9 February 2012
Over the last week, you may have read articles in the local and regional press about how the south west London Better Services Better Value review may affect the future of our hospitals, in particular St Helier.
Questions have also been raised about our plans to spend £219 million redeveloping St Helier and how the new way (by local GPs) of delivering care to patients in Sutton and Merton may affect the services provided at the hospital.
As such, we felt it important to address these issues.
Better Services Better Value
Does the Better Services Better Value review mean St Helier will close or lose key services like A&E and maternity?
The Better Services Better Value review has an important role to play and our doctors, nurses and other staff are working with clinical colleagues from across south west London to help shape the proposals it will put forward.
The NHS locally has many challenges to meet, whilst continuing to improve the services it provides to patients and ensuring we get the best value for the taxpayer. Nationally, the NHS needs to save £20 billion in productivity improvements by 2015.
However, it is wrong to jump to conclusions about the future of St Helier Hospital and the services we provide.
It's also important to remember that St Helier is popular with local people and treats more than 400,000 patients a year. In addition, the A&E and maternity departments are both vibrant, treating more patients year on year.
St Helier redevelopment
Are our plans to spend £219 million on redeveloping St Helier at risk?
Patients and local people will be aware that we have major plans in place to spend more than £219 million redeveloping the hospital, which will bring enormous benefits to our patients, local people and staff.
The Government have been very clear that this money is set aside for us to spend. Like us they recognise that the redevelopment is long overdue.
Importantly, we have already spent more than £5 million on the project and look forward to beginning the move of services and staff from the areas that are due to be demolished, prior to the work taking place. This phase, and the eventual demolition, will cost over £12 million and are due to be approved by the Department of Health by the end of February 2012.
Delivering care closer to home
Is it true Sutton and Merton GPs will reduce the amount of patients treated at St Helier by 40%?
No - we do not recognise this figure.
The actual reduction in funding (from GPs) for 2012/13 is 7%, followed by a 4% reduction in 2013/14 and 4% reduction in 2014/15.
It is important to note that this reduction is similar to other GPs' plans across London and relates to a long-standing national plan to reduce NHS spending by up to £20 billion by 2014/15.
Support for our future
Crucially, St Helier Hospital, and the redevelopment, continue to receive the highest level of support from our partners, including local GPs, MPs, councils, other local NHS partners, and - fundamentally - our staff, patients and local people.
