The threat to Croydon’s A&E grows: my latest Croydon Advertiser article

This article was first published in The Croydon Advertiser on 15 November 2013

The threat to Croydon University Hospital’s A&E is growing.  Earlier this year, Croydon A&E was listed as one of three options for closure or downgrading.  Although Croydon was the ‘least preferred’ option, the fact it was included at all means the threat is real.  Last week doctors in Surrey voted to pull out of the review meaning Epsom Hospital, one of the closure options alongside Croydon, is likely to be saved.  That means Croydon is one of only two remaining options on the table.  It’s imperative that we have a big, vocal, public campaign to save our hospital from the increasing threat it faces.  That’s why over 3,000 local people have already signed the petition I launched calling for more investment to improve Croydon’s A&E rather than see it downgraded.

The public consultation over the closure proposals, already delayed from the summer, now seems likely to be pushed back into the new year.  The review is only happening because the Government has not kept funding in line with inflation or the increasing demand for health services.  At the same time, their top-down reorganisation of the NHS has cost £3bn – money that could have gone on frontline services instead.  I know people in Croydon value our health services.  With the growing threat now hanging over our A&E it’s vital those people make their voices heard.