Maternity and A+E units should close, NHS south-west London clinicians say

The proposal is one of several to emerge from the Better Services Better Value review, seeking to find savings of £64m while improving healthcare at the same time.

Either Kingston, Epsom and St Helier, Croydon or St George’s will close their maternity unit if the draft recommendations are appr-oved after a public consultation next year.

Nora Pearce, a Kingston Unison midwife, said: “I think it is bonkers because where will the women go?”

Zac Goldsmith, Conservative MP for Richmond Park and north Kingston, said: “I don’t believe Kingston Hospital will be adversely affected by the review because it performs so well on so many levels.”

The report said very sick children who need to stay in hospital should be located in specialist units, with short-stay paediatric assessment units attached to A&Es.

The report also concluded that three out of four A&Es did not have 16 hours a day of senior doctor cover.

To meet the target, more doctors would have to be recruited or A&Es closed, clinicians said.

To divert lower-level injuries away from A&Es, GP-led urgent care centres should be attached to hospitals.

Only one of the four maternity units, St Helier, is currently meeting recommendations about the presence of senior doctors day and night and the number of births at the hospital is increasing.

Kingston Hospital has 98 hours of senior doctor presence, against a guideline of 168 hours.

Dr Howard Freeman, GP and joint medical director for NHS south-west London, said: “No decisions have been made yet.

“These are working clinical papers, they are not final, and we are publishing them for discussion, prior to producing final versions in early 2012.”

Dr David Finch said: “We will continue to talk to people every step of the way and we will formally consult the public next year on detailed proposals to improve health services in south-west London.”

Formal consultation on the draft proposals will begin next year.