VIRENDRA SHARMA MP RECEIVES ASSURANCES FROM EALING HOSPITAL THAT A&E WILL NOT CLOSE

Virendra Sharma MP met with Ealing Hospital’s Chief Executive Julie Lowe on Monday 1^st March and received assurances that Ealing’s Accident & Emergency department is not under threat of imminent closure.

After the meeting with Virendra Sharma MP, Ealing Hospital in a joint statement with Ealing Primary Care Trust said, “Ealing Hospital Trust and NHS Ealing (the local Primary Care Trust) confirm their commitment to emergency services at Ealing Hospital.  Reports that the A&E department is under threat of imminent closure are incorrect.  To the contrary, plans are being advanced to supplement the department with an unscheduled care service, to ensure that patients presenting receive the most appropriate care.”

Commenting on his meeting and the joint statement Virendra Sharma MP said:

“I welcome the assurances given by Ealing Hospital Trust and NHS Ealing that Ealing Hospital A&E is not under threat of imminent closure. It is clear to me that with 100,000 patients a year using A&E services it is totally impractical to even think about closing the A&E. Even if more patients were treated in community settings there would still be large numbers of patients needing to use the A&E thus guaranteeing the continuance of the A&E. It is government policy that all local hospitals have 24/7 A&E departments so I am clear that these NHS London leaked proposals are not coming from the government.”