Labour MPs Joan Ryan and David Lammy say closure of nearby A&E centre has led to higher demand at North Middlesex MPs whose constituents use North Middlesex hospital are accusing Jeremy Huntof letting it descend into “complete meltdown” by allowing a nearby A&E unit to shut.
Joan Ryan, the Labour MP for Enfield North, says that the controversial closure of the emergency department at Chase Farm hospital in 2013 has led to such high extra demand for A&E care at North Middlesex that it cannot cope and has left it “in a crisis”.
The Guardian revealed on Tuesday that the emergency department at the North Middlesex may become the first in the NHS’s 68-year history to be shut because it is a danger to patients. The General Medical Council and Health Education England have warned the trust that they may remove the 26 junior doctors from its under-fire A&E because of fears for patient safety.
“This is a crisis for all the people who need and use North Middlesex and this is a crisis for the hospital”, said Ryan, a former Labour home office minster. She was unsure if the department is safe to use, she added.
“My biggest concern is whether this [unit] is safe,” she said. “Is it 100% for local MPs’ constituents? At the moment I don’t know if it is. Problems, especially the lack of A&E consultants, have been accumulating for two years, and have accelerated in their impact, but we’ve not had effective measures to deal with that.”
Labour colleague David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham – many of whose voters also use the hospital, said the hospital’s plight was so serious that the health secretary needed to explain to MPs how it had developed such a serious range of problems.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said it was satisfied with the action being taken by an array of NHS bodies and regulators, which involves NHS Improvement, the GMC, HEE and NHS England. “The department is aware of the situation at North Middlesex and we are confident that the relevant regulatory bodies, led by NHS Improvement, are taking appropriate action,” she said. “Patient safety is our absolute priority, and we and our partners won’t hesitate to act where there are concerns.”