Redbridge could be left without an A&E department under new plans for NHS

At risk: King George Hospital in Goodmayes risks having it's A&E department downgraded to Urgent Care
Jamie Wiseman/Daily Mail
Fiona Simpson6 February 2017

A north-east London borough could be left without an A&E department under new plans for the NHS in England.

Redbridge could be left without an accident and emergency unit if proposals go ahead – leaving 300,000 out of reach of emergency medical care.

Residents will instead be able to visit an urgent care centre at the hospital but will have to travel to neighbouring boroughs to seek "blue light" care, officials said.

Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North, said that alternative units are not far away geographically, but because of heavy traffic in the capital, it can take between half an hour and an hour to get there.

Under the North East London Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP), the A&E at King George Hospital in Goodmayes, near Ilford, will be downgraded to an urgent care centre, with changes proposed to come into effect by summer 2019.

Emergency cases in the borough will instead be taken to Queen's Hospital in Romford, in Havering, or Whipps Cross University Hospital, in Waltham Forest.

Mr Streeting said Queen's Hospital frequently had queues of cars spilling out on to nearby streets.

And Whipps Cross was rated as "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission in December last year.

The hospital was lambasted by health inspectors who said they did not find a single element of outstanding care.

Mr Streeting said: "Redbridge patients who have used King George's A&E are scratching their heads wondering where they are going to go.

"My main worry about the STP process is that it is really about managing cutbacks and decline in the NHS rather than dealing with the big long-term challenges in the health service."

Mr Streeting has been encouraging residents to sign a petition against the closure of the A&E

In his campaign material, he said: "I don't believe the plans make any sense. Our population is growing, our GP services can't cope with demand, Queen's Hospital in Romford can't cope with existing numbers, Whipps Cross and Barts Health Trust are in special measures.

"I believe these decisions are being driven more by money than by the best interests of patients."

An NHS spokeswoman said: “Under the scheme, the A&E unit at King George will be replaced by a significantly upgraded Urgent Care Centre (UCC).

“Run by GPs and nurses, and open 24/7, the centre will benefit from many improvements, including more space and access to investigations such as blood tests and X-rays.

“It will be able to treat many of the types of cases dealt with by the existing A&E unit and be supported by the 111 and out-of-hours GP service, which is also being developed to provide a modern integrated urgent care service.

“The only difference will be that patients who call 999 and need treatment by a full emergency medical team will be taken by ambulance straight to a nearby larger unit, such as those at Queen’s, Whipps Cross or Newham hospitals.”

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