Committee achieves referral on proposals to change local healthcare

The Joint Scrutiny Committee this week welcomed the Secretary of State’s decision to instigate a review by the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP), following an earlier referral by the Committee.

Cllr Anne Marie Pearce

Following their response to the NHS consultation ‘Your Health, Your Future’, the Joint Scrutiny Committee of the London Boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey sent the Secretary of State for Health a clear message that residents have not been listened to and their concerns ignored.

Throughout June the IRP has been investigating and interviewing, speaking to the Primary Care Trust Project Board, Members of Parliament, residents, Save Chase Farm Campaign, other interested groups and members of the public.

Members of the Committee have also given evidence to the IRP, on the reasons why the referral was made, focusing on the need for improved primary care and community based services to be in place, and seen to be properly working by the community before any services are down graded or removed from Chase Farm Hospital.

In addition, the Committee would also like to see three fully functional hospitals in place, with 24-hour consultant led A&E and that transport, managerial and financial issues are taken into account in any future proposals.

Cllr Anne Marie Pearce, Chairman of the JSC, said “Our residents have waited a very long time to see safe, accessible, and efficient services, across both primary and secondary care and we are concerned that NHS short-sightedness will once again deprive our residents of the first rate services they are clearly in need of.

“We do not want this to be another missed opportunity and have done our utmost to persuade the IRP that the PCT Project Board has overlooked vital issues in its current proposals”.

This document was last updated on 2008-07-15 11:45:06 published by the Communications team. Document Reference:LBE_133071