MPs Speak Up on Whipps Cross

All the MPs from Waltham Forest and Redbridge took part in a House of Commons debate last week about the future of the NHS in North East London. The MPs agreed that they would all apply for a debate on the subject for the same date to boost the chances of the Speaker selecting the subject.

Neil Gerrard, MP for Walthamstow, welcomed the debate. “This gave us an opportunity to make sure that Ministers heard at first hand our concerns about the current review, and to see the strength of feeling at any suggestion that services at Whipps Cross might be run down.”

During the debate Mr Gerrard raised a number of concerns about the proposals. “Professor Ara Darzi is just starting a London-wide review” said Mr Gerrard. “How there can be major changes going on in one sector of London in advance of the London-wide review is beyond me. We are being told by NHS London that it will not let the review go ahead unless it is confident that it fits in with the general pattern of where it wants to go. That suggests one of two things: either it has already made its mind up about the general pattern or, more likely, it has already made its mind up about what it wants to do in north-east London and it does not really matter what comes out of the general review.”

“I have no problem with seeking greater efficiencies and, for example, improving the length of stay at Whipps Cross after routine operations. Nor do I have any problem with the concept that a lot more can be done. GPs can perform operations that have traditionally been performed in hospitals, and community nurses and practice nurses can do more.

However, whether the community and GP facilities are there is another matter. Local GPs have told me that the number of Community Nurses currently employed by the PCT is insufficient for current needs rather than capable of taking on extra workload in the community.

I am fully in support of local people in the aim of having properly funded local NHS services of good quality and keeping a full range of services at Whipps Cross.”

Mr Gerrard also appeared on BBC1’s Politics Show where he repeated the view that Whipps Cross should remain as a fully functioning District General Hospital, and he also spoke at the march and rally last Saturday organised by the Save Whipps Cross campaign.

February 2007

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