"Don't have an accident in Hemel after 7th October", says Mike Penning.

Responding to the publication of West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust’s draft “Operational Plan 2008/9” Hemel MP, Mike Penning said:

“Don’t have an accident in Hemel after 7th October – because that’s when Hemel Hempstead A&E is due to close. I absolutely condemn this move. A town the size of Hemel – and set to grow – needs a fully-functioning General Hospital with A&E and full back-up support. This is a misguided cost-saving measure and I very much fear for the consequences.”

The NHS Trust has published ‘key milestones’ for the coming year. On 7th October the A&E and all acute in-patient beds at Hemel will close.

A table in the report (Table 9) shows:

In April 2007 Hemel had 239 Acute Beds and 6 Critical Care beds. By October there will be none. Across the whole Trust, there were 698 beds in April 2007 and by October 2008 this will reduce to 615.

Mike said:

“This goes against all common sense. To reduce the number of beds by over 80 beds – at a time when both Hemel and St Albans have been designated as areas for housing growth is crazy”.