This week the Prime Minister chose to visit Ealing Hospital to update the country on the Government’s plans for the NHS. He warned that unless we modernise today, we will face very real problems in the future.

Our plans to modernise the NHS have come under heavy scrutiny in recent months - quite properly given the importance of getting them right. Flanked by his Health Secretary, David Cameron has promised to pause and listen to the views of our health experts and medical staff – the people who deliver the health service that we all rely upon.

While the NHS is a fantastic institution, there is acknowledged room for improvement. I think it is only right that we take the time to step back and listen to the people at the heart of it, to create a modern NHS for the 21st Century that we can all be proud of.

Ealing Hospital itself continues to plan for the future. Talks have been going on about a possible merger between Ealing, Northwick Park, and Central Middlesex Hospitals. A business plan will be considered to see whether a merger would be financially viable. If this is the case, Ealing Hospital and the others will be looking to make best use of the expertise at all three hospitals within a new Trust. Ealing’s A&E Department continues to provide an essential service to the local community, and the hospital is planning further investment in its maternity services.

I have had a number of good meetings with the hospital chairman, Ian Green, and other senior management discussing the future of the hospital, and in particular its A&E Department, at a time when there were questions over its survival. The hospital is in good hands, and, in my view, has a real future serving the needs of the local community. I am also delighted that the hospital is working together with Brent and Harrow to deliver integrated community healthcare. This makes good sense and further demonstrates a commitment to the future of the hospital.

It was encouraging to see the Prime Minister taking a tour and to hear that he was impressed with everything he saw.

Reform of the NHS is a sensitive issue for all of us, and it is essential that we get it right. But as the Prime Minister said in Ealing, if it is to prosper, we need to help it change now, not tomorrow.