Lynne Featherstone

We (Lib Dems) launched our 'prescription' for the future Hornsey Central Hospital.

I and my Liberal Democrat colleagues are supporting a bid from the local health trust to the Government for £7million of public money to deliver the long-promised replacement for the closure of the old Hornsey Hospital.

Well - this 'replacement' has gone through so many incarnations over the last six or so years that the original promises of what would be provided have changed and changed and changed. It is now envisaged as a sort of super-clinic and we want to ensure that this new facility (should we win the bid) will deliver additional and wanted services - and won't simply be a reorganisation of existing services.

We must have additional health facilities - not just reorganised ones.

Moreover, we want the Trust to work closely with local people and local health professionals to identify what services are most wanted and needed - and to make sure that the new facility doesn't detract or impact negatively on local GP practices and local pharmacists. And we want to jump up and down about public transport links to the site. The old W2 was taken away on the basis that there was no hospital there - well now we need it back and more access. No new facility should require people coming for treatment to either live next door or have a car.

We haven't heard the result of the bid as yet - but it must be imminent as the Government has announced the first few successful bids for the 'Community Hospital' pot. So - fingers still crossed.