The decision on closing the rehabilitation units at Wanstead hospital could be referred to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Labour Cllr Wes Streeting, Redbridge cabinet member of health, believes Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will choose to close the Heronwood and Galleon unit, at Wanstead Hospital in Makepeace Road, and move treatment to King George Hospital in Goodmayes.

But he reassured people that “the process has a long way to go” and the council could intervene if needed.

As part of the changes, Redbridge CCG 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 consultation was criticised earlier this month by charity Redbridge Healthwatch as poorly advertised and misleading, though this judgement was rejected by the CCG.

A decision is due to be announced in a public meeting by Redbridge CCG in December, though the exact date has not yet been arranged.

Speaking to the Guardian today, Cllr Wes Streeting said: “I feel pessimistic that the CCG will choose to close the Heronwood and Galleon units in Wanstead.

“I am planning on the assumption it is going to recommend closure, it is certainly more likely than not.

“On a cross-party basis there are concerns about what the plans will mean and there is a deep degree of unhappiness and genuine fear.

“A reduction of beds is surely not the way to go with an aging population.

“If in December the CCG chooses to close the units, the health scrutiny committee at the council could the next month refer the decision to the health secretary Jeremy Hunt.

“It would then be in his hands whether to refer the decision to a independent health configuration panel.

“The process has a long way to go.”