Chair, councillors, and members of the
Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee,
Thank you for giving me the
opportunity to speak today.
I am here not just as a concerned
resident, but as someone whose life is deeply rooted in this borough. I have
lived in Harlesden for over forty years. My mother lived in Kensal Green. My
grandchildren now live in Harlesden. Three generations of my family have
depended on the services in this area — especially our NHS services. So when I
speak today, I am speaking from lived experience, from memory, and from a deep
sense of responsibility to the future.
We are here because of proposals to
reduce the opening hours of the Urgent Treatment Centre at Central Middlesex
Hospital by three hours a day — twenty-one hours a week. That may sound like a
technical adjustment on paper, but on the ground it means real people being
turned away, longer journeys late at night, and more pressure on already
overstretched services elsewhere.
We have been here before:
In 2014, the A&E department at
Central Middlesex Hospital was closed following a decision by the then
Conservative Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. At the time, residents were told
not to worry. We were told that an Urgent Care Centre would mitigate the loss
of A&E. We were told this was a safe alternative.
Then in 2019, that reassurance was
weakened when the overnight service was withdrawn and the opening hours were
reduced. Many of us accepted that change reluctantly, but we were assured that
the service would still meet local need.
Now, six years later, we are being
asked to accept yet another reduction. The Urgent Treatment Centre currently
closes at midnight. Under the new proposals, it would close at 9pm. That is not
a small change. That is a fundamental erosion of access to urgent healthcare.
Let us be clear about what this means
in practice.
People do not stop becoming ill or
injured at 9pm. Children still fall, older people still become unwell, workers
still come home hurt or exhausted after long shifts. A late-evening urgent care
service is not a luxury — it is a necessity, especially in an area like Brent.
What makes these proposals even more
difficult to understand is that they come at a time when Brent’s population is
growing, not shrinking. Between 2011 and 2021, Brent’s population increased by
9.2%. That is significantly higher than the national average and higher than
London as a whole. We also know that our population is ageing, with more people
living longer and often with complex health needs.
On top of that, major developments are
coming on stream across the borough — in Grand Union, Alperton, Wembley
Central, and around Neasden stations. Thousands more residents will be moving
into Brent. Yet instead of planning for increased demand, we are being told to
accept reduced access to urgent care.
The question must be asked: how is
Brent’s growing and ageing population supposed to cope?
We already know the answer. When
services are cut at Central Middlesex, the pressure does not disappear — it
simply moves elsewhere. Northwick Park Hospital A&E and its Urgent
Treatment Centre are already under enormous strain. Reducing hours at Central
Middlesex will inevitably push more people there, increasing waiting times and
reducing the chances of people being seen quickly when they need it most.
And there is another, quieter
consequence. When access becomes harder, some people simply don’t go. They
wait. They hope it will pass. Conditions worsen. What could have been treated
early becomes an emergency later. That is bad for patients, bad for staff, and
bad for the NHS as a whole.
This is why we are firmly opposed to
any further reduction in services at Central Middlesex Hospital.
What we are asking for today is not
unreasonable. We are asking for transparency, accountability, and democratic
oversight. We are calling on Brent Council to convene an urgent meeting of the
Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee so that these proposals can be
properly examined, questioned, and debated.
There is precedent for this. The 2019
changes to the service were considered by this very committee on 9 July 2019.
That process allowed councillors and residents to scrutinise the impact and to
ensure local voices were heard. That same opportunity must be afforded now.
This is not about politics. It is
about people. It is about fairness. It is about recognising that communities
like Harlesden, Kensal Green, and the wider Brent area deserve accessible,
reliable urgent healthcare — not a slow erosion of services that have already
been cut back too far.
I have lived here long enough to see
what happens when services disappear quietly, bit by bit. Once they are gone,
they are incredibly hard to get back. That is why this moment matters.
For my neighbours.
For my children and grandchildren.
For the people who work late, who care
for others, who are vulnerable, who rely on public healthcare.
I urge this council to act now.
Convene the scrutiny committee. Put these proposals on the agenda. Stand up for
the residents you represent.
Thank you.
