Services at a specialist cancer centre in north-west London could be moved to Watford after a evaluation discovered the present website will not be match for objective.
The set-up at Northwood’s Mount Vernon Cancer Centre was deemed unsuitable after impartial advisors and NHS bosses defined modifications want to be made for services to proceed.
Jessamy Kinghorn, head of partnerships and engagement at NHS England, instructed a Harrow Council scrutiny committee that one possibility is to transfer services to an acute hospital website, with Watford General Hospital earmarked as a number one candidate.
She famous it’s but to be confirmed if that is “doable”, however, following the evaluation and engagement with residents and stakeholders, it’s seen as an acceptable subsequent step.
Watford is seen as a location that might fulfill the 5 key standards when assessing a brand new website – it possesses an on-site important care unit, presents specialist services, and wouldn’t considerably enhance journey occasions for customers.
A restricted session with residents in Harrow discovered most would see this alteration as acceptable, with different areas additional north, equivalent to Luton, deemed much less fascinating.
Independent advisors discovered the buildings at Mount Vernon are in a foul state, employees can not all the time perform the care and remedy they want, and affected person care is typically break up throughout hospitals.
Ms Kinghorn defined these “complicated” points imply services “aren’t what they could be” and its long-term suitability should be questioned.
She added this could additionally lead to staffing points, the place some staff may select to go away as they battle to perform their duties due to poor amenities.
Speaking on the committee assembly on Tuesday (February 23), Cllr Chris Mote (Con, Pinner South) agreed there wants to be an answer, describing the present set-up as “historical”.
He questioned whether or not any services could be maintained on the Northwood website even when the bulk have been to transfer and Ruth Derrett, locality director at NHS England, mentioned that is one thing that could be thought-about as a part of the broader developments.
She defined this could be underneath the stewardship of Hillingdon Hospitals, which owns the positioning, however that doable future makes use of – equivalent to a neighbourhood hub for cancer sufferers – have been talked about.
The way forward for Mount Vernon has been a key matter for Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas, who mentioned it will be a “nationwide scandal” if services have been to stop fully.
And final month, the NHS denied any suggestion services could be shifted to central London given the excessive quantity of customers who reside outdoors the capital.
