Wednesday, 23 July 2025

Northwick Hospital & NHS Trust 'disrespecting' staff and patients over what appear to be secret plans to close the much needed Hydrotherapy Pool funded by donations. Link to Petition.

November 2014: A hospital group held a party to celebrate raising more than £90,000 to buy new patient equipment.

The League of Friends of Northwick Park Hospital has donated the money to pay for a sensory room, a hydrotherapy pool and gym equipment. 


 

March 2020: Publicity after refurbishment of the Hydrotherapy Pool at Northwick Park

 



  JULY 2025: Silence from North West London University Health Care

Many readers have drawn my attention to a Change petition opposin the closure of the hydrotherapy pool at Northwick Park Hospital. I have spent the last few days trying to confirm the closure decision, seeking documents online providing reasons for the closure and details of any consultation undertaken and several times asked the Trust's press office for a statement.

The result has been silence so I have very little to go on but have decided to go public despite this and publicise the petition. Plans such as this should not be kept secret as they affect the public in Brent, Harrow and surround areas and, of course, the Trust should be publicly accountable. The Trust was not shy of publicising the pool in earlier years and its website still mentions the provision:


 The Northwick Park Hospital website today

 

   

The petition to NHS Trusts, Board of Northwick Park Hospital and Northwick Park Hospital:

Every day, I grapple with chronic pain and discomfort, and for me, and countless others like me, the hydrotherapy pool at Northwick Park Hospital is not just a facility; it's a lifeline. It's one of the very few forms of exercise that alleviates our suffering. Unfortunately, we are facing the closure of this essential service, an act of cruelty by the hospital board that could have severe consequences for our community.

Northwick Park's hydrotherapy pool is the only one of its kind within miles, providing a unique and irreplaceable service to those with severe pain. People from all over London come here to seek relief because other services are simply not available to them. This closure means taking away the only method of physical relief many patients can tolerate and benefit from.

But this pool is more than just therapeutic relief; it's a community hub. For many patients, this is their sole opportunity to connect with others who understand their struggles. The closure would not just remove a crucial health service, but also heighten the isolation faced by people with chronic illnesses.

The impending closure could also mean that patients would have to endure increased pain and reduced mobility, as they no longer have access to the specialized care provided by hydrotherapy. This decision could lead to deteriorating mental and physical health outcomes for many individuals.

Please join me in urging the board of Northwick Park Hospital to reconsider their decision. We need to keep this vital lifeline open for all those who rely on it. Sign this petition to keep the hydrotherapy pool at Northwick Park Hospital open and accessible for the community that depends on it. Act now to stop this closure. 

Currently the petition has 1,995 signatures. The issue is urgent as I understand the plans is to close the pool at the end of August when so many people will be away. SIGN HERE  

A contribution from a member of staff under the comments section of the petition suggest that both staff and patients have been treated wuth disrespect in the way te proposal has been handled:

I left the LNWH NHS Trust yesterday and I still feel the urgent moral duty to protest the closure of the hydrotherapy pool that I have referred patients to countless times. It is a vital treatment method for the physiotherapy department. The patients that are referred to hydrotherapy are often post-traumatic injury, or people with severe arthritis, or severe back arthropathies which cannot be managed surgically. This means they rely on the pool for their only possible form of exercise to maintain a sense of a community, enjoyment, and slowing their condition worsening. With no appropriate alternative, many of these patients will not leave their homes other than hospital appointments and feel even more isolated. 

I believe the executive board are closing it as a change of strategy to move any service that can be managed in the community, to the community. The announcement has been immediate and without due process which should have included stakeholders in the community, the physiotherapy department, the 'League of Friends' charity (who paid to refurbish the pool and were not informed of the plan to close it), and the local council. I am aware that this is not an essential part of the process to close the pool and the Trust is trying to cut their overheads as soon as possible given the recent political manifest. 

However, the method that they are using goes against all of the Trust's own values, and having spent the last 5 years abiding by the same values, the disrespect to both staff and the community alike is astounding. Personally, I have no issues with the change of strategy, However, I believe the pool should remain open. Whether this remains under the  Trust's management, or until an appropriate community trust / organisation can take over, or a suitable alternative is provided. Please show your support for the physio team at the NHS trust and for the patients we try to help.

 Another comment  stresses the contribution of local fundraisers to the Hydrotherapy Pool:

As a NPH disabled staff member of 44 years and a hydro patient for roughly 25 years (until covid started) I am disgusted to hear of the threat of closure of the Hydrotherapy Pool. This pool has been a lifeline for thousands of patients over the years. If it had not been for the hydro pool i would of been disabled off early retirement years ago as nothing else helped with my multiple joint pain from various forms of arthritis. A bit of a back story. This pool would not have been built in the first place if it was not for the charity work of the League of Friends for round about 5 years of buy a bug campaign. Back then this was on all the news channels and you could not walk the high streets in Wembley or Harrow without seeing charity bug sellers. Even Wembley stadium and arena events they had bug sellers. It will be such a shame if this closure goes ahead.

A patient I see regularly at my allotment site and have noticed the improvement in her condition wrote:

I am so disappointed to read this news!! Over the past 21 months my hydrotherapy sessions at Northwick Park have been so therapeutic and have improved my mobility tremendously allowing me to walk and move around without constant pain. Regular sessions have helped me not only to improve physically but have also provided mental health benefits through speaking with others in a similar situation. This form of non weight bearing exercise is essential. Please reconsider your decision NPH.

A member of the public has filed a Freedom of Information request asking who is responsible for decision making about the service, reasons for closure, what consultation had been done and what other alternatives were considered. They also asked for minutes of relevant meetings.

 I would hope that Brent Council and our councillors will be taking up this issue and the decision called in for scrutiny.

 

 

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