Save Charing Cross - But Does It Need Saving?

Charing Cross - not under threat of closure

You know an election is looming when it's time to Save Charing Cross hospital.  All over our Borough there are posters saying "Save Charing Cross", printed by our Council.

But does Charing Cross really need saving? In March 2017 our local NHS Trust sent LBHF Council leader Stephen Cowan a formal letter, saying that it doesn't.

They reprimanded the Council for their misleading claims about Charing Cross, pointing out that it is not in fact under threat of closure.

To see the letter yourself, follow this link.

Note in particular this bit here:
"It is difficult to understand why the Council would choose to spend significant sums of public money fighting ‘closure plans’ that do not exist and when your NHS partners have clearly set out that service changes over at least the next five years will be focused on providing better ways of helping local people stay healthy and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions or long stays."

https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/news/trust-and-ccgs-confirm-commitment-to-charing-cross-hospital

To see more detail, read this piece in the Evening Standard.

Saving something that doesn't need saving makes no sense - unless you're a politician. We have Council elections in May, and the NHS is a very emotional part of our national political landscape.

So, even if the Tories aren't threatening Charing Cross with closure - it's good politics to say they are. 

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