West Middlesex Hospital faces uncertain future amid Hounslow healthcare shake-up (From Hounslow And Brentford Times)

West Middlesex Hospital faces uncertain future amid Hounslow healthcare shake-up

1:00pm Sunday 7th March 2010

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A question mark still hangs over the future of West Middlesex Hospital as plans to change the face of Hounslow’s healthcare system continue.

Less than a month after NHS Hounslow revealed it was taking steps to introduce three polysystems in the borough – care services in Isleworth, Hounslow and Feltham – bosses have backtracked, and are now proposing to have just two.

A spokesman for NHS Hounslow this week confirmed the first as being the Heart of Hounslow polyclinic, in Bath Road, which was officially opened by Health Minister Ann Keen last Thursday.

He said this would act as a central and western polysystem in Hounslow, Heston, Feltham and Bedfont covering a population of about 172,000.

He said: “The second is an eastern polysystem in Chiswick, Brentford and Isleworth covering a population of approximately 82,000. The polyclinic hub plans are being worked on to locate the hub at West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth.”

The Twickenham Road hospital has been at the centre of much debate after it emerged both its accident and emergency and maternity units could face downgrading or closure as part of an NHS north-west London review.

NHS north-west, which has a team of senior clinicians conducting the review, has yet to give assurances about the future of specific departments but, on Wednesday, one of the doctors involved in the south-west London review admitted that keeping the current healthcare system in that region was “not an option”.

Once in place, the NHS healthcare proposals will go out to public consultation. It is thought this will begin in September.

NHS north-west insists that no firm plans have been agreed upon at present.

NHS Hounslow’s spokesman explained that polysystems bring GP practices, provider organisations, pharmacists, secondary care clinicians and trusts, voluntary sector, independent sector and other providers together as part of one network.

He added: “Polysystems are a new model of care designed to transform how Londoners receive health and community care. They are clinically-led and involve a network of clinical partners which deliver care to a local population.”

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