NHS CRISIS: A&E unit could be CLOSED over safety fears after 'catalogue of failings'
A HOSPITAL A&E unit has been threatened with closure over safety fears for the first time in NHS history, according to reports.
Documents leaked today claim that emergency doctors at North Middlesex Hospital in north London lack "basic skills".
It says junior staff have repeatedly been "left in charge" of the A&E department, leaving patients at "probable risk".
A concerned local MP said the unit in Edmonton, which employs 26 doctors, has been plagued by a "catalogue of failings".
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The under-fire hospital has been given until the end of June to "resolve" its main issues, according to the Guardian.
If it fails to, NHS bosses could remove all doctors from the A&E – forcing patients to travel to other nearby hospitals.
The NHS's staffing agency found eight major failings during a visit to the hospital at the end of March, the paper added.
There is a serious risk that patients are at risk
Niall Dickson of the General Medical Council raised concerns about "standards of training and support" for trainee doctors.
He added: "Without adequate support and supervision there is a serious risk that their patients are being put at risk.
"Ultimately we will not allow postgraduate training to continue in this department if the appropriate action is not taken."
A briefing paper by Health Education England, written after the visit in March, found doctors faced an "extreme workload" and a "culture of bullying".
A hospital spokesman responded by saying it was "committed" to creating a "positive working environment" for staff and trainees.
He added: "We have recently adopted a bullying and harassment resolution pathway to support this important work."
Julie Lowe, the hospital's chief executive, said it accepted concerns over the "quality of training" in the casualty unit.
She added: "We are committed to providing a safe service for patients, getting waiting times back to the national target and providing excellent training for doctors.
"However, we need more emergency department doctors to be able to deliver all three at once which is why achieving this is our current priority."
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A spokesman for North Middlesex University Hospital told Express.co.uk: "Our trust accepts that we are facing a number of issues in our A&E department.
"We are looking at a number of short term and longer term initiatives to resolve the staffing issues and to relieve pressure on the A&E.
"Our hardworking A&E staff continue to provide a safe service and we would like to clarify that in no circumstances have junior doctors been left in charge of the department."
