Gordon Hospital consultation

The NHS has asked for local people’s views about proposed changes to acute mental health services for residents in Westminster and also in Kensington and Chelsea. A public consultation ran from 24 October 2023 to 16 February 2024.

For details of the NHS consultation, which has now closed, visit the consultation pages on their website.

The council’s view

Read our press release about the consultation. 

Whilst we recognise the importance of intervention work in the community, we are concerned about the potential permanent loss of acute mental health beds in our city. This has been a particular concern since the temporary closure of the Gordon Hospital in Pimlico, and the 51 beds that are no longer available. We think people will get better more quickly and effectively by remaining in their local community where they are close to family, friends, carers and support networks.

You can see our formal position on this important local issue.

In summary, this says:

We have reviewed the consultation’s three options with residents’ health and wellbeing needs in mind, and none of the options reflect what we have heard from residents, partners or from the two independent reviews on the impact of the Gordon Hospital’s temporary closure. The conclusion of both these reviews makes it abundantly clear that Westminster residents need the Gordon Hospital reopened whilst maintaining vital community services.

Reluctantly, the closest proposal to our view is Option 1. Whilst this would see the Gordon Hospital’s 51 beds re-open, NHS North West London Integrated Care Board (NWL ICB) and Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) have indicated that taking this option forward may lead to some community and crisis services developed since March 2020 being reduced or stopped. We oppose this and believe CNWL should not reduce or stop any services.

Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

During the consultation, Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea have constituted a Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to provide a review of the NHS’s proposals.

View the latest update from the committee.

Professor Jill Manthorpe Report

The Prof Manthorpe report is under revision and will be available soon.