Mayday Hospital is not going to lose its accident and emergency or maternity unit, health bosses promised this week.

Fears about the future of Mayday were raised when leaked extracts from a health review, the south-west London strategic plan (SWLSP), were released earlier this month.

The leaked information seemed to suggest some hospitals in south-west London could be downgraded and lose major services like A&E and maternity.

Mayday medical director Gavin Marsh, co-author of the SWLSP, and Caroline Taylor, chief executive of NHS Croydon, spoke to the Croydon Guardian about the future plans for Mayday Hospital.

Mr Marsh said: “If anyone tries to shut us down it will be at their peril.

“Croydon is unique, in that the population tend to stay within the borough boundaries, and they are treated within the borough. We are quite parochial – that is one of our strengths.

“That is why Mayday will continue to play a major role in Croydon.”

Mr Marsh said the SWLSP aims to improve the health of people in London.

He said: “When you look at teenage pregnancy rates, maternal death rates and babies dying at birth our indices are poor.

“To stay as we are means we support poor outcomes.

“We need to change the way we offer healthcare, and not just in Croydon.”

Mr Marsh said the plans included renaming A&E the “emergency department”, which will treat only those with serious injuries. Residents suffering from minor ailments will be referred to a GP-run polycentre. There is due to be one of these at Mayday.

Mr Marsh said only admitting serious cases to A&E will allow Mayday to “thin down and become leaner”.

He said: “We can probably cut wards if we are not seeing that many people. We will become more effective.”

Mr Marsh said Mayday would retain its maternity unit, as no other hospital would be able to take on the 5,000 babies born in the hospital every year.

Miss Taylor stressed the review is still in its draft stage – it will be ready for public consultation by the end of the year, and it will be early 2011 before anything happens.

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