The public consultation on a controversial proposal to close a rehabilitation ward has been defended by GPs.

Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) wants to close the Heronwood and Galleon unit, at Wanstead Hospital in Makepeace Road, and move treatment 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.

The CCG came under fire from charity Redbridge Healthwatch, which said the public consultation, which ended last Wednesday, was poorly advertised, misleading and "not an example of best current practice".

Wanstead MP John Cryer has also criticised the process, while campaigners have expressed concerns that the quality of care will suffer.

Drs Mehul Mathukia, Jagan John and Gurdev Saini, who led the consultation, released a statement on the response.

It said: “We held 42 public events across three boroughs, engaging with more than 900 local people, as well as meetings with patient groups, councillors and other stakeholders.

“We have actively sought the views of patients and carers who use the services.

“Our consultation document was developed with the support of patient representatives and we have spent hundreds of hours meeting with and responding directly to questions from patients and the wider public.

"We always actively welcome and encourage feedback from all parties so we can continue to learn and improve the way we do things as an organisation.

“However, by their own admission, Redbridge Healthwatch has undertaken a consultation of their own that lasted for just three hours at one meeting in Wanstead with 40 local campaigners.

“We are confident, therefore, that we have a broader sample of public opinion from a range of communities about our proposed improvements to care that could benefit thousands more people, than Redbridge Healthwatch has considered on this occasion.

 “We are fully committed to taking into account the views of Redbridge Healthwatch, along with the hundreds of other consultation responses we’ve received, when considering the future of intermediate care services in Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge.”