Ilford South Labour Party

“On Friday morning there was the regular meeting of local MPs with NHS managers. I was shocked to discover that the deficit at the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Acute Hospitals trust has now grown to a massive £39.9 million for this financial year. A huge part of this is as a result of the costs of the Romford Queens Hospital PFI and even more is due to the North East London Independent Treatment Centre.

Both the top managers have now left the trust and the new Chairman Eric Nath and Interim Chief Executive John Goulston will in my view need several years to turn things round. There must be no quick fix solutions based on cuts to services in Ilford.

I pressed Primary Care Trust Chief Executive Heather O’Meara who will report on Out of Hospital services for London region NHS early next year for an assurance that “Fit for the Future” is dead and that the crazy option four will not be reintroduced under another name. I was told that it has beeen “stood down”. That is not sufficient. There must be a clear public statement that Option four is permanently off the table and will not be brought back. I will continue to fight for the interests of my constituents. I will only accept changes which improve their access and the quality of their health care. Ilford needs and deserves a local hospital. I will fight tooth and nail any attempt to sacrifice King George Hospital on the altar of problems caused by incompetent management and escalating costs of running Queens Hospital or the ISTC.”