A SHORTAGE of doctors has forced health bosses to close Central Middlesex Hospital's A&E department for half the day from November 14 for the immediate future.

The round-the-clock service at the hospital in Acton Lane, Park Royal, will move from that date to an 11-hours-a-day service between 8am and 7pm and ambulances will be diverted to other hospitals outside those times. It is a "temporary measure" but will likely last until into the New Year at the very least.

However, The North West London Hospitals NHS Trust that runs the hospital said a GP-led urgent care centre at the front of the hospital will continue to stay open all the time and any patients who present at the urgent care centre requiring emergency care will be transferred to another hospital. 

Mansukhbhai Raichura, chairman of local patients' watchdog Brent LINk, said: "I was at a board meeting on Wednesday and nothing was said.

"They opened urgent care centre and the trust said A&E admissions have dropped by 60 to 70 per cent because most cases will be dealt with at the urgent care centre. They're saying there is no demand."

Professor Rory Shaw, medical director, said: "While this change will affect very few patients, I realise that local people may be concerned.

"However, as the urgent care centre cares for seven out of 10 people who come through the front door, most people will not notice any difference."

A spokeswoman for the trust said while management have enough nurses and administrative staff, it was nine doctors short of being able to provide a 24-hours-a-day roster and took the decision to reduce the A&E department's opening hours as a matter of urgency and move the night staff to Northwick Park Hospital in Watford Road, Harrow.

Prof Shaw said: “Safety is our number one priority, which is why we have taken this decision, which we believe is in the best interests of patients.

"It is wiser to make planned closures at night, rather than risk having sporadic, unanticipated closures over the winter, which could cause major inconvenience to patients.”

The spokeswoman said when the urgent care centre opened at the hospital in March 2011, the A&E department was seeing on average 200 patients a day. Now it treats 70 people a day and typically only one or two people an hour between 7pm and 8am.

“As a result, A&E staff are no longer seeing enough patients to maintain their clinical skills and expertise,” said Prof Shaw.

“When doctors leave, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit permanent replacements. The onset of winter means this situation is likely to become even more challenging, as we predict a shortage of A&E doctors available during the night."

The trust invited NHS London to carry out a review of its A&E services.