The Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, has announced that he is accepting proposals for a “reconfiguration” of emergency healthcare in South East London.
Following the publication of contested proposals titled “A Picture of Health”, the Independent Reconfiguration Panel were asked to look into the matter and have now recommended that the 24-hour Accident and Emergency unit at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup close in two years.
Emergency services will instead be concentrated on Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, Princess Royal University Hospital and University Hospital Lewisham.
An e-Petition on the Downing Street website calling for the A&E unit to be saved garnered over 5,000 supporters, and a Facebook group called “Save our Services at Queen Mary’s Hospital” has over 2,000 members.