Over the last year our local hospitals and the people who work within them have been an inspiration. Places of hope, the embodiment of resilience, packed with expertise and conducting ground-breaking research. I have colleagues who have used the services of the hospital in my local community, the Royal Brompton, and said they wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the care they got in our little corner of west London. Lives have been saved right here thanks to top class health care and a dedicated workforce.

Their stories are not unique. When the NHS announced it would merge the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals to become part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, another trust south of the Thames, I knew we needed to find a way to protect our hospital sites for the future. It might be ten years before we see any real-world impact of a merger but I am not taking any chances with a community asset that has saved countless lives and conducted world-renowned research during the biggest global health emergency we have ever faced.