The NHS has never been more vulnerable than under the present government. The Tories wasted £3billion on an unnecessary and damaging top-down reorganisation. The new rules allow hospitals to earn up to 49% of their income from private patients, which risks pushing NHS patients to the back of the queue. New competition rules also force doctors to open up services to competition from the private sector.

Clive’s bill would end the creep towards NHS privatisation, bureaucracy and red-tape and put patients back at the heart of the NHS. Labour has pledged to invest the millions of pounds saved by scrapping competition red-tape in ensuring people can get a GP appointment within 48 hours, or on the same day if they need it.

At the vote 241 MPs supported Clive’s bill and only 18 voted against. Unfortunately we have to expect that the Government will block it at the next stage. The only way we will repeal the measures in the Health and Social Care Act is by having a majority of MPs in the next parliament who are willing to do so.

As many of you know I am standing down in May 2015, but I very much hope my successor will be in a position to repeal the act.

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is celebrating the achievements of its “unsung” local healthcare professionals with the Trust’s first ever staff awards scheme.

The Trust is asking local people to nominate “healthcare heroes” who they feel have gone the “extra mile” and made a difference to their lives.  

Claire Champion, Director of Nursing and Clinical Services, said:

“We have around 6,000 staff working at University Hospital Lewisham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich, Queen Mary’s Sidcup and in a range of community settings in Lewisham.

“We know from patient feedback that we have hard working and caring staff who make a real difference to the lives of patients and their families.  I am proud of this organisation, and it’s important that we celebrate the good work that happens on a daily basis.”

If you would like to nominate a member of staff – or a team – for this award, please email your story to communications.lg@nhs.net  or write to: FREEPOST LGT.  You can also download a nomination form from the Trust’s website - www.lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk -  or pick up a copy in  patient waiting areas and main reception desks around the Trust.  Please call 020 3 192 6555 if you would like information.

The closing date for nominations is 19th September 2014.

The awards event celebrated the work of dedicated health professionals in the NHS who have helped people on long-term warfarin treatment to monitor their own blood clotting level. Comfort was short-listed for the category of outstanding individual.

Earlier this year, ACSMA invited their network of members to nominate their top health professionals across the UK. The response was overwhelming. ACSMA received nominations from patients for specialist nurses, GPs and hospital consultants who are regarded as having gone above and beyond the call of duty for their patients.

As you may know, clause 119 gives the Health Secretary sweeping powers to force hospital closures over the heads of local communities and I have vehemently opposed it from the beginning.

Before the last debate on the Care Bill took place, Heidi Alexander MP (Lewisham East), Jim Dowd MP (Lewisham West and Penge) and I wrote a letter to all MPs outlining our opposition and experiences of the Trust Special Administrator regime in Lewisham. During the debate on 16th December I raised my deep-seated concerns with both Jeremy Hunt MP, the Secretary of State for Health, and Andy Burnham MP, his opposite number on the Labour benches.

Yesterday we were all in the chamber once more to express our opposition to the clause. You can read our contributions in full here.

I would like to reassure my constituents that the Labour Party remained firmly opposed to this clause and voted against it last night, but we were defeated by 297 votes to 239. Paul Burstow, the Liberal Democrat MP who tabled amendment NC16, withdrew his amendment as he felt the government had proposed changes which addressed his concerns, but Labour’s Jamie Reed pressed it to a vote: 241 MPs voted in favour of NC16 and 288 against.

Although the government has pledged to consult local people and clinical commissioners, we continue to be concerned that these concessions do not go far enough. I am sorry not to be able to report a more positive result. 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is inviting members of the public to attend two listening events and share their views on Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. These events will both be held on Tuesday 25th February at 6.30pm and will take place at:

• Charlton House, Charlton Road, London SE7 8RE
• Lewisham Central Community Hub, Bonfield Road, Lewisham, London SE13 5EU

The CQC is inspecting every NHS Trust in the country. People are encouraged to attend the listening events to find out more about the inspection process, share their experiences of care and to say where they would like to see improvements in the future. The feedback will help the CQC inspectors decide what to look at when they inspect Lewisham Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the formal inspection, which starts on 26th February.

At Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, the CQC is expected to look in detail at eight key service areas: A&E; medical care (including elderly); surgery; intensive/critical care; maternity; paediatrics; end of life care; and outpatients.

More information is available on the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust website.

 

Following the government's defeat in the appeal court on Tuesday I immediately tabled a parliamentary question asking how much the appeal cost.

Today the government admitted to spending £92,000 of tax payers’ money trying to defend a lost cause.

This as an absolute scandal. Everyone urged the government to accept their defeat at the High Court in July but they went on regardless. This is the government that argues there is no more money for public services, yet when it suits them they squander our money. An apology is due.

This money would have paid the salary of 4 nurses for a year.

The failure of the Government to win its appeal in the High Court is a triumph for local people, both hospital users and staff alike.  There can be no doubt that this has been a huge waste of public money and that the Secretary of State for Health should never have gone to appeal following what was a clear-cut decision by the High Court.

He is now seeking to introduce new powers to future Trust Special Administrators so that they will be able to destroy other local hospitals, as he had hoped to do with Lewisham.

This afternoon the Secretary of State made a statement to the House about healthcare services in London, giving Rt Hon Dame Joan Ruddock MP (Lewisham Deptford) the chance to make the following point:

“Let me remind the Secretary of State that the High Court ruled that his actions in trying to remove services from Lewisham hospital to save a separate failing trust were illegal. He then lost the appeal. Will he now stop throwing good public money after bad, leave Lewisham hospital alone, and learn to respect the views of the people who work in our hospital and those who use its services?”

Dame Joan said:

“Despite jumping up and down continuously during Prime Minister’s Questions today, the Speaker did not call me.

”I know it will be a huge disappointment to everyone that I was not able to make the Prime Minister aware of the appalling treatment his Health Secretary has meted out to Lewisham Hospital and to local people.”

This morning a High Court judge ruled that Jeremy Hunt's plans to downgrade maternity and A&E services at Lewisham Hospital were unlawful.

Mr Justice Silber said the Secretary of State had breached provisions of the National Health Services Act 2006.

The High Court has upheld every argument we made against the use of Trust Special Administrator powers to ruin a successful, popular hospital which meets all its clinical standards.

The Government’s strategy for the NHS in Lewisham has been crushed by this verdict and we will fight to ensure they don’t come back with similar proposals.

This is the greatest victory for a local community campaign I have seen in my political life.

A huge congratulations for everyone who has campaigned so tirelessly to save Lewisham's A&E and maternity services.

Related Press:
Lewisham Hospital Is Saved (News Shopper 31/07/13)
You Can't Slash A&E Services At Lewisham Hospital (Independent 31/07/13)
Lewisham Hospital Cuts Plan Ruled Unlawful By Judge (Guardian 31/07/13)
Lewisham Hospital A&E Is Saved As High Court Rules Jeremy Hunt's Closure Plan "Unlawful" (Mirror 01/08/13)

This morning I joined Jim Dowd MP (Lewisham West & Penge), Heidi Alexander MP (Lewisham East) and dozens of supporters of the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign outside the High Court to mark the beginning of the legal battle to save Lewisham Hospital's A&E and maternity services.  

I am feeling optimistic about our legal case because I think the only person in the country who isn't against this complete travesty is the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP.  If there is any justice we should win the case.

I have never known a campaign of this size, with the public, GPs, hospital workers and Lewisham Council united in their fight. 

Two separate reviews - one instigated by Lewisham Council and the other by the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign - will run concurrently.

The council's principle argument is that the powers of former TSA Matthew Kershaw over South London Healthcare Trust did not extend to Lewisham, so his recommendations are unlawful.

If this first argument fails, the council will also back Save Lewisham Hospital's claim that the TSA and Jeremy Hunt did not meet the criteria of four tests required for the reconfiguration of NHS services.

The hearing is set to run until Thursday and a decision is expected a couple of weeks later.

This week I was drawn second for Prime Minister's Questions and took the opportunity to raise the subject of Lewisham Hospital once again.

You can read the exchange in full in Hansard.