Update November 2011

Enfield Council have announced plans to seek a Judicial Review of the decision to downgrade the A&E department at Chase Farm Hospital. Nick welcomes this decsion.

13 September 2011

 MP says Chase Farm downgrade is "wrong" and calls for split with Barnet

Enfield North MP Nick de Bois has said the ruling by the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) to approve the downgrade of Chase Farm Hospital is "the wrong decision".

The IRP's report endorses the BEH Clinical Strategy, meaning Chase Farm's 24-hour A&E unit will be replaced with a 12-hour Urgent Care Centre. Blue-light emergencies will go to North Mid or Barnet hospital.

Nick de Bois said, "I'm disappointed by the IRP's decision. Frankly I think it's the wrong decision. Chase Farm Hospital should have a 24-hour A&E unit, end of story. I also think the Secretary of State is wrong to endorse the IRP's decision".

The IRP criticised the submission put forward by Enfield council, which called for more money to be made available and gave a list of recommendations. The IRP said the council's plan "does not provide any credible alternative to the current proposals".

GPs should be given chance to put forward an alternative

Mr. de Bois said that just because no alternative has been identified, it does not mean one cannot be found and that the emerging GP consortia should be given the opportunity to do so.

He said, "The IRP's plan is flawed because it's saying that no credible alternative has been put forward. For me, this underlines why this decision is wrong because it's been made before a GP commissioning body has been established, a body that would be free to design the services they want for Enfield".

Update 15 June 2011

Enfield North MP Nick de Bois has written a joint submission with Southgate MP David Burrowes to a key health panel reviewing plans for hospital services in the borough, pressing the case for cuts to Chase Farm to be scrapped.

You can read their letter in full here.

The Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) will be reviewing plans for local hospital services in Enfield following the freeze on all hospital plans imposed by the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley. Nick and David have called on the IRP to reject the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey (BEH) Clinical Strategy - which would see Chase Farm downgraded - arguing that the plan does not have the support of local GPs, patients or the public.

The MPs go on to argue that Chase Farm should break its link with Barnet Hospital and instead form a new Foundation Trust with North Middlesex Hospital, a move they argue is a logical step that would allow vital services at Chase Farm to be saved.

Nick and David have used their joint letter to call

Update March 27th

Nick expressed his dismay at how Enfield Council had "wasted a golden opportunity" on Chase Farm Hospital. Having been granted 6 weeks to come up with a viable alternative plan to prevent the he proposed Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Clinical Strategy, Enfield Council presented no viable plan at all – simply a short document restating already known facts about the consequences of the hospital's downgrading.

Nick said, "The Secretary of State was looking for an innovative plan, locally-led and with local support to mitigate the situation we were left with. What the council has produced is not really a plan at all – it simply highlights the legacy left by the previous Labour government and the strength of public opinion".

Enfield Council's full report, "Future for Enfield Hospitals" can be read here.

 Update March 27th

Nick secured a two week extension from the Secretary of State to help the council develop their proposals that they wish to take to the Secretary of State. This has been warmly welcomed by campaigners.

Update March 8th

As regular vistitors to my website will know, this month I led a cross-party deputation of Enfield MPs, the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Health Scrutiny panel to meet the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley. I wanted us to have the chance to press the case at the highest level that cuts to Chase Farm hospital should not go ahead.Cuts to A&E and maternity have been put forward in the BEH Clinical Strategy – the plan that was halted by Andrew Lansley and which he said could only go ahead if it met his four tests. With NHS London and other health bureaucrats arguing that the tests had been met and that the cuts should go ahead, we had to pull together and fight Enfield's corner.

After our deputation - in which we argued the four tests had not been met - the Health Secretary has thrown Chase Farm a lifeline. Andrew Lansley recognised that there was a large body of opinion in Enfield that options other than the BEH Strategy should be looked at. He has therefore opened the door for Enfield council, with help from the Department of Health, to work up a new plan for the reconfiguration of hospital services in the borough within four weeks.

This is not to be confused with another consultation. It is not. It is a chance to produce an alternative plan to the , with Enfield council working with the emerging consortia of Enfield GPs and our local hospitals. Under the last government we never had that chance.

I promised at the election to make Chase Farm my number one priority and I'm delighted that Chase Farm has been given a lifeline in this way. What we saw last week was politicians from both the Conservatives and the Labour party working together for the benefit of the people of Enfield. I was proud to lead this.

As council leader Doug Taylor said to the press after the meeting, "the ball is in our court". I urge Cllr Taylor and his colleagues running the council to leave no stone unturned in finding a way for vital services to be retained at Chase Farm.

Update February 1st 2010

Nick is leading a cross party delegation from Enfield to the Secretary of State for Health on March 7th 2011 to press the case for Chase Farm Hospital not to be downgraded. 

The story so far; 

The new Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley MP, visited Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield within two weeks of the general election to fulfil an election promise to halt Labour's cuts to A&E and maternity services, and implement a fresh review on clinical grounds that would give local GPs and stakeholder groups a genuine say in the future of our local hospital services.

The Secretary of State set out four tests required for reconfiguration proposals to demonstrate:

•support from GP commissioners;

•strengthened public and patient engagement,

•clarity on the clinical evidence base; and

•consistency with current and prospective patient choice.

Since that time Nick has met with many GP's across the constituency to asses the level of engagement they have had in the latest review of BEH proposals and kept the Secretary of State informed of the progress of the review process.

Latest News:

26th November - Senior advisor to Secretary of State Andrew Lansley meets with Enfield GP's, Local Authority and resident groups

Professor David Kerr, Senior Advisor to Andrew Lansley attended a meeting at the Enfield Civic Centre to review the progress of the BEH Clinical Strategy review where he had the opportunity to hear the views of many local GPs and stakeholder groups who expressed their views on the planned reconfiguration of Chase Farm Hospital and whether, in their opinion the 4 tests set out by Andrew Lansley to validate the review had in fact been met. Professor Kerr responded to an invitation from David Burrowes MP and Nick de Bois MP.

24th November 2010 Health Scrutiny Panel review BEH Clinical Strategy process

This evening Nick , along with a number of GP's and resident groups made representations to the Health Scrutiny panel of Enfield Council over the future of Chase Farm Hospital A&E and consultant led maternity services. The Secretary of State, Andrew Lansley set out four tests that must be applied to the consultation process he ordered immediately after the general election. One of the most significant tests was whether there had been sufficient GP engagement in the review. It was the conclusion of the Health Scrutiny panel that this, and the other tests had failed. Nick set out his reasons why he felt this to be the case and ensured that the Secretary of State would be made aware of these concerns and the report of Health Scrutiny panel.

LATEST: MPs' open letter to GPs encouraging them to shape future health services

January 15th 2011

Nick has arranged for a cross party delegation to meet with the Health Secretary to press the case that the four tests have been failed ( see above). The meeting is scheduled for 7 March.

 Read more......

Andrew Lansley: I'll make sure Londoners get chance to save their local A&E (London Evening Standard)

Andrew Lansley scraps Chase Farm cuts - for now (Enfield Independent)

• Nick de Bois started the Hands off our Hospital campaign in 2004, representing thousands of local residents and taking their views to the then Labour government and health authorities.
• Over 9,000 petitions were collected by the campaign and presented to the NHS Project Board.

Nick de Bois said "Chase Farm has been the defining political issue in Enfield for years".

"I'm delighted all the hard work has got us to this stage where experts like GPs are deciding on its future, not politicians in Westminster".