Virendra Sharma says delay until after election was 'cynical' move

Mothers-to-be are being given details of new arrangements following the announcement that no more babies will be born at Ealing maternity 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."

3rd June 2015