Celebrating the successful transfer of Queen Mary's
13 October 2013
Staff, clinicians, managers and the Leader of the London Borough of Bexley, Councillor Teresa O’Neill, met on Tuesday 15 October to celebrate the successful transfer of Queen Mary’s Hospital (QMH) by NHS organisations and the local authority.
Changes at QMH were made on 1 October following the dissolution of the former South London Healthcare NHS Trust and the transfer of the hospital services formerly provided by the trust to other local NHS providers.
Most of the changes at QMH involve the way services are run and managed. The London Borough of Bexley, community health services and a wide range of hospital services are pooling their expertise to introduce a new and innovative way of providing healthcare. This will help Bexley residents to get the right treatment at the right place and the right time.
Dr Howard Stoate, local GP and Chair of NHS Bexley Clinical Commissioning Group, the organisation responsible for planning, buying and monitoring the quality of health services for Bexley residents said: “Six NHS organisations and the local authority have been working in partnership to ensure the smooth transfer of Queen Mary’s Hospital. It’s imperative that this valuable local resource continues to meet the needs of local people.”
Judy Fell, Matron and Paula McCalla, Ward Manager, both joined QMH 22 years ago as staff nurses. Speaking of the changes, Paula said: “We are like a family here. Even though we now work for separate organisations, we work as one.”
Leader of the London Borough of Bexley, Councillor Teresa O’Neill, said: “I am very pleased that Queen Mary’s Hospital is entering a new era. It is one of the first community facing hospitals in the country and I hope local people will benefit from the quality healthcare that will be on offer from a range of specialists.
“With a major refurbishment and £30 million of investment planned over the next three years, the hospital’s future looks bright.”
Susan Acott, Chief Executive of Darent Valley Hospital, the organisation providing outpatient and elective care to patients said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to continue the good work previously undertaken at Queen Mary’s Hospital and to work with new providers, Bexley patients and importantly GPs to ensure that local services are protected for the future.”
In the next three years, QMH will see major investment and improvement to ensure it continues to provide valuable healthcare for people in Bexley.
