Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the closure of the A&E department and maternity unit at Chase Farm Hospital in 2013 on the A&E and maternity services provided by (a) Barnet General and (b) North Middlesex University Hospital.

These are matters for the local National Health Service.

We are advised that following the implementation of the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Clinical Strategy, emergency services at Barnet and North Middlesex University hospitals have been expanded and redeveloped. Over £100 million has been invested in the North Middlesex Hospital which now has one of the largest accident and emergency departments in London, and receives an average of 500 patients every 24 hours. Maternity services at Barnet and North Middlesex University hospitals have been expanded and redeveloped, with increased consultant cover and more midwives on labour wards. Antenatal and postnatal services are still available on the Chase Farm site.