Richard with Nali and Paul Burstow MP, demonstrating outside St. Helier hospital

November has seen further developments in the campaign to save the Accident and Emergency Department (and maternity services) at St. Helier hospital. We have found some local residents believe the threat to these services has now gone away. This is not so.

What has happened is that the Surrey Downs Clinical Commissioning Group (General Practice doctors in Surrey) voted to withdraw from what is known as the “Better Services Better Value acute reconfiguration process” – that is public consultation on the set of proposals that would have led, amongst other changes, to the closure of the St Helier A and E Department. There are six other Clinical Commissioning Groups involved in the review. The vote by Surrey Downs has led to the suspension of the public consultation process on the proposals and required those involved to take stock and re-consider. However, it is certain that a fresh set of proposals will come forward in 2014 and the changes proposed for St. Helier are not yet abandoned.

Residents have also asked us about a report, published by NHS England in mid-November, that suggested establishment of a two-tier accident and emergency service. This would possibly bring to an end closure of A and E Departments, designating 40 to 70 A and E units as “major centres” with specialist services, while the remaining 70 to 100 units would be known as “emergency centres” dealing with less seriously ill patients. However, these are longer term plans and do not affect the immediate situation concerning St. Helier.

So the campaign continues. We will keep this site updated.