Urgent expansion of intensive care beds at Northwick Park Hospital has been demanded by Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas.

ñThere is now an urgent need to expand the intensive treatment unit to meet local demand, and to open high-dependency beds to improve the patient care process,î said Mr Thomas during a Commons debate on Thursday last week.

ñWith the transfer of burns, plastics and oral- maxillofacial services from Mount Vernon, Northwick Park Hospital is set to expand further. That will increase the pressures on intensive care and for proper high-dependency unit provision.

Northwick Park currently has six intensive treatment beds and no high-dependency facilities.

ñThe existing facilities are not adequate to meet local demand and need urgent redevelopment and expansion,î said Mr Thomas.