At last night’s meeting of Full Council, Conservative, Labour and independent members of Kingston Council voted in favour of a Liberal Democrat motion calling for transparency from NHS London about the future of critical services at the local hospital.

Despite Tory members of Kingston’s Health Overview Panel refusing to support a similar motion which was put to them last month, and Conservative councillors and parliamentary candidates snubbing the local Liberal Democrat campaign to ‘Save Kingston Hospital’, opposition members finally voted in favour of public debate about the subject and for the Labour Government to “come clean on their hidden agenda for cuts”.

Proposed by Kingston’s Executive Member for Health Cllr Rolson Davies, and seconded by the Leader of Kingston Council, Liberal Democrat Cllr Derek Osbourne, the motion which gained unanimous support for the Council chamber said:

This Council:

(i) thanks the Heath Overview Panel for the work that they have done in scrutinising the issue of threatened closure of services at Kingston Hospital;

(ii) agrees with the resolution passed by the Panel that calls upon NHS London to immediately publish the document referred to as the ‘South West London Strategic Plan’, so that residents are told the truth, and public discussion can take place regarding the options for change;

(iii) condemns the actions taken by NHS London to play down the impact of loss of services at Kingston Hospital thus preventing an open public debate on the future of hospital provision in South West London in particular Kingston; thus letting the Government off the hook, just before an election, in coming clean on their hidden agenda for cuts; and

(iv) unequivocally supports Kingston Hospital and will not support any loss of services especially Maternity and Accident and Emergency

Mover of the Motion, Cllr Davies said: “After months of trying to dirty and politicise the serious concerns of local people, the staff and users of Kingston Hospital – Conservatives have accepted there is a threat to our local A&E and maternity wards. I am delighted the local opposition parties have finally given their support to the campaign to make public the NHS’s secret plans for hospital services in South West London, particularly Kingston.”

Cllr Don Jordan, Chair of the Council’s Health Overview Panel added: “Liberal Democrats have been calling for cross-party working to demand simple truth and transparency from NHS London, and to keep cherished, local hospital services open.”