Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the reasons are for the closure of accident and emergency services at King George Hospital.

This Government has always been clear that the reconfiguration of health services is a matter for the local National Health Service that should be engaging with local people. All service change should be led by clinicians and be in the best interests of patients, not driven from the top down.

In February 2009 the local primary care trusts published The case for change in north east London which set out clear reasons why changes to local health services were needed.

Decisions to change the configuration of emergency services were made in 2010 by the local NHS following public consultation and were endorsed by the Secretary of State for Health on the advice of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel.

However, the proposals for change were first set out in 2009 under the then Government. Detailed reasons for the proposals can be found in the Health for North East London Case for Change and in the Pre-Consultation Business Case both published in November 2009.

The local NHS has always been clear that changes to the accident and emergency service at King George Hospital will not be made until it is safe to do so. Plans have been put on hold and cannot take place whilst Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust remains in special measures.