"Don't hide from the public. NHS London must now publish in full its document The South West London Strategic Plan" demand Davey and Kramer

3.32.03pm GMT Tue 2nd Feb 2010

With the NHS still holding back the details of the work on its options for closing Kingston Hospital's Accident and Emergency and Maternity Units and its review of the future of the acute hospital sector in South West London, local Liberal Democrat MPs, Edward Davey and Susan Kramer, have this week sent 34 separate Freedom of Information requests to 6 organisations within the NHS.

The two MPs are calling on NHS London to publish in full a document titled "The South West London Strategic Plan" as well as a range of other documents covering its work on the future of Kingston Hospital's key departments. These documents could be released immediately to inform a debate in Parliament on the future of Kingston Hospital won by Susan Kramer for Monday 8th February to press Health Ministers to come clean.

Susan Kramer MP said:

"Since we blew the whistle and warned of the threat to Kingston Hospital, NHS bosses have carefully avoided denying our central claim and concern that they are actively studying the closure of Kingston's A&E and Maternity Units.

"But for this to be a proper conversation in which the public can have its full say, they must now put the detail of their review into the public arena. We have requested a large number of documents but most are instantly available to the NHS and could be made public immediately. If London NHS fails to do so they will put the Health Minister in an impossible position in the Commons next week."

Edward Davey MP added:

"I learnt this week that one of the documents is called "The South West London Strategic Plan" which apparently contains 18 options for closing hospital services in South West London - exactly as we revealed to local journalists based on what we had been told by senior figures within the NHS. There will be many documents in the current review of our local hospital services but if they do nothing else this week the NHS should immediately publish this one.

"When the BMA published their report last November "London's NHS: On the Brink" they concluded that what was needed was full disclosure and public debate. We agree. That is why we are fighting for the public's right to know on this crucial issue."

Related Link:

Copies of all the Freedom of Information requests can be found on www.savekingstonhospital.org.uk .