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Maudsley Hospital

For the second time, I present a petition about a matter that I raised during the debate on the Adjournment. My friend the hon. Member for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey) also raised it. The hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire (Mr. Vara) warmly recognised that it was an important issue, and the Parliamentary Secretary referred to it. 26 July 2007 : Column 1156 I last did this job on 18 May, just before the implementation of the decision by the then Secretary of State for Health to close the 24-hour emergency clinic at the Maudsley hospital. The service was retained for longer than originally planned because of concerns and inadequate alternatives. The Government responded to initial pressure by putting much more money into King’s College hospital. However, although the service has been transferred, it does not fulfil the community’s needs. I therefore have many more signatures from people who are residents of the London boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth, Croydon, Lewisham and others. We have a new Prime Minister and a new Secretary of State for Health. We request that they consider the matter afresh. I hope that the petition will be well received and not fall on stony ground. The petition states: The Petition of the London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth, Croydon, Lewisham and others declares the Petitioners’ serious concerns about the decision to close the 24 hour emergency mental health clinic at the Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill in Camberwell. The Petitioners further declare their anxiety that new replacement facilities at King’s College Hospital will not be ready for a further 18 months and that even then they may not constitute an adequate replacement. The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Secretary of State for Health to postpone the full closure of the 24 hour emergency mental health clinic until the incoming Prime Minister and Health Ministers have an opportunity to review the situation.