I refer to the letter from David Schofield (‘Trust has inaccurately predicted population’, Opinion, March 25).
Hindsight provides wonderful 20:20 vision, but readers need to be aware that the business case for NHS reorganisation (the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Clinical Strategy) dates back to 2003, when the summary results of the 2001 population census was not available and use was being made of a ten-year projection based the interim ONS 1995 estimates by the relevant Primary Care Trust (PCT) commissioners The PCT’s clinical strategy plan also promised much-improved primary care and an ongoing midwife-led maternity service at the Chase Farm Hospital site. I still have the poster stating ‘you will still be able to give birth here’.
Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has currently devolved lead responsibility for commissioning services on the Chase Farm site. Haringey CCG currently has lead responsibility for commissioning services at the North Middlesex University Hospital site.
As of March 27, according to NHS England, A&E four-hour (type 1) performance provided by Royal Free Hospital (includes Barnet) is 96.4 per cent and at North Middlesex University Hospital it is 95.6 per cent.
Donald Smith
Pellipar Close, Palmers Green
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