Leader intervenes on Roehampton Urgent Care Hub closure to keep care close to the community
Published: Tuesday, September 23, 2025
The Leader of Wandsworth Council has intervened on behalf of local people to urge that services at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton are not cut.
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In a letter to Health Minister Karin Smyth, Simon Hogg argues that scaling back the Enhanced Primary Care Hub will have a real impact on local residents and that and care should always remain close to the community.
The Hub treats minor injuries such as burns, broken bones, cuts and minor wounds and serves 800 people a month. Without it, vulnerable people could be forced to rely on already overstretched accident and emergency departments and face a journey of up to 90 minutes to reach St George’s Hospital in Tooting.
A petition which gathered 8,000 signatures in just one week has been submitted by Local MP Fleur Anderson to the St George’s, Epsom and St Helier (GESH) Trust, which runs the hospital.
“Roehampton faces some of the most acute social and health challenges in Wandsworth. Any changes to the local provision of healthcare should be made with this in mind and understanding the impact this will have on wider health inequalities,” Simon Hogg told Karin Smyth.
“Residents have repeatedly highlighted the risks this poses to urgent care access—particularly for those who are most vulnerable, including older people, families with young children, and individuals with complex needs. The prospect of longer journeys and increased reliance on overstretched emergency departments is causing real anxiety.”
Simon Hogg has also written to GESH to request a meeting to discuss the future of the Hub and how the Trust can work with the local community to protect services.
Members of the public who have signed a petition against the closure say it will put more pressure on local A&E departments, leading to even longer waits.
Comments include: “This is a vital service and if closed will put added pressure on St George’s A&E which shouldn’t be a place for people with minor injuries to go. I took my 4 year old daughter here and it was quick, easy and the perfect service for what was not an emergency but required attention that was not possible through our GP. Please don’t close it, it is needed badly.”