Hospital withdrawal

THE Sisters of Mercy are to withdraw from the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth after an association of 133 years with the London Catholic institution.
In a statement released jointly this week by the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy and the Hospital Board, it was pointed out that at their recent General Chapter in July the order reaffirmed the need for a return to its "original charism" of a "commitment to be with the poor and powerless today".
The St John's Wood Hospital has a mix of private, NHS and hospice beds. "As only part of the hospital activities directly serve the poor, the Congregation must now withdraw its involvement", the statement says.
The hospital's trustees and board of management express in the statement their "deep regrets" at the sisters' departure.