The NHS says it is committed to scaling down services available at A&E departments at Ealing and Charing Cross Hospitals but pledges the changes won't happen until it has ensured "additional capacity" is in place elsewhere.

The life-saving departments will be transformed into 'local A&E' wards.

It is part of a plan spanning North West London which will see more healthcare provided by so-called 'primary and community care services' such as walk-in centres and doctors' surgeries in an attempt to cut down the numbers of people being admitted to hospital.

Big services like full A&E departments are to be centralised in fewer hospitals.

Campaign groups live Ealing Save our NHS continue to fight bitterly against the changes.

Get West London asked the NHS about the future of the hospitals as rumours continue to circulate that services will be downgraded or moved elsewhere.

Ealing Hospital. Picture TMS. Clear for use by all BBC newswire partners.
Ealing Hospital. Picture TMS. Clear for use by all BBC newswire partners.

In response to these questions, the NW London Collaboration of Clinical Commissioning Groups pledged services at Charing Cross hospital will continue with at least its current capacity and range of services until at least 2021.

Do you agree with NHS plans for Ealing and Charing Cross?

Do you think services have improved since recent changes were made to maternity and paediatric services at Ealing Hospital?

Do you support the plan to turn Ealing and Charing Cross Hospitals into 'Local A&Es'? Email me at martin.elvery@reachplc.com or Tweet me @jouno_martinp

It was less specific about Ealing Hospital but said it will continue with its current A&E service until "additional capacity" is in place both in nearby hospitals and in primary and community care services - and it is "assured the emergency system across NW London can operate at the required level".

However, none of these changes can be made until the cash is secured to make the necessary changes. This is being sought from NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Councillor Julian Bell taking part in the Ealing & Charing Cross Protest March

"A proactive model focused on keeping well"

NW London CCCGs issued a statement saying: “In North West London we have an ambitious transformation plan to flip the model of care on its head – from a reactive one which waits for people to get sick and then treat them in hospital, to a proactive model focussed on keeping well, and if they do get ill, treating them in a setting closer to home, leaving hospital only for those who really need it.

“The Shaping a Healthier Future consultation proposed that the A&Es at Ealing and Charing Cross hospitals become 'local A&Es' as part of wider changes to provide local people with the hospital services they use the most to make sure patients receive the best possible care.

"No changes will be made until additional capacity is in place"

"As we have publicly said, no changes will be made to either A&E until, additional capacity is in place both in nearby hospitals and in primary and community care services - and we are assured the emergency system across NW London can operate at the required level.

“We are committed to providing the right, high quality services for local residents from both hospitals, now and in the future."

The transformation plan builds on the original Shaping a Healthier Future programme, published in 2012 and then amended following a public consultation.

"Emergency services concentrated on five specific hospitals"

The original plan set out a vision for emergency services concentrated on five specific hospitals offering 'cutting edge care' – as opposed to nine sites which the NHS says spreads resources, expertise and skills more thinly.

Some services such as paediatric and maternity services have already been concentrated on fewer sites and removed from Ealing Hospital.

"Improvements in the quality of care"

The NW London CCCGs says this has been a success with an improvement in the quality of services at fewer sites and traditional problems such as staff shortages being solved.

It says the changes made to children’s services in June 2016 have led to improvements in the quality of care that children receive. Over 24 additional children’s nurses are now employed in NW London and all its hospitals have access to paediatrics advice all of the time and senior paediatric doctors are on site in the hospitals right through to 10pm so they can provide the best care.

It has also opened four new paediatric assessment units for children who arrive needing assessing and treating but not admission.

By consolidating seven maternity wards into six, closing Ealing Hospital’s maternity unit in June 2015, NW London CCCGs says all women across NW London now have increased access to senior consultant cover day and night which has improved safety along with the recruitment of more midwives which improved the midwife to birth ratio.