Local MP calls on Government to intervene

The Ealing Central and Acton Labour MP, Rupa Huq, has raised an Early Day Motion (EDM) in Parliament over Ealing maternity unit.

She notes that Ealing has the third highest birth rate in London and calls on the Government to stop the closure.

Mothers-to-be are being given details of new arrangements following the announcement that no more babies will be born at the unit from July.

The decision to close the unit was made at a meeting of the Ealing Clinical Commissioning Group Board on Wednesday 20 May 2015 just days after the Conservatives celebrated election victory.

It means from 1st July no more babies will be born in Ealing - apart from home births.

Women due to give birth at the unit have been sent letters explaining what will now happen and the new arrangements.

The changes are part of the Shaping A Healthier Future programme.

Dr Mohini Parmar, Ealing GP and Chair of NHS Ealing Clinical Commissioning Group, believes they are for the best:

''Midwives and clinicians are clear these changes will help improve healthcare for women across north-west London by providing more consultant-led care and more midwives in our local communities.

“After much work, we now have the additional staffing, beds and facilities in our other hospitals in order to make this transition.''

Speaking about the closure, Labour MP For Southall, Virendra Sharma MP, said,

"This is a devastating blow to Ealing and particularly to expectant mums in Southall. My children and grandchildren were all born at Ealing hospital and so this is a very sad day for me personally.

"The Prime Minister David Cameron himself gave me reassurances that given the significant investment that has taken place over the last few years in Ealing's maternity unit there were no plans to close it but these reassurances have proved worthless. While the Prime Minister was giving out these weasel words his Tory Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was making plans to close the unit and personally made the decision that has led to this announcement.

"The fact that the Tories deliberately waited for the election to be over before wielding the axe shows how cynical they are and makes me very angry and bitterly disappointed about the general election result. You definitely can't trust the Tories with the NHS and we must continue the fight to save Ealing Hospital's A&E."

Meanwhile Ealing Central and Acton Labour MP, Rupa Huq, has raised an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling on the Government to halt the closure.

It reads:  That this House notes that on 20 May 2015 it was decided that Ealing Maternity Unit would close;is concerned that despite a recent two million pound refurbishment, the projected last date on which a baby will be born in that hospital is 24th June 2015; further notes that this decision was taken in the face of a rising birth rate in West London; further notes that Ealing Borough has the third highest birth rate in London; and calls on the Government to halt the closure in order to safeguard thousands of births in Ealing and across West London.

4th June 2015