The letter you published from Epsom Hospital consultants does not recognise that local NHS services cannot go on as they are.

None of our hospitals are meeting the quality standards set by clinicians for London hospitals and largely based on national clinical guidelines and recommendations. Nor can they meet them without a reorganisation of services that provides round the clock consultant-led care in emergency, maternity and children’s services, alongside a fundamental shift towards more care delivered outside hospital, by GPs and community services.

We also face a substantial financial challenge, with rising costs due to an ageing population, increased costs of medicines and a static budget.

BSBV is about meeting best practice quality standards and delivering local health services that are sustainable in the long run. Our work has shown that no change is not an option if we are to achieve this. But if people have other ideas for how we may tackle these challenges, we would of course be very keen to discuss them.

Mr Michael Bailey, Dr David Finch and Dr Marilyn Plant
Joint Medical Directors, BSBV