket Ground on Wednesday 15 February .Unfortunately only a handful of attendees were patients as the inefficient and management friendly LINK groups had been charged with inviting them - so GPs and NHS bureaucrats dominated the meeting.Brent NHS Patients Campaign Group did attend however and discovered that :

- the £1 billion cut in NW London NHS to 2015 is not,according to Anne Rainsberry ,Chief Executive of NW NHS London a cut at all but merely a 'constrained cost envelope'.As London Health Emergency has issued a 'Learn to Speak Lansley' guide this bon mot is a worthy addition.

- fronting the new strategy is a Coalition friendly Acton GP called Mark Spencer,Medical

Director for NW London, who claimed that the fact that demand for NHS services requires another £1billion in NW London by 2015 which is not available (why not ?) does not represent a cut but merely 'unfunded growth'

Either way - £1billion is to be cut from our local NHS.

The initial consultation made clear that this cut will be made from the closure of NW London hospitals and the reduction of other local hospital services .The new proposed strategy suggests that GPs will have extended hours and will be available to see patients within four hours.

It was pointed out by patients that in many NW London GP practices the waiting time to see a GP is 12 working days.We ask - where will the money come from for the new services ?

No budget figures were provided - but it was made clear,in response to patient questions,that Ealing Hospital is already earmarked for closure.

The next 'consultation' is event is on Friday 23 March also at Lord's Cricket Ground.Register your interest in attending at www.nhsnwl.eventbrite.co.uk;