Defend the Whittington Hospital Coalition

Renewed Threat to the Whittington

Here are the bulletins that we published on our home page while we were deciding whether to go ahead with the protest in Whitehall.

STOP PRESS – RENEWED THREAT TO THE WHITTINGTON

(Thursday 22nd July, 2pm) We have been notified that a stocktake is progress, to review current services in North London. We are very concerned that this could result in loss of services at the Whittington, and we have written to the communications director at NCL NHS to obtain a guarantee that our hospital is safe. If we do not hear from him by Friday afternoon (23rd July) then we will assume the worst and we will make plans for a public protest on 29th July. We will keep you posted on this website as and when information arrives.

(Friday 23rd July, 8:30pm) We have now received a response from NHS North Central London. Unfortunately it contained no unconditional guarantee that the Whittington (or any other North London hospital) is safe. It stated that the future responsibility for health service plans would be devolved from the Department of Health to local GP commissioners.

This implies that all North London services face a very uncertain future, and with this in mind we will almost certainly press on with plans to hold a protest on 29th July, at 1pm, outside the DoH, 79 Whitehall. We expect to be joined by members of the public who are trying to protect the Chase Farm hospital.

STOP PRESS – RENEWED THREAT TO THE WHITTINGTON

(Sunday 25th July) Last week we were notified that a stocktake was in progress, to review current services in North London. We wrote to the communications director at NHS North Central London to obtain a guarantee that our hospitals were safe. On Friday evening we received a response but unfortunately it contained no unconditional guarantee that the Whittington (or any other North London hospital) is safe. Furthermore, it stated that the future responsibility for health service plans would be devolved from the Department of Health to local GP commissioners.

This implies that all North London services face a very uncertain future, and with this in mind we have decided to hold a protest on 29th July, at 1pm, outside the DoH, 79 Whitehall. We expect to be joined by members of the public who are trying to protect the Chase Farm hospital.

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