PATIENTS campaigning against the loss of the borough’s only general hospital have welcomed a pledge by health bosses to share the information that will determine its future.

King George Hospital in Ilford is due to lose its maternity and A&E departments when services are transferred to Queen’s Hospital in Romford.

But the move has been put on hold following a scathing report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on standards at Queen’s, where five women have died while under the care of its maternity unit in the past two years.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley has said that the move will only go ahead once sustainable improvements have been made in the quality of services.

Both hospitals are run by the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals Trust (BHRT), and the Save King George campaign is writing to Averil Dongworth, the chief executive of BHRT, demanding she publish monthly updates of waiting times, staff shortages and bed shortages.

A spokeswoman for BHRT said: “We look forward to receiving the letter from the Save King George Hospital campaign, and will address any issues raised with them.

“We are always happy to meet to discuss the improvements made towards the CQC targets and are more than willing to share information on waiting times and staff vacancies.”

Campaign organiser Helen Zammett of Gloucester Road, Wanstead, said: “We would give it a cautious welcome, as long as they provide us with the information we want rather than what they want us to see.

“If they can provide us with the information on beds, staffing and waiting list numbers then it will be a step forward.

“But there’s a lot to be done to rebuild public confidence after everything that’s happened.

“Nobody knows what’s going on and we need the data and we need to get some facts.”

Fellow campaigner Bob Archer said: “We are still very concerned that the conditions which have been placed on BHRT are not being met.

“Before they move A&E and maternity services away from King George, we need to know what is going on.”

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