Merton Council has made clear its strong opposition to any reduction or relocation of Maternity Services from St Helier Hospital and has urged the NHS to confirm that they will not reduce, permanently close, or relocate Maternity Services from the hospital.
St Helier Hospital is a vital and much-loved hospital used by thousands of Merton residents, particularly those who live in the Mitcham and Morden areas. However, the hospital has suffered significant underinvestment over many years and is reportedly now having to consider temporarily relocating Maternity Services to other nearby hospitals to deal with serious disrepair concerns.
Councillor Peter McCabe, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, and Dame Siobhain McDonagh DBE MP, Member of Parliament for Mitcham and Morden, have written together to Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust seeing urgent clarity on the current position. The full letter can be read here.
This concerning news from St Helier comes just days after it was announced that the hospital would benefit from an injection of up to £57million to improve the Emergency Department through the governments NHS Estate Safety Fund. For many years, Merton Council, across successive administrations, has worked alongside local MPs to raise concerns with the Trust and advocate for continuous investment in St Helier, and so welcomes this much needed injection of funding. However, it also notes that this must not been seen as a substitute for a clear and funded plan to fix the disrepair and protect Maternity and all other existing services at the hospital.
Councillor Peter McCabe, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “St Helier Hospital is a vital service for Merton residents and it is essential that Maternity Services must be protected.
“We welcome the investment in St Helier, including the planned improvements to the Emergency Department, but we need urgent clarity from the Trust on what is being proposed for Maternity Services, what the estate risks are, and what investment is needed to keep services safe and accessible on the site.
“This is a very sensitive issue for local families and communities. Any proposed change must be fully transparent, properly evidenced and subject to meaningful engagement with the Council, residents, Healthwatch, MPs and local partners.”
Merton Council is urging the Trust to confirm whether any formal proposal is being considered, whether any change would be temporary or permanent, what estate issues are driving the current position, and what the impact would be on Merton residents.
The Council will also raise the condition of the St Helier estate at it’s meeting of Healthier Communities and Older People Scrutiny later in June. The Council remains committed to protecting vital NHS services and advocating for the investment needed to secure the future of all existing services at St Helier Hospital.