No votes here for candidates who put developers before local hospitals

www.saveourhospitals.net

Reorganisation of the NHS is leading to damaging changes in healthcare delivery in Hammersmith and Fulham. Our boroughs population is rising and demand for provision is increasing. Yet, under the planned changes, access to local emergency care will be drastically reduced.

Charing Cross hospital as we know it will be no longer. Much of the site will be sold off to developers to pay for expansion at St Marys and a lesser facility on the remaining land. Hammersmiths A&E will close.

St Marys and Chelsea & Westminster A&Es will have to care for more patients. Both units are already under immense strain and it is likely that waiting times will increase, especially in wintertime. Social services and GP surgeries will attempt to take on some of the services currently provided by hospitals. But, due to budget cuts, nobody knows how this will be achieved or funded. Healthcare workers involved in services that will be axed or moved will face enormous upheaval. Teams will be disrupted, and commuting will become more arduous. Teaching will continue at Charing Cross but the scope for learning will be reduced because of the hospitals diminished capabilities.

Charing Crosss A&E will be downgraded to an emergency centre run by GPs. There will be no Emergency Medicine consultants on site. Consultants at other sites will provide advice by phone or video link.

Because Charing Cross will no longer have a top-tier A&E, its world-class stroke unit will be moved to St Marys, Paddington. St Marys will become a top-tier super A&E. Major trauma and stroke care, emergency surgery and all acute beds will be located there. Hammersmith and Fulham will lose 300-plus acute beds. Charing Cross will have none. Only a few overnight beds will remain at Charing Cross. These will be limited to patients needing a hospital stay of less than 23 hours. People who suffer a stroke or who need emergency surgery will have to be taken to St Marys Paddington instead of Charing Cross. For many, travel times will increase. Travel times for families and carers of these patients will also increase and journeys and parking will be more difficult and more expensive.

SOH believes these sweeping changes, which are not supported by evidence, are unacceptable for the people of Hammermith and Fulham. Please make your voice heard:

Email your councillor ( tinyurl.com/nshju5z ) or write to them at Hammersmith Town Hall, King Street, London W6 9JU. Join us at www.saveourhospitals.net Volunteer at our stall on Saturdays at Lyric Square, giving out posters and leaets. Help us deliver leaets in your area. Display this poster in your window.

SAVE OUR HOSPITALS is a local residents group made up of people from all sections of Hammersmith and Fulhams community, including patients, carers, pensioners, doctors, nurses, social workers, specialists in community care and lawyers. We are not allied to any political party. Our entire community will be affected by these changes. Over 80,000 people have signed the SOH petition opposing them, yet the Council has ignored local opinions. For 18 months SOH has challenged the threat and will continue to do so on behalf of everyone in Hammersmith and Fulham. Write to us at SOH, [ADDRESS].

www.saveourhospitals.net