A FORMER mayor of the Redbridge has hit back at a suggestion that she cannot support a claim that an overwhelming majority of doctors are against closing the A&E at King George Hospital.

Lorraine Sladden, who served as a councillor until the election in May, conducted a survey of GPs in the borough last year, asking them whether they backed plans to shut Redbridge's only emergency department at the hospital in Ilford.

She has said that 95 percent of those who responded were not in favour of the plans – however this claim was rejected by GP Sarah Heyes, who is a director of the Wanstead Polysystem and one of the key players in plans to radically alter the shape of healthcare in Redbridge.

In an interview with the Guardian earlier this month, Dr Heyes said that Mrs Sladden had “backtracked” over the results of her survey after they were challenged.

Mrs Sladden said: “I was absolutely fuming when I read what Dr Heyes said.

“I've never met the woman so I don't know when she was supposed to have challenged it. I will certainly never 'backtrack' about this.

“Whenever you visit a hospital it's all so stage-managed, and they wheel out these staff who are in favour and they give you chapter and verse.

“But if you speak to any of the rest of the staff they say, 'We're full to capacity and we can't cope, there's no way we can close'.

“I was in A&E the other week and I was talking to some of the staff and they were telling me how difficult it is.”

“I have records of the letters I wrote asking them whether they were in favour of the closure, and telephone conversations I had with doctors.

“Every one who got back to me who did support the closure. I wondered why this was and when I looked into it I found out that they all had some connection to the polysystem.

The new health secretary Andrew Lansley MP has put all A&E closure plans across London on ice while a full review is carried out, and has said GP support was a key factor in deciding to carry out closures.

Mrs Sladden added: “I may have lost my council seat but I will continue my research and I will continue to fight tooth and nail to keep the hospital open.

“It all boils down to money and it shouldn't be like that. First and foremost this is about looking after the people of Redbridge, not lining someone's pockets.”