Karen Jennings

I attended the rally at the Whittington today that was intended to be a protest against the plans to close the A&E. It was great that this became a celebration of the announcement that the Whittington’s excellent A&E and maternity services are no longer under threat. This is thanks to the many¬†local people who joined the campaign and made their voices heard so that the bureaucrats had to stand down. Thanks to the midwives who¬†supported my event and visited the Minister and also thanks to local campaigners including Sara Hall “Whittington Mum” and the “Defend the Whittington Coalition” who continued the pressure and brought managers and politicians to account. ¬†All have joined together to achieve this fantastic result for the people of Hornsey and Wood Green and¬†all over North London. I cannot say how truly delighted I am by this¬†news.

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Karen marching to save the Whittington

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
After a campaign from Karen Jennings and David Lammy, Minister stops bureaucrats review of local health services
Local people are today celebrating the news that the Labour Health Secretary Andy Burnham has stepped in and ordered a complete halt to the review of the Whittington, after a passionate campaign from the local Labour Party.  Karen Jennings and David Lammy have spearheaded this campaign, and have taken local residents, mothers and Whittington midwives to Westminster to make the case for the Whittington Accident & Emergency and Maternity services with government ministers.

Karen Jennings, Labour Candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green and a former nurse, said:

“I am delighted that we’ve been able to get this result for local people in Hornsey and Wood Green and across North London. I know first hand from my experience in the NHS what these plans would have meant. There was simply no evidence to support the plans Рit’s fantastic that NHS London’s review has been stopped.”

Labour Candidate for Tottenham, David Lammy said:

‚ÄúThis is a victory for the people of Haringey over NHS bureaucrats. Working together with local people in Tottenham, and across North London, we have saved our hospital, protecting the local services we all rely on. “

Labour Group Leader in Haringey, Claire Kober said:
‚ÄúThese are vital services that the community relies on. As a Labour Party, we are absolutely committed to defending frontline services and are really pleased at this news. ”
ENDS

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A visit to Westminster this afternoon accompanied by six Whittington Hospital Staff and Sara (the ‘Whittington Mum’), to press Health Minister Mike O’Brien for some answers on the Whittington.

Midwives, Aileen Keigher, Rosemary Hensman and Terry Wogan-Web, along with Jocelyn Clark, Ann Harris (Medical Secretary and Unison representative) and Richard Jennings (Clinical Director of Medicine) all put their views across, arguing the case for keeping the Whittington A&E and maternity unit open.  Richard made it crystal clear that every single medical consultant at the Whittington was against closure of the A&E.  Sara spoke passionately, expressing the views of users of the hospital and how poorly the process has been run.  All spoke with great pride about the important service the Whittington provides for our community.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Closure of Whittington Accident and Emergency by stealth:  Karen Jennings’ questions to local NHS bosses go unanswered so she takes her campaign to Ministers

Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate Karen Jennings last month uncovered that local NHS bosses are pursuing the closure of the Whittington Accident and Emergency Department by stealth.  Her attempts to get straight answers from local NHS bosses on this issue have fallen on deaf ears. 
As a result, she is taking the issue straight to Ministers.   On Tuesday 6th April, Karen accompanied by a group of Whittington Hospital staff, local residents and patients will be meeting with Health Minister Mike O’Brien MP to get to the bottom of what can be done.

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I went to the Haringey Links meeting on 15th March as I had hoped that those attending (members of the local community – Hornsey and Wood Green residents) could flush out issues of concern regarding the most important issues related to the Whittington: the closure of the A&E department, the emergence of an Urgent Care service – run within the “poly-system” and the demise of our hospital and crucial services such as intensive care, surgery and crucial to women our maternity services.

Dr Richard Jennings basically set out his perception of national trends on the use of A&E departments. His understanding is that over the last 10 year 30% more people are using  A&E departments and that most are for minor injuries like a cut finger.

He felt this was a behavioural response to circumstances. He didn’t say specifically, but I take it this is reference to inaccessible GP services- those that are only open between 9-5. Dr Jennings asked the question, can these 30% of patients go elsewhere?

My feeling was that although we were not allowed to focus on the Whittington Hospital at this meeting the underlying  case was being made  for an urgent care service at the Whittington Hospital.  A service that is in the process of being implemented to run alongside the A&E Department.

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Karen on the Save the Whittington march with Frank Dobson MP and Claire Kober, Leader of Haringey Council

As I reported recently, I have recently learned that local NHS bosses are already pursuing changes and implementing policies that effectively undermine the sustainability of the Whittington.¬† In short, it is my view that local NHS bosses are pursuing the closure of the Whittington by stealth. I have today written to the key NHS Executives seeking answers to some critical questions…

In December, Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn led a public meeting which I attended, where Rachel Tyndall the Chief Executive of the Islington Primary Care Trust admitted that patients with serious injury cases were already being transferred to hospitals other than the Whittington.  I followed this up with a specific question to the Whittington Chief Executive Rob Larkman at a Haringey Overview and Scrutiny meeting in January.  Mr Larkman emphatically denied that this was the case.

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I hosted a very special event yesterday. It involved tea, coffee, fairy cakes (all generously donated by Feast on the Hill) and most importantly, it involved 20 or so local midwives, mums, children and babies.¬† We had come together on International Women’s Day and ahead of Mother’s Day,¬† to pay tribute to the first class service provided by the midwives and maternity team at the Whittington Hospital.¬†¬†

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Press Release: For immediate attention of news reporters and editors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ahead of Mothers Day, the women of Hornsey and Wood Green ask: where will we have our babies if the Whittington’s services close?
On Monday 8th March, Karen Jennings, Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green, and Cathy Warwick, General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, met with a group of local mums, expectant mums, midwives and neo-natal nurses to celebrate Mothers Day and highlight the threat to local maternity services in Hornsey and Wood Green.

Local cafe Feast on the Hill, played exclusive host to local women who fear that the closure of Whittington Hospital maternity services will put mums, babies and a first class local service in needless risk. The Whittington’s maternity and neonatal units would close if the Accident and Emergency Unit closes.

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I have written the following article that appears in this week’s Ham & High:

On Saturday I marched with huge pride alongside thousands of local residents, NHS staff, local politicians and trade unionists.   With one voice we called to for the Whittington to be saved.

I have to pay tribute to the tenacity and organisational skills of the local campaign group Defend the Whittington Coalition; who have been instrumental in putting this campaign on the local map.   But, while we chanted for our A &E and local maternity services to be saved; it turns out that the threat to the Whittington is much graver than first realised, and indeed plans to undermine its future are already being implemented.

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