Over 3,200 individuals and organisations responded to the consultation. Thousands more got involved in consultation roadshows, events and meetings.
Overall, many of the proposals received broad support from local residents. There was clear support for moving complex care onto fewer sites, separating planned surgery and emergency surgery, separating the care of children from adults, and for developing new services at King George Hospital.
There was more support than disagreement for;
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providing surgery for children under two only at The Royal London (and not at Whipps Cross, Newham or King George Hospital);
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providing urgent surgery and complex surgery for children under 15 at The Royal London and Queen’s Hospital (and not at Whipps Cross, Newham or King George Hospital);
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providing care for children with more complex needs at The Royal London and Queen’s (not at Homerton, Whipps Cross, Newham or King George Hospital);
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moving uncomplicated planned surgery from Queen’s Hospital to King George Hospital; and
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The Royal London and Queen’s becoming the two major acute hospitals in north east London.
However there was more disagreement than support from respondents about;
Click here to view the independent reports on the consultation, including an analysis of consultation responses by Ipsos MORI and the responses to the consultation questionnaire by borough.
Based on feedback received during the consultation, clinicians revised their proposals for change. Click here to read the revised clinical proposals.
Key concerns raised during consultation
People responding to the consultation raised the following concerns:
- Travel and access – length, complexity and cost of travel particularly for carers, families and people with a disability and black and minority ethnic women requiring a chaperone.
- Capacity – concerns over the perceived lack of capacity at Queen’s and The Royal London and that the proposals would increase waiting times.
- Workforce – concern over the workforce cost of the proposals to train staff, and whether the changes could improve recruitment and retention.
- Communications – respondents identified that new services would require clear, consistent communication with all stakeholders (NHS staff, patients, other services).
- Mental health – some respondents felt that the needs of those with mental health conditions had not been taken sufficiently into account in developing proposals.
- Finance – concerns about whether there would be any savings. Respondents wanted to see the shift toward care outside hospital more fully costed and evidence of the cost effectiveness of this approach.
Click here to read a report outlining how the issues raised during and since the consultation are being addressed.
