A charity has released a damning response to the public consultation on the moving of units from Wanstead Hospital.

Healthwatch Redbridge, an independent charitable body created by Redbridge council, hosted a public meeting on Monday at Wanstead Library, in Spratt Hall Road.

Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group (RCCG) wants to close the Heronwood and Galleon unit, in Makepeace Road, and move rehabilitation services to King George Hospital in Goodmayes.

As part of the changes, it is proposing to set up a community treatment team, which will care for patients at home between the hours of 8am and 10pm, seven days a week.

Following the consultation, which ended yesterday, Healthwatch released a damning response on the way it was handled by RCCG.

It said: “Healthwatch Redbridge believes that the consultation was not an example of best current practice and therefore the CCG have failed to gain and maintain public trust and confidence in the way that the proposals and subsequent options have been put.

“If there are subsequent consultations about intermediate care changes, these need to be better advertised to the public; more clearly to patients, councillors, carers and service users.

“The consultation document suggests that some decisions had already been made and therefore the public were merely being asked to accede to these.

“The questionnaire was misleading and included bias statements.”

The Healthwatch also said public transport would have to improve if services were to move to King George.

RCCG has been contacted for a comment.