Lewisham A&E + Maternity services under threat

[Otta]

Proposals include...

- Full admitting accident and emergency department becomes a Non-admitting urgent care centre

- 24/7 surgical emergency admissions end

- Obstetric and co-located midwife led-birthing unit becomes Potential obstetric and co-located midwife led-birthing unit

- 24/7 emergency medicine end

- Critical care unit end

- Inpatient padeatric service end

- Complex inpatiant surgery end

Details of a campaign and a public meeting (tomorrow night) here

http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/

Many users on here live in Forest Hill / Sydenham areas, and will be affected by these changes. And those of you in Dulwich, Kings does not have the capacity to take on this overspill!

[Otta]

Should have called this thread "Buggies not welcome at Lewisham A&E", it would be 5pages long by now!

[buggie]

Otta Wrote:

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> Should have called this thread "Buggies not

> welcome at Lewisham A&E", it would be 5pages long

> by now!

Feel I should be able to get a joke out of that ;)

In all seriousness, this is a v important issue - seems amazing that having spent money improving the A&E at Lewisham very recently that they can now be thinking of closing it. It isn't even Lewisham that's had the financial problems leading to this situation.

In my time at Kings I've seen numbers attending A&E rise and rise (10 years ago, 80 children in 24hrs was an extremely busy day, now we average at around 100 per 24hrs). Especially if in-pt paediatric facilities close as well, the extra pressure will be immense on both A&E and wards :(

[Jessie]

It's appalling. I get updates on the campaign to save it on Twitter from @SaveLewishamAE which posts about public meetings etc if anyone's interested.

[sillywoman]

It's because Lewisham isn't in debt and so those that are in charge of their PCT have decided it would be a good idea to 'rescue' poor ailing Queen Elizabeth at Woolwich. In the long run they can't afford to have the two hospitals running a full service so something will have to give. The fight will be whether the people of Lewisham lose services from their lovely community hospital, or whether it's the people of Woolwich who lose out.

At the moment (key phrase that) it doesn't seem that the Lewisham Obstetric unit or the Midwifery led unit will be closed, but we all know how proposals can change over any consultation period, so I'll just wait to see. Not happy though. :(

[Otta]

I used to work for Greenwich sociual services, and so spent a lot of time at Queen Elizabeth's. It's the most stupidly situated hospital in the world!!!!!

How they can expect people in Forest Hill, Sydenham, Lewisham, Catford to get over there with their A&E issues is beyond me.

And as Buggie says, they have just spent a load of money on Lewisham Hospital, and now they want to close those exact areas. Morons!!!

[Otta]

Just to add that for the last 10 years QEH has been massively management heavy. We were not able to set up a clinic there because managers felt they needed that empty room for monthly meetings!

My wife works for Guy's & Tommy's trust (probably the richest in the country), and they have just told temp staff to take 2 weeks off, because they "can't afford" to pay them. At the same time, they are still advertising management roles.

Obviously managers are needed, but the NHS needs to have a good longlook at it's structures and sort it the Hell out!

[sillywoman]

I just wanted to add; If you're living in Lewisham catchment area and you're currently pregnant please go & check out the Birth Centre at Lewisham - it's truly lovely. Also, having spent the last 6 weeks with the Lewisham Midwives, I have rarely met a warmer, more welcoming or more committed bunch of women. Lewisham is a very friendly community hospital and frankly - I think it's a great place to have a baby. :)

[Beagle]

I picked up a leaflet about this last week in my local surgery. I am really quite incensed about this and will be joining the Link hands march on the 24th. It is such a vital service in the area and channelling people into Woolwich will be a disaster.

I also believe Beckenham Beacon which takes the pressure off Lewisham A&E at times, is also under threat.

More senseless decision making to offset the costs of years of senseless decision making.

[Otta]

sillywoman Wrote:

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> I just wanted to add; If you're living in Lewisham

> catchment area and you're currently pregnant

> please go & check out the Birth Centre at Lewisham

> - it's truly lovely. Also, having spent the last 6

> weeks with the Lewisham Midwives, I have rarely

> met a warmer, more welcoming or more committed

> bunch of women. Lewisham is a very friendly

> community hospital and frankly - I think it's a

> great place to have a baby. :)

Also the clinical staff and nurses. Lewisham supported us, and more to the point my wife, through 3 miserable miscarriages, and they could not have been more kind and supportive! I know many others who have had similar experiences.