Tuesday 23 December 2014

North West London Healthcare Commission – Call for Evidence


From Michael Mansfield QC 
In 2012 the government consulted on proposals to make significant changes to the healthcare economy of North-West London, set out under the heading “Shaping a Healthier Future”. This involved the downgrading of several hospitals across North- West London to “local” hospitals without A&E provision, closure of acute provision and reduction or downgrading of specific services. It also promised commitments to investment in capacity of out-of-hospital and community services in order to offset reductions in acute provision.
Two years into implementation of “Shaping a Healthier Future”, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow Councils are keen to review its implementation; in particular, the impact of reductions to acute provision on the North West London population, the extent of progress with investment in capacity and capability of community and out-of-hospital services to meet local needs, and the extent to which demand for acute services has changed as a result of those investments.
The North West London Healthcare Commission was launched on 1 December 2014 by the four councils to review the impact of the changes to the North West London health economy, arising from the implementation of “Shaping a Healthier Future”, and to assess the likely impact of planned future changes. I have been appointed to chair the Commission and my fellow Commissioners are Dr John Lister and Dr Stephen Hirst.
In order to assist us in the task of reviewing the implemented and planned changes, I invite you to submit written evidence that may assist the Commission in its consideration of the impact of these changes on patient care in the area. Any such written evidence should be submitted by Monday 2 February 2015 to Peter Smith, Clerk to the Commission, at Hammersmith & Fulham Council. Submissions should be addressed to him at Room 39, Hammersmith Town Hall, London W6 9JU or sent by email to peter.smith@lbhf.gov.uk. Later submissions will be forwarded to the Commission but may not be given the same attention as those received by the deadline.
I look forward to reading any submission you may wish to make. Yours faithfully
Michael Mansfield QC
, Chair, North West London Healthcare Commission

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

How did Michael Mansfield get the gig? He's not the usual kind of placeman. Submitting evidence to something chaired by him could actually be worthwhile.

Nan Tewari said...

Anon 13:23, you have voiced the thoughts of a great many of us health-watchers. In addition, Mansfield QC is being supported by Dr Lister who did a really good report on the pitfalls of Shaping a Healthier Future. The difficulty is that the damage has been done and it is difficult to see how it might be reversed without political will. Given that members of the government are claiming after the event that they didn't understand what the Health and Social Care Act meant....well, you can see the difficulty.

Since 2006, the organisation, London Health Emergency has been raising the profile of the fall-out of Shaping (not even an original name, having been previously used in Ireland).

http://www.healthemergency.org.uk/