Chase Farm Hospital

Chase Farm Hospital
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The Clock Tower block
Geography
Location Gordon Hill, London, England, United Kingdom
Organisation
Care system Public NHS
Hospital type District General
Affiliated university None
Services
Emergency department No Accident & Emergency
Beds 509
History
Founded c. 1948
Links
Website https://www.royalfree.nhs.uk/
Lists Hospitals in England

Chase Farm Hospital is a hospital in Gordon Hill, near Enfield, north London, run by the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust as part of the British National Health Service.

History

The oldest part of the hospital (the "clock tower" building) was formerly part of a children's home. Newer buildings on the site include the Highlands Block, built in part replacement of the local Highlands Hospital which closed in 1993.[1]

Facilities

Apart from the acute hospital, the grounds also contain a general adult mental health unit managed by Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust, Chase Village (a home for the mentally handicapped and mentally ill), Kings Oak private hospital, a medium-secure psychiatric unit, and services by Enfield Primary Care NHS Trust. The site contains the North London Forensic Service, the forensic psychiatric service covering most of north London (also part of the Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust) and Radio Enfield. Some of the land is also being developed by builders as new homes. A new low-secure psychiatric unit is proposed and work is due to start in 2015 if approved by the local planning committee.

Closure

A public consultation was carried out during 2007 on reorganising services between Chase Farm Hospital and Barnet Hospital. One option would transform Chase Farm to a 'community hospital' with inpatient and major emergency care transferred to Barnet. The other option would concentrate planned care at Chase Farm, with maternity and other services concentrated at Barnet.[2] The proposals were intended to maximise clinical effectiveness given limited human and financial resources; however, they also predicated a substantial investment in community health provision (which never came to pass).

The Accident and Emergency Department at Chase Farm Hospital closed on 9 December 2013 following the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey strategy. To protest about the proposed closure, two candidates, Catherine Wilkinson and Kieran McGregor, for the Save Chase Farm movement were elected to the local council in the local elections of May 2006. Jennifer Blaskett was unsuccessful.

The local NHS Primary Care Trusts determined at the end of this consultation (which had only a 2% response rate from the local population) to proceed with 'Option 2'.

Following the dismissal of Enfield Council's judicial review request, the maternity and accident & emergency (A&E) units at Chase Farm Hospital closed in mid-November and on 9 December 2013 respectively.[3]

There are now proposals to build a new hospital and an outline planning application was submitted in November 2014. Most of the existing buildings, except the Highlands Wing and part of the Clock Tower building, would be demolished and the land that is not required for the new hospital or for retention for future healthcare purposes would be sold for housing and a school if planning permission is granted. [4]

Notable births

See also

References

Coordinates: 51°40′01″N 0°06′11″W / 51.667°N 0.103°W