PWC report is big step forward for our campaign but work still to be done

The publication of the PWC report is a step forward for our campaign, but the future of King George A&E is still uncertain. The NHS is now considering new options. It will the task of campaigners to persuade NHS managers and the Government that closing King George A&E is not one of them.

Mike Gapes is right to say in the local press yesterday.

 “What I want to see now is the small print for these proposals. If we still have our A&E what is it going to look like?

“We must ensure it will be able to meet the needs of Redbridge residents.

“This is a step in the right direction, but we’re not there yet.”

Full Recorder article is here Recorder 

And Wanstead and Woodford Guardian here Guardian

I cut and paste the NHS statement below. 

Welcome 29 November 2017

Update on King George Hospital in Goodmayes Dear partner/stakeholder,   I wanted to update you on the latest position regarding the A&E department at King George Hospital in Goodmayes.    As you will know, the decision to replace the A&E with an Urgent Care Centre (UCC) was taken in 2011 and much has changed since then. Our east London population is growing and ageing, demand for NHS services continues to increase, and we face ever-increasing challenges as a healthcare system.   Following on from the recommendations in a strategic review undertaken recently by PWC, which is published on our website, we now need to consider more options for the way we deliver urgent and emergency care across our communities. This will allow us to look at how this care is provided locally, taking these challenges into account.   It is important we consider how we deliver these services across both King George and Queen’s hospitals to enable us to deliver care in the best way for patients. Exploring more options will enable us to do this.   This is now an opportunity for us to work with our clinicians, patients, partners and stakeholders to develop a plan to make it easier for people to access the right services, deliver care sustainably, and address the challenges such as an ageing population and increasing demand on A&E services.   The model we finally adopt must provide excellent, safe patient care and meet the needs of local people now and well into the future.    In the meantime, the existing A&E at King George hospital will continue to operate as now.   I will continue to keep you updated of further developments.   Kind regards Jane Milligan Chief Officer NHS Tower Hamlets CCG and Executive Lead for East London Health and Care Partnership (NEL STP)