The following motion was agreed unanimously at last night’s Islington Council meeting:

Council is concerned that Accident and Emergency services at Whittington Hospital, Archway are under threat and could be cut under plans put forward by the NHS.

Council notes that:

The plans were revealed in a letter from North Central London NHS sub-region which sets out four options for reorganising NHS services across North London. All four options described in the letter would see Whittington designated as a local hospital with ‘no emergency services’, which will mean casualty services being axed.

The loss of the Whittington’s Accident and Emergency department – the only remaining in either Islington or our neighbouring borough of Haringey would be to the severe detriment of our local community. It would lead to significantly increasing journey times to A&E and mean local residents would be unable to access basic emergency health service in their own borough.

Council is further concerned that there could be more cuts to services at the Whittington.

Council calls on the NHS to retain the Accident and Emergency Service at the Whittington Hospital and provide assurances that no services will be lost at the Whittington.

Council therefore asks the Leader of the Council, with support from local Members of Parliament and Assembly Members, to write to the Chief Executive of the North Central London NHS sub-region expressing our deep concern about the future of the Whittington and our desire to see its Accident and Emergency Service remain open.

Islington Council