The leader of Wandsworth Council has thrown his weight behind the campaign to save Queen Mary’s Hospital’s minor injuries unit, writing to the Health Minister as a grassroots petition approaches 10,000 signatures.
Simon Hogg’s intervention comes more than a month after local residents first mobilised against the closure plans, with the council leader now urging Health Minister Karin Smyth that the Enhanced Primary Care Hub should not be scaled back, according to a council press release issued Tuesday.
The political backing has emerged as the petition against the closure – set up by local healthcare worker Lisa Bogg in August – has gained significant momentum among residents. The fact that local elections are scheduled for May, and that a crucial resident ballot over the regeneration of nearby Alton Estate also opened this week, may have contributed to the decision.
According to the announcement, Hogg told the Health Minister that “Roehampton faces some of the most acute social and health challenges in Wandsworth” and that “any changes to the local provision of healthcare should be made with this in mind and understanding the impact this will have on wider health inequalities” – arguments that residents have been making since the closure plans were first revealed.
Last week, the managing director of the St George’s NHS Trust was also grilled by councillors who accused the Trust of deliberately running down the service as a way to justify cutting it in a broader cost-saving measure.
Local MP Fleur Anderson has also joined the effort and, according to the council, has “submitted” the online petition that continues to gather support. (We reported earlier this month how hospital management has banned staff from posting QR codes linking to the petition at Queen Mary’s.)
The unit, which treats minor injuries including burns, broken bones, cuts and wounds, serves approximately 800 people each month. Without the facility, patients would face journeys of up to 90 minutes to reach St George’s Hospital in Tooting, potentially overwhelming already stretched accident and emergency departments.
It was Putney.news that initially revealed the closure plans at the beginning of August with the hospital only officially confirming them in September – by which time the resident-led petition had already gathered thousands of signatures and created significant local opposition.
NHS Trust AGM tonight
The timing of the political interventions coincides with St George’s NHS Trust’s Annual Members Meeting tonight at 6:30pm, where members of the public can raise questions directly with Trust leadership in what is billed as an “open Q&A” session.
Hogg has also written directly to the NHS Trust requesting a meeting to discuss the future of the unit. The council’s press release quotes the council leader as stating that residents have “repeatedly highlighted the risks this poses to urgent care access—particularly for those who are most vulnerable, including older people, families with young children, and individuals with complex needs.”
The campaign represents a significant grassroots mobilisation, with community members self-organizing to protect what they consider an essential local service. One parent who signed the petition wrote: “This is a vital service and if closed will put added pressure on St George’s A&E which shouldn’t be a place for people with minor injuries to go. I took my 4 year old daughter here and it was quick, easy and the perfect service.”
With nearly 10,000 local residents having signed the petition, the political support for the campaign appears to reflect the strength of voter feeling on the issue.
The intervention by both the council leader and local MP comes after weeks of resident-led organising, demonstrating the power of community action in bringing healthcare concerns to political attention.
If you are interested in the complex history behind Queen Mary’s hospital and its funding, and why the NHS is cutting back services there, please read our deep dive into the situation.
