Kingston maternity expands

Kingston Hospital is pushing ahead with plans for a £7.8m expansion of its maternity unit in a bid that could secure its future, according to the Surrey Comet website. Construction of the two-storey building and refurbishment of its existing maternity ward would increase the capacity for babies born in Kingston by nearly 25 per cent to more than 7,000 a year. It would also head off the prospect of potential closure or downgrading by any future review of the NHS in south-west London, the hospital said. Questions were raised about the future of the maternity ward before the general election last year, when Mr Davey revealed documents showing closure was being considered by NHS chiefs as part of a review of the maternity and accident and emergency departments in south-west London.

Midwives said the move was inconceivable given the high demand at Kingston. The hospital delivers more babies than any other in south-west London, although it is now the oldest facility. NHS Kingston Primary Care Trust (PCT) said it and other PCTs in south-west London were reviewing the proposal.