David Simmonds CBE, MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, recently invited Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP to discuss the reported closure of the Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner Service at Mount Vernon Hospital.
As covered in NORTHWOOD&RUISLIPnews last month, a document from the Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust revealed that the closure is due to “financial pressures and growing patient demand”.
Mr Simmonds MP sent a letter to Mr Streeting MP, requesting a meeting to discuss the closure.
However, the Health Secretary declined the offer.
His response reads: “The Secretary of State gets many meeting requests that he is unable to take up due to a variety of pressures on his time because of his role.”
Mr Simmonds MP said: “This is extremely disappointing, but not at all surprising. It is clear that the Health Secretary is not taking this issue seriously and is failing the community by disregarding its very concerns.”
Mr Simmonds MP then wrote to Mr Streeting MP again on Monday, September 8, once again requesting intervention to prevent the closure.
The letter reads: “The closure date is imminent, and I am urgently seeking your intervention to prevent this from happening. I share your wish to ensure that all patients are able to access the care they need, and I am confident that a reconsideration of the business case would demonstrate that the retention of the service… would save costs at trust level and enhance service delivery.”
The issue was due to be discussed via an Adjournment Debate in Parliament on Wednesday, September 10.
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