We the undersigned who either live or work in Redbridge note the following:

1- Erica ward at King George Hospital is an ambulatory care unit. The NHS give a guide to ambulatory care in the guide HERE

In brief, ambulatory care means patients are provided a care package at home and so avoid being admitted to hospital. The NHS say it should be a universal service for all ages:

“This means providing a service where all patients are considered for same day emergency care, with it being the default position until otherwise proven.”  (my emphasis)

2- This is not the case at Erica Ward, where only frail elderly patients are seen HERE All other patients requiring ambulatory care patients are transferred to Queens. More information is provided HERE

3 - NHS Trusts have a duty in law not to discriminate against patients. Key analytical tools to uphold this duty are “Equality Impact assessments” (EqIAs). The NHS on 22 January 2019 say about their duty not to discriminate unfairly in the NHS Employers website HERE  the following:

“Under this duty, trusts must publish evidence of the analysis that they undertook to establish whether their policies or practices would further or would have furthered the aims of the duty, details of the information that they considered and details of engagement undertaken when doing the analysis”

4 When challenged to provide an EqIA to justify the discrimination occurring at Erica Ward. NHS said initially that one was not required as “there was not an ambulatory care unit” at King George. When corrected about this mistake, Chris Bown, the Interim Chief Executive of BHRUT (The trust responsible for King George) said one was not required because it would be a “waste of time” at a board meeting of 30th January per report HERE

5 A new plan to close King George A&E was published in the East London Health & Care Partnership in October 2018 within their Estates Strategy Plan. The plan for King George is to be a “new centre of excellence for healthy ageing”. This fits in with the decision to provide ambulatory care at King George for the frail elderly only. Page 18 of the summary version of the plan HERE reveals that NHS managers put in a bid for monies for “Queens and King George Hospitals reconfiguration” in 2018. “Reconfiguration” means closing King George A&E. This bid for funding to close King George A&E is listed as a high priority. This is despite in November 2017 NHS managers announced a review into the closure of King George A&E. The November 2017 review was announced again in January 2019.

Consequently:

We ask a Redbridge Councillors to discuss a business motion at full council to agree the Redbridge preferred option for developing King George Hospital. Once agreed this option is agreed, then Redbridge will seek the support of other London boroughs for the expansion of King George.

We suggest Redbridge Councillors consider the following to cope with our growing population and notes the option of funding can be found the land being sold off on the Goodmayes Hospital site and the increasing tax revenues from our growing local East London population.

a More beds for emergency admissions at King George (supported by Redbridge Labour Councillor Neil Zammett   HERE)

b More Critical Care beds at King George (supported by Keith Prince, Conservative GLA member & Havering Cllr Nic Dodin HERE ).

c A midwife led maternity unit at King George (supported by Cllr Athwal Redbridge Council Leader HERE)

d An ambulatory care unit for all patients, not just the elderly frail

& Call upon Councillors and MPs to support the Save King A&E meeting at 3pm on Ilford Town Hall on 30th March with a march from King George Hospital at 2pm. An event page is HERE