Following the decision today by the Court of Appeal that Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, does not have the power to implement cuts to services at Lewisham Hospital in South London. Labour and the GMB Union have criticised Jeremy Hunt's handling of the affair. The Government has been trying to defend the decision to downgrade both Accident & Emergency plus Maternity services at Lewisham hospital. Now both the High Court and the Court of Appeal have ruled the attempts as unlawful.
Commenting on the ruling by the Court of Appeal Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "I completely understand why the residents of Lewisham did not want any change in their A & E services, but my job as Health Secretary is to protect patients across South London - and doctors said these proposals would save lives. We are now looking at the law to make sure that at a time of great challenge the NHS is able to change and innovate when local doctors believe it is in the interests of patients."
Shadow Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, commenting on the Court of Appeal ruling on Lewisham Hospital, said: “This decision is a humiliation for Jeremy Hunt and raises major questions about his judgement. Instead of graciously accepting the first Court ruling, he has squandered thousands of taxpayers’ money trying to protect his own pride and defend the indefensible. He is diminished by this ruling and has let down the NHS. The Court has done an important public service today in standing up to an arrogant and high-handed Government and a Secretary of State who is trying to close A&Es across London in the middle of the worst A&E crisis in living memory."
Continuing Mr Burnham said: "Today, the Secretary of State must accept this decision, apologise unreservedly to the people of Lewisham and give an unequivocal commitment that their A&E will not now be down-graded. The message from the Court today couldn’t be clearer – Jeremy Hunt and the Conservatives simply can’t be trusted with the NHS."
The co-leader of the NHA Party, former MP Dr Richard Taylor on Court of Appeal ruling on Lewisham Hospital "Today's Appeal Court ruling stops the downgrading of Lewisham hospital and represents an important victory for the people of Lewisham and utter humiliation for Jeremy Hunt, who has wasted thousands of pounds of tax-payers' money on a court case that was thrown out in just ten minutes. But this is just one battle in the war against the coalition government's attempt to downgrade our whole health service".
GMB's criticism of Jeremy Hunt went further saying he should consider his position. Nick Day the GMB's Regional NHS Lead Officer said, "Jeremy Hunt has wasted a scandalous amount of taxpayers money trying to prop up his unlawful decision to downgrade services at Lewisham Hospital. The fact that he even considered pouring money down the drain that should have been spent on doctors and nurses shows that he is not fit to be Health Secretary. GMB calls for the Government to see sense and leave the highly successful Lewisham Hospital alone. GMB believes that Mr Hunt should now consider his position."
