At least 25,000 people marched on Saturday in protest of planned closures to Lewisham hospital’s accident and emergency in south-east London.
Protesters called the plans “ill-considered and unjust”, but a source within the NHS has said that the plans are “a done deal” and will go ahead regardless of the protests.
Current proposals – to be confirmed no later than Friday, 1February – would see the A&E unit closed and the maternity unit downgraded. Protesters called upon Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to reject the proposals.
Lewisham hospital would join with Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich to create a new organisation, part of major restructuring of services across the whole south-east area. Lewisham’s A&E unit would be downgraded to an urgent care centre.
Protesters are unhappy about the closures, which would mean emergency cases would have to be taken to hospitals as far afield as Bromley to be seen. Learning support assistant Rosie Wilkinson, 23 and from 
Lewisham, said “surrounding hospitals won’t be able to cope [with the closures] and Mr Hunt will deeply regret his decision when people die as a consequence.”
But a Department of Health official has said “doing nothing is not an option”.
Our NHS source has revealed, however, that Lewisham is not the worst performing of the hospitals in the area, and that the only thing saving Princess Royal hospital in Bromley from the closures is the presence of an advanced hyper-acute stroke unit (HASU) which can prevent otherwise permanent paralysis if patients are seen quickly enough. Lewisham does not have a HASU.
The proposals have come as a result of £150m debts run up by the South London Healthcare NHS Trust. The Trust currently includes nearby hospitals in Bromley (Princess Royal), Woolwich (Queen Elizabeth) and Sidcup (Queen Mary’s).
It is also Lewisham hospital’s location that has seen it the subject of closures – sitting as it does in the middle of a ring of hospitals, bordered by the three SE Trust hospitals and Kings Hospital.
Closure of any of the other A&E units would potentially mean even longer waits for patients to arrive in care. The Government therefore argue that, if closures are necessary, the downgrading of the Lewisham A&E is the most plausible option.
A final decision regarding the planned closures is expected no later than Friday, February 1.
By Gavin Barnes