A&E still on road sign 3 months after closure
15th June 2009
Mike Penning has condemned a road sign that directs people to “Hospital A&E” three months after the A&E at Hemel Hempstead was closed.
Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead, has called on Herts Highways to urgently update a road sign that is still directing people to the A&E.
The sign in Selden Hill still indicates “Hospital A&E” despite the fact that all A&E services were closed down in Hemel on 11th March.
Mike said:
“It may seem trivial, but for that one person who relies on it in their hour of need, it could quite literally be a matter of life and death. It ought to be a straightforward thing to ensure that all signs in and around the town clearly indicate that there is no A&E in Hemel.
“Anyone who has ever been in the position of driving a loved one to hospital in an emergency knows how nerve-wracking it can be. Seeing “A&E” on a sign is reassuring.
“No one should find themselves in the horrendous position of rushing a loved one to Hemel only to find that the A&E is no longer there.”
Back in March, Mike also reported new signs that indicated Hemel “hospital with A&E” at Junction 8 of the M1. These new signs were installed just days after the A&E had been shut down. Even today, the “H” is still red which indicates an acute hospital rather than blue as it should be.
