NHS pressure group London Health Emergency has called for the Better Services, Better Value (BSBV) process to be scrapped.

Geoff Martin, chairman of London Health Emergency, called for the assessment process surrounding South West London’s healthcare services to start afresh as he said it has been riddled with inconsistencies.
 

Mr Martin’s comments followed the release of figures suggesting Kingston Hospital would be the cheapest south west London hospital to close A+E and maternity and convert into a centre for planned surgery.

BSBV capital cost estimates released last month revealed it would cost £34.9m to convert Kingston Hospital to a centre for planned surgery and adjust surrounding hospitals accordingly, compared to £102.7m for the current preferred option St Helier.

 

The BSBV team said the capital cost estimates referred to did not reflect the full situation, were incomplete figures, and did not account for other factors that made Kingston hospital a financially unviable option for the overhaul.

A spokesman for the BSBV project said: “They [these figures] don’t take account of the revenue – the amount of money each option would save overall.

"So they do not present a complete picture.

"For example, current projections suggest that putting the planned care centre at St Helier would have a net gain to the taxpayer of around £19m revenue per year."

BSBV stated in a report given to the joint board of south west London’s  primary care trusts that a planned care centre at Kingston would not pass the ‘financial hurdle’ as it did not save enough money.

Mr Martin cast doubt over BSBV’s explanation of the figures.

He said: “I think the whole of the BSBV process is a massive contradiction and it doesn’t surprise me that they are saying one thing in one set of papers and then another when asked questions. Basically that has been the problem the whole time.

“This is just the latest in a series of failures of being able to give answers.”

Julie Reay, of campaign group Kingston Health Alert, said she too would be wary of the fact figures have been released that do not match up with the assurances BSBV were making.

She said: “In a way it is a sham if some figures are showing Kingston is going to be the cheapest and they have not got the full figures for why they are not choosing Kingston.

"It seems to me they are making the figures fit."

The review of hospitals and the NHS in south west London is seeking to find £64.5m of savings while improving services.

Under the plans Kingston Hospital is facing losing its 26 bed Sunshine children's ward. Children and their families would travel to a "world class" St George’s Hospital in Tooting for overnight treatment.

The proposal is due to go to public consultation in September.