Forum Topic

Clayponds Hospital

The Shafting a Healthier Future proposals include the sale and closure of the much loved Clayponds Hospital; the land to be sold for housing.However this little gem did not appear in the consultation literature.Without consultation I presume its planned closure is impossible. Any thoughts on this?

Arthur Breens ● 4332d17 Comments

I doubt they will use a failure to consult as a reason NOT to close the wonderful Clayponds site. The decisions taken by the CCG defy both logic and common sense.This is not a 'trauma' site but one which provides wonderful rehabilitation services and there is no logical reason for 'bigger is best' as it is virtually self-contained in the breadth of rehabilitation services that it delivers.

Nigel Brooks ● 4332d

Very sad news if Clayponds Hosp is to close. Following 4 weeks in Charing X after my stroke two years ago, I went for recuperation to the excellent Clayponds. Its a brilliant little rehab hospital, with very comprehensive phsiotherapy and OT outfits that's clean and quiet with plenty of free visitors' parking - alsolutely ideal imo.  Only one thing could be improved though - the food, which is very ordinary considering there's a beautiful large catering kitchen in place.  Still, one shouldn't have everything one desires I guess.

Gerry Tan ● 4331d

Gerry please how do we save it? Is my idea any good...no consultation therefore no closure? Who do we tell?On a humorous note it looks as though they are closing everywhere you have been Gerry. Charing Cross then Clayponds. Where else have you been?

Arthur Breens ● 4331d

A&E times locally are now officially the worst in the country. See the BBC website.

Nigel Brooks ● 4331d

Today's Evening Standard also reports that remaining west London A+Es are under unprecedented strain following the closure of those at Central Middlesex and Hammersmith http://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/waiting-times-at-ae-at-west-london-hospitals-hit-a-record-after-closures-9850531.htmlClayponds is a great facility, much more home-like than Ealing or Charing Cross which is local and, as others have said, with free parking. One side (magnolia ward?) had already closed when my mum was last there last academic year

Rupa Huq ● 4330d

I personally cannot understand the closure of Hammersmith or Charing Cross A&Es from personal and family experience. However, I cannot understand why so much effort is being put in to save Ealing Hospital and in particular the A&E there of which I personally, and friends and family have had bad if not appalling experiences.Where the politicians (and the trade unions) are going wrong is that they are not prioritising patient welfare. It all seems to wrapped up in some dreaful love-in around Southall and Ealing Hospital, rather than around the provision of a decent hospital located in central Ealing with good access from all parts of Ealing.

Neil F. Weber ● 4330d

Given that the Imperial Trust are  in-patient beds at CXH by 80%+ one wonders where the hell patients requiring rehabilitation will go.Much as I think Milliband is a car-crash and Balls a PR disaster, if either of them take the lead in salvaging this health-care debacle then west London will be a total 'shoe-in' for Labour. Time to get the boys motivated Rupa.

Nigel Brooks ● 4330d

"...please how do we save it? Is my idea any good...no consultation therefore no closure? Who do we tell?"Arthur, I wish I knew how to save Claypond Hospital. Perhaps you might ask Rupa Huq - she's well informed on these matters and very helpful too.

Gerry Tan ● 4330d

Gerry, I agree that Clayponds Hospital merits a better future, the question is who does one write to to protest to save the hospital? Where do we go to find out what is happening to it and what is being planned? Also, I think that it may be in the Borough  of Hounslow, so where does that leave Ealing residents and who would then be the MP?

Neil F. Weber ● 4330d

Neil, I have just had a good look at the Hounslow borough map. The road immediately south of Clayponds is in Hounslow but the hospital itself is in Ealing.

Nigel Brooks ● 4330d

Nigel, You are absolutely right. It even has an Ealing postcode: W5 4RN. I find the ownership of that whole area confusing as I had found that Occupation Lane marks part of the boundary between Ealing and Hounslow and had assumed that Clayponds Hospital lay South of that line. Who would be the relevant councillors then, and would the new Ealing Central Parliamentary constituency that Ms. Huq and Ms. Bray are constesting be the relevant one?

Neil F. Weber ● 4330d

Neil, I'm really not the person to ask.  As I suggested to Arthur Breen who is also concerned about Clayponds, try contacting Rupa Huq - she's a candidate hoping to be our next MP - she'll know and she's is a helpful lady.

Gerry Tan ● 4330d

I think the problem may be that Clayponds is part of the Ealing Hospital NHS Trust so it is tarred by the same brush. The challenge in saving Clayponds Hsopital would be to get it taken away from the past-its-sell-by-date Ealing Hospital organisation and management system. The  campaign to save West London hospitals and the strategic planning going on around is tainted by the weighting factor brought in by trying to include an organisation that is not fit for purpose which distorts the whole picture. If we are to retain any good out of this situation we must split the campaign/planning into indidivdual hospitals to be ezamined on a basis of individual merit. Then perhaps the rotten core of Ealing Hospital can be closed and places of merit such as Mammersmith and Charing Cross given a chance to live again.As long as Ealing Hospital is core to this campaign the health service in West London will not be seen as a worthy entity to be preserved. At the very least Ealing Hospital needs to be split up so that worthy units such as Clayponds do survive and grow.

Neil F. Weber ● 4330d

Definite Ealing Central and it looks from a postcode search to be right on the fringe of Northfield ward. So it is Councillors:MillicanRee &Mullins

Nigel Brooks ● 4330d

Bearing in mind that they are what is left of the Conservatives in Ealing and it is a Conservative-led coalition government that is behind the present National Health Service strategy are they likely to do anything?

Neil F. Weber ● 4330d

Dave Millican is actually a very community-minded chap who may or may not 'toe the party line'. Do remember that the Conservatives have effectively 'passed the buck'  on this and claim that it is a local 'clinical decision'.

Nigel Brooks ● 4330d

Thanks Gerry. There is actually a Private Members Bill going through the Commons from Clive Efford MP to repeal the Health and Social Care Act. On thing we could do is exert pressure on the current MP to support it. With even some ConDem MPs now conceding that the legislation is a tad wrong-headed, they now have a great opportunity to do something to redeem themselves. The Bill to reverse Lansley's privatisation programme is due to be debated in the House of Commons on Friday 21 November.

Rupa Huq ● 4330d