The public consultation on the proposed closure of Wanstead Hospital is ‘deeply flawed’, according to MP John Cryer.

Speaking during a debate in the House of Commons last night, The MP for Wanstead described a decision made by Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to not extend public consultation as ‘pig-headed’.

The CCG plans to cut all 104 intermediate care beds across Barking, Havering and Redbridge and replace them with 40 beds located at King George Hospital (KGH) in Goodmayes.

The Heronwood and Galleon wards, the last operational wards in Wanstead hospital, have 48 rehabilitation beds for elderly people who are not well enough to go home.

MP Cryer accused the ‘obscure and unaccountable’ CCG steering group, led by chief officer Conor Burke and chairman Dr Mehta, as, “sweeping aside the wishes of local people, local councillors and locally elected representatives.”

The "deeply flawed" public consultation document has not been made widely available, and is neither "clear, fair or neutral", the MP said.

The consultation period for the implementation of home-based care ends on October 1.

But Mr Cryer has called for the deadline to be extended.

He said: “Perhaps the greatest talking point among my constituents is the pig-headed refusal to extend the deadline to the consultation until the end of October.”

The Labour MP claimed he was not made aware that consultation had already started for the closure.

He said: “If they treat elected representatives like that, God knows how they treat members of the public. It calls their track record into question.”

Redbridge CCG claims that trialled home-based services will minimise risk of infections and loss of independence, and will save around £900,000.

Jane Ellison, Parliamentary under-secretary of state for health, countered saying that 49 intermediate care beds - 47 per cent of the Redbridge capacity - were unused last month.

She said: “The NHS in London, has to constantly evaluate the way in which services can best be tailored to meet the needs of local people and improve standards of patient care.”

A spokesman for Redbridge CCG said: “As a result of renewed calls for us to look again at a possible extension of the current consultation deadline, beyond its current three month period, GPs behind the proposals are currently considering the request.”