Charing Cross Hospital saved with 90m pound cash injection

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Charing Cross Hospital saved with £90m ‘cash injection’

Thursday February 7, 2013

Charing Cross Hospital has been saved from virtual closure and is set for a £90million cash injection after a concerted campaign by Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council and local residents forced a rethink.

NHS North West London (NHS NWL) will formally announce its plans for the future configuration of hospitals and A&E services in the area on Tuesday February 19 but ahead of that, the council has revealed that it has secured a major U-turn on proposals that would have seen the effective closure of Charing Cross Hospital.

The NHS's favoured reconfiguration for health services across northwest London originally included plans to demote Charing Cross into little more than a polyclinic with all of its major specialisms going elsewhere. NHS NWL revealed during the public consultation last year that the preferred option would have meant "you could fit the remainder of Charing Cross health services in its gym".

However, under pressure from local campaigners, NHS NWL will recommend pumping in a massive £90million into rebuilding Charing Cross, securing its future for generations to come.

The council has also secured a change in tack on emergency services at the hospital - which will retain a 24/7 emergency facility with ability to admit patients. This will be virtually identical to Lewisham's re-modelled A&E and will continue to treat the vast majority of people who currently make their own way to A&E. Only the most complicated emergencies, including blue light emergencies, will go to specialist centres.

Tonight (February 7) NHS NWL confirmed to North West London's Joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee that the previous proposal to designate Charing Cross a 'local hospital' has been ditched in favour of it being designated as a 'Specialist Health and Social Care' hospital with cancer and teaching specialisms retained.

"The massive opposition from local people to the original proposals has forced NHS managers to rethink their plans," says Councillor Marcus Ginn, Cabinet Member for health and social care at H&F Council. "The £90million cash injection now proposed by the NHS would secure the hospital's future for generations to come and the top priority was always to save Charing Cross and the services so many of our residents rely on.

"In return, we have agreed to halt our legal challenge to the NHS proposals as all but the most complex emergencies will continue to be treated at Charing Cross. We believe that we have secured the best possible deal for our residents."

Under the original plans to demote Charing Cross to a 'local hospital' the footprint would have been reduced to 4,300 square metres. The new recommendation would mean that the newly rebuilt hospital is four times larger.

Charing Cross will also become a specialist centre for community services which means that the many thousands of older and chronically ill patients, who need regular visits to hospital, will have less far to travel. It will mean local people will be better supported to live independently at home and will relieve some of the pressure on already over-stretched GP practices that downgrading Charing Cross would have caused.

H&F Council is now calling for a change in Trust ownership of the site, saying that the current ownership arrangements are too unwieldy and is not giving Charing Cross the focus it deserves.

Cllr Ginn added: "We all accepted from the beginning that the NHS had to modernise. Accepting no change and burying our heads in the sand would have resulted in the worst possible outcome with Charing Cross effectively closed. What we now have is a fully functioning hospital where the vast majority of people who go to the current A&E under their own steam will continue to be seen, while the hospital will continue to retain specialism services, will have teaching status and will continue to offer cancer care.

"This outcome is thanks to the hard work of the community who have campaigned so vigorously."

Read an open letter from Cllr Marcus Ginn: Securing the future of Charing Cross Hospital» (link added Tuesday February 12, 2013)

» Send us your comments now

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the Hammersmith Council''s treachery when it announce that it was instrument in “saving” Charing Cross Hospital, was its utter disregard of its electorate’s savoir faire and political judgement. Did our Council really believe that we would be taken in? What an insult to us all!
The Councillors are in a hole. Guess what? They are still busy with their shovels. They are tring to justify their deceit with arguments such as “The hospital will continue to treat at least 85% of H&F patients who are currently seen at CXH.” This spurious statistic misses the point. We are concerned about the people who need more serious treatment as in-patients. There will be 440 bed losses in the CHX “plan for the future”. At only 80% occupancy that’s 128,460 in-patient days. Assuming an average stay of 6 days, that’s 25,692 patients and their vital visitors, who will have to go elsewhere, probably Chelsea Westminster with its poor access by tube and car.
Whatever the vacuous spin churned by our Council, Charing Cross Hospital has been hugely diminished. It has not been saved. The Council’s insult to us all, needs urgent redress.
From Ken Bromfield on 24/02/2013 at 13:31
Very good job by all of us who took part in this very critical issues. We all have contributed to saving lives of very large numbers of patients in and around Hammersmith & Fulham Borough.

My sincere thanks to the Council who came in in time to help.

Briliant news.
From Salay on 14/02/2013 at 15:23
The hospital is far from saved. Please come to the march on Saturday 16 February at Lyric Square, follow @savehfhospitals on Twitter or visit www.saveourhospitals.net or come to a candlelit vigil at the hospital every Sunday, 5-6 pm. Do not think for one moment that Charing Cross is saved.
From Sarah on 13/02/2013 at 15:16
What a shambles How dare the council claim our h ard campaigning as being towards this!This isn''t a hard won ''gain'' anyway it''s identical to the Lewisham offer because it was rolled out as one size fits all sop it''s not unique for LBHF. And what will happen to the 15 floors a sinuous note above says "H&F Council is now calling for a change in Trust ownership of the site, saying that the current ownership arrangements are too unwieldy and is not giving Charing Cross the focus it deserves." who is it intended to sell it to?
And what about Hammersmith hospital by the way? Timing interesting just before the March to Save Our Hospitals on SATURDAY 16th February which starts in Lyric Square at noon It couldn''t possibly be a tactic to counter that? No of course not? 1000''s on Saturday will still be campaigning to Save Our Hospitals - the FULL Charing Cross and Hammersmith - and ALL the others too!
From Debbie Outerglobe on 13/02/2013 at 14:33
How much council taxpayers'' money have you wasted on printing and delivering propaganda to every home proclaiming that Charing Cross has been "saved" when it hasn''t been saved at all? And anyway what authority does the council have to announce the outcome of a supposedly independent consultation?
From Paul Kennedy on 12/02/2013 at 22:48
I an sorry that the hospital is NOT closing. My husband and i sat in A&E for 6 hrs one night, blood pouring from a botched toncilectomy. by the time we were seen it had stoped bleeding, only to be told go home. on the way home started bleeding again, back to A&E sat there again for 3 hrs. when we were seen he was rushed into theatre. He died 30 mins later. CLOSE CHARING CROSS HOSPITAL>
From Gig on 12/02/2013 at 10:15
I am pleased to hear Charing Cross Hospital is to stay. I have been treated there for cancer and am completely cured, while the operation performed by dr Jackie Lewis was exceptionally successful. I am a living prove that the NHS works and the CHXH is a world-class hospital.

What I would, however, recommend, especially that there is to be an injection of cash, is refurbishing of the entire area in front of the hospital where pedestrians mix with cars, where there are lots of tripping hazards and the area is dark and cluttered.
From Beata Duncan-Jones on 11/02/2013 at 15:48
Congratulation to all who campaigned :)
From Monica on 11/02/2013 at 14:10
Great news and congratulations to everybody that campaigned!!
From Joanna on 11/02/2013 at 13:29
Had it not been for the wonderful staff at Charing Cross who cared for me when I was very ill, I do not think that I would be here today. I am so pleased that the campaign has halted the disgraceful diminuition of this outstanding hospital's role.
From Charles on 10/02/2013 at 18:54
So our Council agrees that Charing X A&E should close; it should be reduced from 500 beds to just 60; and from a "Major Hospital" to a "Specialist Health and Social Care Hospital".
I suggest all those that read the H&F Council propsganda should also read the message from Carlo Nero, Chair of Save our Hospitals http://www.saveourhospitals.net before praising the Council too much.
From GF on 10/02/2013 at 10:07
What a joke; 60 beds protected which means 440 lost...
I suggest you go back to the drawing board and take another look at this. It''s not just those of us who rely on CXH and it's A&E, or local businesses, that are going to lose out on this unacceptable compromise. This vandalism of services in the borough while at the same time increasing residential capacity and office space makes no sense and just might mean,after the next election, you all end up looking for new jobs. Even my Tory friends are enraged.
From Thelma on 09/02/2013 at 19:03
Perhaps we're cracking the champagne too early here.
This is the same deal served differently.
£90m does not buy a new hospital with the infrastructure to run it let alone sustain it for ''generations to come''.
No blue light cases so the A&E becomes a walk in centre!
500 bed to 60? That means 15 floors of what in my opinion is one of the best teaching hospitals in London scaled down to a mere equivalent of 2 wards.
Bottom line, no longer an acute hospital, not even a major specialty hospital but a quiet little cottage hospital with 2 wards which £90m will buy and a walk in centre for those who ''can make it on their own steam''.
Meanwhile the ambulances whizz by blues and twos and we watch, that is those of us who have a job in the scaled down hospital.
The fight is not over. Alas this is not a victory. I cannot understand how so many have just accepted it and are willing to drop the legal action.
Think of how much Chelsea and Westminster cost to build all those years ago. Then reflect on what you would get at a fraction of the cost at £90m.
All that glitters is not gold...
From All that glitters... on 09/02/2013 at 18:29
Missing from the above article (but mentioned in every other media report) is the proposal to reduce CXH's 500 inpatient beds to 60! By my calculations that's still a reduction to a tenth of the current size that Greg Hand was so "unhappy" about. Life threatening emergencies are still going to be directed elsewhere
This is the same deal proposed to ''save'' Lewisham, however their council is, quite rightly, fighting it.
This is the same propsal that NHS NWL inially proposed with maybe an extra bell and whistle. CXH still beocmes a local hospital that will be unable to deal with real emergencies.
The residents of Hammersmith & Fulham have won nothing.
From Kannah on 09/02/2013 at 16:26
Thank goodness we are keeping our hospital great news.
From Alfiej on 09/02/2013 at 10:12
It apears that my congratulations were premature, after receiving further info from Any Slaughter we have not been saved after all it is appears that we have been conned by the council. We will not be receieving the care they told us we would be receiving under their new "agreement". Option A is what we will be getting, the closure of Charing Cross hospital will now indeed be taking place, the hospital as we know it will be gone, to be replace by a glorified clinic. What a bunch of liars our council turned out be. I dont suppose this will put on the website.
From mike on 09/02/2013 at 08:23
Sadly this news is not what it seems and we have been betrayed by our own council. Again. The facts are:
- Charing Cross A&E will close and be replaced by an "urgent care centre" as planned by NHS North West London - the proposal we have been fighting for six months. The formal decision will be taken on 19 February. The Council jumped the gun to get its fictional narrative out first. The unit will be staffed by GPs, there will no blue light ambulance service. If you have a stroke outside Charing Cross you will be taken to St Mary's Paddington or Chelsea & Westminster.
- The current 500 beds and all specialist acute services will go. There will be up to 60 new beds that GPs can use for minor medical conditions.
- The will be no acute services at all, only primary - that is GP and nursing - care, on 20% of the current floorspace.
I got this from Andy Slaughter MP's blog and there are more details there.
We need to fight in after all.
From Georgina on 09/02/2013 at 07:18
I am profoundly shocked by the deceitful misrepresentation of the so called ''saving'' of Charing Cross Hospital by H & F Council publicity.
This incident has completely shaken my trust in the probity of the current council leadership.
I can understand reasoning that argues there is insufficient money to save the hospital, but this publicity line puts previous Labour Council propaganda misrepresentations when they were in power into the pale by comparison.
Despite all the positive efficiency improvements introduced by the Council how can it be trusted in the future again. In making misleading presentations, it loses the key social bonding agent i.e. trust, Why not let truthful facts speak for themselves.
I feel disappointed and hope these comments are put on the website in full.
From NC on 08/02/2013 at 22:57
Now that we know the truth, that 500 beds will be reduced to 60, that there will be no ambulance service to Ch X, that it will only have a GP and nursing function, that emergencies must go to St. Mary's or Chelsea & Westminster. THEY want virtually to close CH X and it seems on the 19th Feb they will do just that. Read Andy Slaughter's brilliant expose. Rome
From Rome Godwin on 08/02/2013 at 22:31
I do hope that the term ''rebuilding'' Charing Cross actually means ''refurbish''! The hospital was built to a very high specification and has stood the test of time. It's accessibility by public transport is one of the best in West london and far superior to CWH or the Hammersmith. Well done everyone but agree with a previous comment that we must not drop our guard, NHS management cannot be trusted!
From John Glaholm on 08/02/2013 at 21:00
UNTRUE: the facts are: The current 500 beds and all specialist acute services will go. There will be up to 60 new beds that GPs can use for minor medical conditions.
The will be no acute services at all, only primary - that is GP and nursing - care, on 20% of the current floorspace.
A major teaching and acute service hospital will be reduced to the size and function of a cottage hospital and local clinic.
From Claire on 08/02/2013 at 19:35
This is a ''Trojan Horse''. Beware the compromise that means serious emergencies still being diverted to St Mary's or C&W. I don't want to die after a heart attack in an ambulance stuck in traffic on the Westway or the Bayswater Road,the Cromwell Road or Earl's Court Road. This ''win'' does nothing to give me the comfort I expect from the NHS of good and fast emergency health care in my old age.
From Brendan on 08/02/2013 at 19:20
This is a dressed up Urgent Care Centre -- the Lewisham formula.
The proper A+E and acute services are finished: the shell of the hospital will be there until another financial appraisal declares it no longer viable.
60 beds means most existing beds would close and any services not listed would also go.
Don't let up the campaign: you are a long way short of what you want and we still don't know what will happen to the other 3 hospitals.
The £90m like the TSA plans in Lewisham means there is money to play with, and it should be spent keeping hospitals open not closing them.
From Una Hodgkins on 08/02/2013 at 14:06
I and my family have used Charing x since it opened, also I was successfully treated for colon cancer there in 2005, so I am extremely happy to see it will remain as a main hospital for this borough, I am very grateful to all the people who campaigned for the hospital to be saved including The London Borough Of Hammersmith & Fulham.
From tony on 08/02/2013 at 13:39
Am concerned this report advises the money will be used for rebuilding, when there are numerous media mentions of a ''Struggling NHS''.
Why is this necessary?
Charing Cross Hospital was built just 40 years ago at a then 'staggering' cost of £15 million.
From Mike on 08/02/2013 at 13:01
Please note the comments of Dr Doberenz, consultant anaesthetist at Charing Cross. SOH say these specialities should be reassembled at either Charing X or Hammersmith Hospitals
From Una Hodgkins on 08/02/2013 at 12:47
Congratulations to H&F council and all the determined campaigners achieving such a wonderful result.
From BG on 08/02/2013 at 12:38
So common sense prevails for the moment at least but we must all keep a close eye on future developments and plans for our local Hospital. As a retired nurse who worked at the Charing Cross many years ago and now a grateful patient there, I could not contemplate it being downgraded or worse still, closed.
The marches, vigils and attending the public enquiries proved to be well worth it. But we MUST stay vigilent!
Juliet a local resident and campaigner.
From JULIET on 08/02/2013 at 12:35
Delighted with the news.What Josephene said is what I have been saying for a long time in all consultations. Hopefully it will also ensure the future of the Mental Health hospital next door.
From June on 08/02/2013 at 12:32
Delighted with the news. What Josephene Lundberg said is what I have been saying for a long time in all consultations and to the Council. It will also ensure the future of the Mental Health hospital next door for which some of us fought for many years.
From June on 08/02/2013 at 12:26
Great News! This hospital appears to
be very well run, clean and efficient.
Why change a good thing!
From Trish on 08/02/2013 at 12:23
There are three A&Es - Hammersmith, Charing Cross and Chelsea and Westminster - within three miles of my house - no long term care, no hospice, no assisted living. The NHS has to modernise. I don''t want to die in hospital. I want to die at home. Keeping open redundant A&Es and other duplicative services at the cost of more home and community care is bad health care. Politicians are more interested in fighting for votes than in fighting for lives. It''s time to change the NHS to meet the needs of today''s patients and public and to elect political leaders with the courage to say that and do that.
From Picacho on 08/02/2013 at 11:39
This is great news. With the regeneration at Earls Court and White City, coupled with natural growth elsewhere, the Borough & Government needs to think forward 20 years and keep the Charing Cross Hospital going. We should always been thinking about future proofing our city for the next generation.
Well done to all the campaigners out there, and thank you so much for your efforts.
From a pleased LBHF resident
Kate
From Kate on 08/02/2013 at 10:26
That is very good news! Well done everyone who helped
From Bob Paterson on 08/02/2013 at 10:01
All sections of the community came together to campaign on this issue. Well done H&F Council for leading this. We must however remain vigilant.
From Local resident and patient at CXH on 08/02/2013 at 09:48
This is excellent news, particularly for those of us who highly value the excellent A&E and specialist services available at Charing Cross. Bigger may be cheaper, but is rarely better, and complicates access.
From Kevin on 08/02/2013 at 09:45
I hope there is not a blanket ban on blue light emergencies as patients can be treated stabilised and transferred at discretion of paramedics if needed as traffic is still an issue. If not the new plans describe an Urgent care centre (presumably privately run?) with add ons not A&E
From a long qualified nurse on 08/02/2013 at 09:05
The devil will be in the detail however I do hope the local residents, who rarely see the bigger picture, have not forced the NHS to once again plug for the lowest common denominator. All institutions need to change and modernise, including with the location of the sites they use, however only in the public sector are these well thought out modernisation plans consistently watered down and scrapped as a result of politisation and scaremongering.
From A Doctor on 08/02/2013 at 08:18
No mention of the excellent Stroke Unit on the 9th floor of Charing Cross Hospital opened in 2009 having been moved there from Northwick Park where they couldn't cope! I was a patient there in 2010 & since working as a volunteer on the residents' Save our Hospitals campaign we have held weekly stalls each Thursday to inform out patients & visitors about the proposed changes, collecting many case histories from people whose lives have been saved by reaching A&E and relevant wards, such as the Stroke Unit within the 'golden hour'. It is ridiculous to reduce the number of beds to 60. The H&F Council have a residential building target of 780 dwellings each year over the next 5 to 7 years comprising 4 & 5 bedroom town houses to 1 bedroom apartments. We already live in one of the highest populated boroughs in London & I do not believe that this huge increase in population has been taken into account in the changes and closures being proposed. We will need a fully operational hospital to cope with these developments, not to mention the M4/A4 which is a main arterial road into London with frequent accidents. We must fight on and not be complacent.
From Josephine Lundberg on 08/02/2013 at 08:10
Power to the people!
From Citizen Smith on 08/02/2013 at 07:42
Wonderful news. Once again Charing Cross has been saved. Congratulations to everyone concerned.
From Margaret on 08/02/2013 at 07:24
This is excellent news. Well done H&F Council!
From Deep on 08/02/2013 at 06:46
While it is excelent news that that Charing X Hosp is to remain I don''t like the sound of " the most complex cases" going elsewhere . A price can not be put on the health of the community & when we hear of the millions spent in investigations into hospitals & the health service it beggars belief that hospitals should close,especialy in the light of a proposed increase in local populations due to proposed building . I hope this isn''t a downgrading of the hosp in disguise or the public will sufer still , especialy those most in need .
From C.A. Mallia on 08/02/2013 at 01:57
This is a fantastic news ! At last someone with common sense decided . Charring Cross is a very good hospital with good doctors and nurses . It''s been my family''s hospital for many years . Well done everyone who helped to save it .
From Marta on 08/02/2013 at 00:55
What wonderful news! They have always made me better when I needed them. It would almost certainly not have been the case if I had been sent miles away and had to travel back and forth.
This is the point? Is it not?
From j johnston on 07/02/2013 at 23:49
Thank goodness. Brill local hospital I can walk to, to A&E and most everything else. (Hullo Mim!) Well done the Community.
From Rome Godwin on 07/02/2013 at 23:44
I AM A LOCAL RESIDENT LIVING VERY NEAR CHARING CROSS HOSPITAL,I HAVE CANCER AND NEED THE HOSPITAL LIKE MANY OTHER LOCAL PEOPLE.I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO CAMPAIGNED IN ALL THE COLD,SNOW AND RAIN TO SAVE IT,ALSO TO THE GPS AND COUNCILLORS WHO GAVE THEIR SUPPORT.
From CATHERINE 7/2/2013 on 07/02/2013 at 23:34
such good news,well done and many thanks for those who spent many hours in all weathers campaiging against the closure.I have cancer and live local to the hospital.I certainly would not have travelled to St Mary Parad street or Hammersmith Hospital.well done
From CATHERINE on 07/02/2013 at 23:19
As much as I love Charing Cross as my place of work and local hospital, one major problem is that Imperial Healthcare NHS trust has its speciality services in three different sites, and Charing Cross has long lost a lot of important specialties, e.g. vascular and most general surgery. If you have a heart attack, you have to be taken from Charing Cross to Hammermith Hospital. The trauma centre at St Mary''s has no proper Brain or Chest surgery service and there are many more problematic examples! This means very sick patients don''t get 24/7 full specialist attention at Charing Cross (does the public and the council in this borough know this and take it into account?) and may have to be taken from one hospital to another and staff also has to move far too much, which costs time and money that should be spent for best, most efficient and safest patient care! What North West London really would need is ONE BIG hospital with all major specialities under one modern big roof on ONE of the three Imperial NHS trust sites rather than all major specialties pulled apart on three sites at significant distance from each other, which can be inefficient and dangerous for patients.
From Doris Doberenz on 07/02/2013 at 23:11
Common sense has prevailed
From PP on 07/02/2013 at 22:30
great news hope they stand by this now we need our Charing X it serves so many people. What they are trying to do to all the hospitals fighting for their existence just doesn''t make sense.
From dtellaM on 07/02/2013 at 22:14
As a doctor working at charing cross and local resident this is absolutely fantastic news well done to the campaign !!!
From Doctor a k on 07/02/2013 at 21:42
So happy about this! Well done to everyone involved, very pleased we''re not losing this much needed hospital. *does happy dance*
From Marijke on 07/02/2013 at 21:35
Excellent news! Hope that the major problem of staff numbers of the nursing staff will be given some priority. Without this, the service to patients will be quite inadequate and we will not escape the plight of Stafford. Specialists can do great work, but without nursing staff their effort wil be negated!
From Stephen Tharpe on 07/02/2013 at 21:29
This is the most wonderful news and I do congratulate and thank Hammersmith Council and the local community for their heroic efforts in this case. Really, it''s amazing what can be done when the determination and commitment is there. Again, thank you.
From Hiawyn Oram on 07/02/2013 at 21:20
Great news in theory, but what about Hammersmith Hospital''s A&E?
From Mark on 07/02/2013 at 20:25
Briliant news the local community campaign efforts have paid off and common sense has prevailed.
What do I do with the remainder of the leaflets?
Barbara Griffiths
From Barb & Pete on 07/02/2013 at 20:24
That''s great news. Well done all us campaigners.
From Tess on 07/02/2013 at 20:23
Wonderful news. I was in A&E two days ago and it was the busiest I have ever seen - all cubicles full and every chair in use. Medical Staff coped calmly and capably as always and everyone was seen. This volume of patients could never have been added to another hospitals load.
From janette on 07/02/2013 at 20:23
This is wonderful news making me very happy for the large number of elderly & disabled residents in our community. Congratulations and many thanks to everyone who worked so hard to achieve this end!
From Wilma Leroy on 07/02/2013 at 20:19
Well done everyone! Fantastic news.
From VG on 07/02/2013 at 20:18
What a great bit of good news, after all the worry and stress caused by the proposals. The turn-around is very welcome and shows that concerted pressure by all people and the hard work carried out by all protesters does work. Congratulations to all parties in this tremedous show unity and concerted effort. Well done
From mike on 07/02/2013 at 20:05
I am much relieved. Thanks to everyone who helped to make our voices heard. Thanks to the council for hearing the urgency and turning things round.
From Natasha on 07/02/2013 at 19:58
Wonderful - and a victory for common sense and the hard campaigning of our Council and residents. Let''s hope the rebuild gives us what we expect, and NHS NWL don''t sneak in any nasty changes in the process. Vigilance will still be necessary and I hope we can rely on our Councillors to provide it.
From Hilberry on 07/02/2013 at 19:57
So, it would appear that emergency cases arriving by ambulance will NOT be admitted at a downgraded Charing Cross A&E department but will instead be diverted further afield? Surely one of the crucial goals of the campaign – a top priority – was to preserve a fully functional A&E department at Charing Cross Hospital. Its inability to handle ''blue light'' admissions means these will be diverted to other, more distant facilities. This means acute patients may be vulnerable to traffic and other potentially fatal delays. Not quite the victory that is being spun. Or am I wrong?
From AwA on 07/02/2013 at 19:55
Fantastic news
From Metwali on 07/02/2013 at 19:47
This is very good news: an acknowledgement that the first class service of medical and nursing staff on which the hospital''s good reputation has been built provides the foundation for a healthy future for us all in decades to come.
From Michael on 07/02/2013 at 19:43
The people have won a small but worthwhile victory, ow we must change return the NHS in full to the people, not the multinational profiteers - Today Charing Cross Tomorrow ending the bedroom tax, EMS, Student fees... etc.,
From MontyBest on 07/02/2013 at 19:42
WOW! well done, very good news indeed and what a great result for the residents and all who campaigned. Charing Cross is a good hospital & so say all of us
From DMJ on 07/02/2013 at 19:40
Good people there. Never found fault with them.
From peter on 07/02/2013 at 19:31
This is fantastic news!
Well done everyone that campaigned its good to know people will pull together when it''s really needed '''')
From AP81 on 07/02/2013 at 19:31
Excellent. Well done our community. Don't let any politician or political party take praise please. It was, to misquote The Sun, the people wot done it. Hurrah.
From michaelwale on 07/02/2013 at 19:19
Wonderful news! Charing Cross is a great and much needed hospital.
From Lynette on 07/02/2013 at 19:18
Congratulations ! - a very necessary, sensible and worthy outcome.
From V.Hollier on 07/02/2013 at 19:17
This is very good news, over the last year or so I have used A&E two times and i'm glad to have one that is close to me. Thanks to everyone that campaigned.
From Ian on 07/02/2013 at 19:13
Brilliant, we are delighted!
From Mim Hain on 07/02/2013 at 19:03
That's brilliant news it was a ridiculous idea closing Charing Cross. I had to go there a few times and they were great.
From jadey on 07/02/2013 at 18:58
"Only the most complicated emergencies, including blue light emergencies, will go to specialist centres."
Good - that was the point of the changes.
From Martin on 07/02/2013 at 18:52

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