The closure of the last ward at Wanstead Hospital was officially approved yesterday, despite a hard-fought campaign against the plan.

The announcement came yesterday afternoon during a Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) meeting at Becketts House, in Roden Street, Ilford.

It means the Heronwood and Galleon wards at Wanstead Hospital, in Makepeace Road, will be closed, with some beds set to be centralised at King George Hospital in Goodmayes.

Campaigners had questioned the reduction of rehabilitation beds in Redbridge, Havering, and Barking and Dagenham from 104 to between 40 and 61.

But the CCG said that a new community treatment team, which will care for patients at home between the hours of 8am and 10pm, seven days a week, will provide better and more appropriate care.

Throughout the last few months, councillors and residents formed the Save Wanstead Hospital campaign due to concerns that elderly people in particular would find it difficult to access services. 

Charity Redbridge Healthwatch also criticised the public consultation as poorly advertised and misleading.

Cathy Turland, chief executive officer of Redbridge Healthwatch, said many were concerned over the plan.

She said: "Many people have concerns that the rehabilitation services do not cover 24 hour support as some patients are at risk in the night.

"For example a patient could have soiled their bed at 11pm and not be able to get support until the next morning as the service is not available ‘out of hours’.

"In this instance, calling an ambulance was the only option available which seems inappropriate."

Speaking after the announcement yesterday, Dr Mehul Mathukia, clinical director of integrated care at Redbridge CCG, spoke of his delight as the plans were approved.

He said: “This decision means more local people will get better care, more quickly and be less likely to need a stay in hospital.

“We will have excellent care at home services backed up by a consistently high quality rehab unit.

“We have been clear all along that anyone who needs a community rehab bed will get one and no changes will take place until after winter.

“We are delighted to get the go-ahead for our plans.”