The Health Secretary scrubbed in to watch an operation at a hospital this week.

Jeremy Hunt visited Queen's hospital in Romford, which admits patients from Wanstead and Woodford, to meet workers and scrub in to watch a gall bladder operation.

Tuesday's visit also included two hours spent touring the facilities and talking to staff.

The hospital is one of two run by the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Trust (BHRUT), which is currently in special measures due to poor standards in care.

Mr Hunt said: “It was great to see the enthusiasm of staff and management at Queen’s making real progress in turning things around.”

The Care Quality Commission is due to inspect the trust again next month to see if improvements in care have taken place.

Chief executive of BHRUT, Matthew Hopkins, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Jeremy Hunt to the hospital and to show him the work that has been taken place to improve the care we provide to our patients.

"I am particularly pleased that he recognised the dedication and hard work of our staff.”