The NHS in north London could close services at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead or the Whittington Hospital in Archway.
The Royal Free Hospital. (Photo by André Langlois)
Maternity and neonatal services at two hospitals are being considered for closure by the NHS in north London.
North Central London ICB (integrated care board) is looking at options for closing maternity and neonatal services at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead or the Whittington Hospital in Archway.
The change would see services offered at four locations rather than five in the area, under an initiative labelled the ‘Start Well’ programme by the ICB.
Currently, maternity and neonatal services are provided at UCLH, Barnet Hospital, North Mid, Whittington health and the Royal Free Hospital, serving people in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.
For children’s surgical services, the ICB is consulting on developing a centre of expertise for emergency and inpatient surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital, as well as a centre of expertise for day case surgery at University College London Hospitals.
There are separate recommendations to consult on a proposed option to close the birth suites at Edgware Birth Centre, but keeping ante and post-natal services open.
The proposed options and a recommendation to go out to widespread public consultation to seek views from patients, staff and the public, will be considered next week by North Central London ICB’s Board of Members.
Jo Sauvage, chief medical officer for North Central London ICB, said: “While NHS front-line staff work incredibly hard to deliver good quality maternity, neonatal and paediatric surgical care, services aren’t currently set up in the best way to meet the changing needs of local people. Fewer babies are being born in North Central London and more complex care is often needed during pregnancy and birth, and we need to adapt our services to that. Our goal is to align services with the changing needs of the community and continually evolving best practice”.
https://www.londonworld.com/news/nhs-royal-free-hospital-whittington-hospital-maternity-neonatal-paediatric-surgical-services-close-4427029
