Behind the scenes at the North Mid

Last Thursday, a year on from the opening of the £130 million new facility, I was given the opportunity of a day work-shadowing at the North Middlesex University Hospital - a hugely informative and valuable visit.

The aim of my day there was to find out first hand just how well the NHS is coping. At a time of great uncertainty over the future of healthcare in Enfield in particular, it was pleasing to see just what a fantastic job the staff are doing and what an amazing, state-of-the-art resource the people of Enfield have on their doorstep.

My visit took in Care of the Elderly, Surgery, Accident and Emergency and Outpatient Consultation, as well as discussions with the hospital's Chief Executive, Clare Panniker, and Medical Director, Stanley Okolo.

As encouraging as it was to see such a great facility in action, however, it was discouraging to see just how greatly the doubts over the future of our healthcare are hanging over the hospital and its staff. This, understandably, makes for a very challenging environment for NHS clinicians and other hospital staff to work in.

I'm sure that a lot of you, as Enfield residents, are also looking for answers. The Health Secretary must make a decision on the future of healthcare in our borough sooner rather than later. This is too important a decision to put off and it's leaving too many people in limbo.

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