Queen Mary’s Hospital minor injuries unit will remain open after a successful campaign by local residents forced health bosses to reverse their closure decision this afternoon.
The vital healthcare service, which serves thousands of Roehampton and Putney residents, was saved following a meeting between St George’s Trust leadership and three local MPs – Fleur Anderson (Putney), Paul Kohler (Wimbledon) and Sarah Olney (Richmond Park).
The news was confirmed on social media on Thursday afternoon, the day after the St George’s NHS Trust’s AGM and following the news that the head of Wandsworth Council had joined the nearly 10,000 local residents that has signed a petition asking for it to remain open.
“The management of Queen Mary’s Hospital today confirmed that the Minor Injuries/Primary Care Hub will NOT be closing,” Anderson said in a Facebook post, while Kohler noted that the Trust was also “actively exploring how to reinstate the drop-in service at QMH,” potentially restoring even more convenient access for patients who previously relied on walk-in appointments.
Just days earlier St George’s Managing Director, Kate Slemeck, had been accused by councillors of purposefully running down the unit in order to cut it as part of a larger cost-saving measure.
Community power delivers results
The victory represents a stunning success for grassroots campaigning after nearly 10,000 local residents signed a petition demanding the unit stay open. The massive response demonstrated the critical importance of the service to the community.
Organisers celebrated the outcome, saying: “This is a fantastic outcome for local residents, and we would like to thank everyone who supported the campaign to protect this vital service.”
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.
The minor injuries unit provides essential healthcare for cuts, sprains, minor fractures, and other non-emergency conditions that don’t require A&E treatment but need professional medical attention.
Local residents can now continue accessing minor injury treatment close to home instead of facing longer journeys to other facilities or adding pressure to busy A&E departments.
The service typically handles injuries that are too serious for GP treatment but don’t warrant emergency department visits, filling a crucial gap in local healthcare provision.
Our original story that revealed the plans for the first time and got the ball rolling:
Looking ahead
St George’s Trust’s commitment to exploring the return of drop-in services suggests further improvements may be coming for patients who previously relied on walk-in access without appointments.
The successful campaign demonstrates how community mobilisation can influence healthcare decisions and protect vital local services when residents make their voices heard collectively.
The MPs involved have indicated they will continue monitoring the situation to ensure the commitments are delivered and the service remains secure for the future.
