FEARS are growing that the closure of the overnight children's ward at Welwyn Garden City's QEII Hospital may prove permanent.

Prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate Grant Shapps, who met the chairman of the East and North Herts NHS Trust Mr Richard Beazley last week (Monday, August 12 to Friday, August 16) to discuss the situation said: "I have become increasingly concerned that despite the massive local opposition the closure may well be of a permanent nature.

"Nothing during my meeting re-assured me that the hospital will ever see the children's ward re-opened.

"Of course administrators say this is because of clinical necessity.

"However, what that really means is that they can't hire sufficient paediatric nurses.

"It's a bit like me saying that I should close down my printing business at times when I can't find enough printers to run the presses.

"I strongly suggested to Richard Beazley that there must be a better way forward, but I fear that the outcome will not be good for Welwyn Hatfield," Mr Shapps added.

Mr Albert Johnson, of Thistle Grove a former porter at the hospital who has organised twice-weekly demonstrations against the closure shared Mr Shapps' concerns and he said that he feared the ward had in reality been closed to save money.

Mr Johnson said: "They call it a trust, but I don't trust it.

"There are rumours that other departments are going.

"They are making cuts because they are £5 million in debt. Why should we have to travel 13 miles up the road to Stevenage?

"I am going to carry on until that ward is open," Mr Johnson added.

A spokesman for the trust, which decided to transfer children needing overnight care to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, from July 6, said that managers were considering the way forward, but it was not possible to transfer nurses from other services because the skills required were highly specialised.

The spokesman added that the staffing situation had not changed significantly since the overnight ward was closed.

A spokesman for Welwyn Hatfield MP Melanie Johnson said: "Melanie is very concerned about the situation.

"The lack of trained paediatric nurses to give full 24-hour, seven-days-a week-cover could put vulnerable children at risk, and the decision to temporarily close the ward was probably the only choice.

"She will continue to press the hospital authorities for a speedy re-opening of the children's ward," the spokesman added.

An interim report into the options for the children's ward will be presented to the next trust board meeting, which is on September 4.

August 21, 2002 13:30