There continues to be uncertainty about the future of the Urgent Care Centre at Mount Vernon Hospital, not least because there remain a number of concerns that have not been adequately addressed.
This includes:
- The level of engagement with both staff and the local community throughout this process.
- Transparency around decision-making and whether the implications of any changes have been clearly outlined and considered.
- Inconsistency with the NHS 10-Year-Plan, which encourages more out-of-hospital care. This seems to be the complete opposite of what is being proposed with this move.
- Staff retention and whether there is confidence that current staff will undertake the proposed new roles at Hillingdon Hospital's A&E.
- The capacity of the Pembroke Centre in Ruislip Manor to undertake a proportion of the workload.
Ahead of the recommendation to the decision-making board next month, I have written to both Executive and Non-Executive directors of the Hillingdon Hospitals Trust outlining these issues and asking for assurance that they have been carefully considered.
Copies of these letters can be found below.
