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St. Bartholomew's Hospital

: I am grateful for those kind words from the Isle of Sheppey and beyond. This debate is about marshalling the forces among parliamentary colleagues, such as those we have heard from in the past few moments, not only to ensure the survival of this hospital but to create a valuable future for the benefit of all Londoners and the many medical professionals who will gain valuable experience within its portals in the years ahead. In April 2002, I hosted a similar debate on the future of St. Bartholomew's hospital. That debate took place on the day of an announcement by the Government of significant new expenditure on public health care funded by many of the taxpayers who make up the daytime population of the City of London. I shall quote from Hansard part of a reply given by the then health Minister, the right hon. Member for Barrow and Furness (Mr. Hutton), who was at that time most complimentary about the capability of Barts and adamant that its future was secure as a centre of medical excellence, especially for cardiac and cancer care:"““The minor injuries unit continues to operate at St. Barts . . . and will be retained as part of the new development. There is no prospect of its disappearing.””—[Official Report, Westminster Hall, 17 April 2002; Vol. 383, c. 238WH.]" Yet here we are less than four years on, and the outlook is much bleaker.