Demonstrating against the proposed closure of King George A&E in east London, 14.10.17, photo Mary Finch

Demonstrating against the proposed closure of King George A&E in east London, 14.10.17, photo Mary Finch   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Labour-led Redbridge council now supports the call for a new wing for King George Hospital. A petition for the new wing, organised by campaigners, got the necessary 1,500 signatures to bring it before Redbridge council.

But we’ve been campaigning to expand the hospital for years. Why did the council wait for the petition before supporting our demand? We must now make the council stick to this decision.

The council’s Operational Director of Assurance asserted that bed blockers were the problem: “A number of people currently access care in a hospital setting when there is no clinical need”, and that it “would seem premature” to support the proposal for a new wing. But this was overturned.

The A&E at King George has been under threat of closure for decades. Save King George A&E campaigners have marched the length of Ilford countless times, and publicly exposed the failings of the regional health authority.

The campaign forced the health board to guarantee to keep the A&E open and fully functional. A ‘new’ wing was built in 2007, the North East London Treatment Centre.

Campaigner Andy Walker says: “Thirteen years later, the north east London population has grown substantially. King George is the prime site for a new wing for maternity and additional acute beds to cope with existing and future additional demand.

“Perhaps my posting on Twitter and Facebook that I was planning to stand as a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidate made a difference.” There is no doubt that Redbridge Labour are fearful that the anger of ordinary working-class people at the disastrous state of the health service might find a focus in a new electoral challenge through TUSC.

Pete Mason, East London Socialist Party