Campaigners have called on Waltham Forest Council to do what it can to persuade a health trust to hold a public consultation over cuts to stroke rehabilitation services.

Barts Health NHS Trust, which manages Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, has so far refused to open up an internal consultation over the proposals to the public.

It wants to cut the number of beds in the ward for patients recovering from a stroke from 26 to 19, while campaigners claim a gym for stroke victims and a day room are also under threat.

We Are Waltham Forest Saving Our NHS and the Whipps Cross Patient Panel called on the council’s Health Scrutiny Committee to intervene at a public meeting last Wednesday.

Campaigner Norma Dudley said: “We are very concerned. We are very worried that any cuts to an excellent service will result in patients being placed in beds away from easy contact by family and friends - often elderly themselves, or in the risk that there will be pressure to discharge vulnerable patients to ill-resourced community services.

“We asked the committee to do everything within its power to persuade Barts Health to put its plans on hold until they have conducted a full consultation with patients and all stakeholders.”

But Barts has already rejected Leyton MP John Cryer’s request that they abandon their plans to cut the number of beds.

He says the changes will mean more stroke patients are discharged into the community earlier than they currently are.

And he claims no plan has been put in place to increase investment in NHS community teams who provide rehabilitation services for patients at home.

But a spokeswoman for Barts Health NHS Trust said: “We are following commissioner-recommended guidelines to improve the way we care for stroke patients.

“Therapy staffing will be unaffected so patients will get more intensive therapy and be well enough to go home sooner.”

She added: “The reduction in the length of time stroke patients are spending in hospital means we are able to reduce the number of stroke beds at Whipps Cross from 26 to 19.

“As there is no impact on the patient pathway, there is no requirement for a public consultation.

“However, the Stroke Association and London Stroke Network are in full support of the changes and the Waltham Forest Clinical Commissioning Group has raised no concerns or objections so far.”

The council has been asked whether it has or plans to approach the trust to urge a public consultation.