LOST HOSPITALS OF LONDON

King George Hospital
Barley Lane, Goodmayes, Ilford, Essex IG3 8YB
Medical dates:

Medical character:
1993 - current

Acute

In 1990 work began to demolish the northern buildings of the Goodmayes Hospital and to build a new purpose-built hospital to replace the King George Hospital in Eastern Avenue, just over a mile away.

The new King George Hospital opened in 1993.  It consisted of several 2-storey blocks grouped around a courtyard (the design allowed for possible expansion later).  The wards were named after trees and plants, such as Ash, Beech, Cedar, Dahlia, Foxglove and Gentian.  The Hospital also had an Accident and Emergency Department and an Urgent Care Centre.

In 1998 the Hospital had 197 beds.

In 2006 proposals were being made to close the Accident and Emergency Department and to end all elective operations at the Hospital, but these were fiercely resisted.  In September 2007 a petition contained 28,000 signatures protesting about the proposed cuts was presented to Ruth Carnall of NHS London, the strategic health authority.


Present status (April 2008)

The site also contains the North East London NHS Treatment Centre, run by Care UK.

The Hospital, which is managed by the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, is still in danger of losing services.

Update:  April 2013

On 15th December 2010 a joint committee of Primary Care Trusts decided that the Accident and Emergency Department and maternity unit should close and that these services move to Queen's Hospital in Romford.  

The last baby was born in the Labour Ward on 18th March 2013, although antenatal care still continues at the Hospital.

The Accident and Emergency Department is still operational, but the Hospital is still at risk of being downgraded to a polyclinic offering out-patients services only, with routine elective surgery being carried out in the North East London NHS Treatment Centre.

Following a major reorganisation of the NHS in April 2013, the Primary Care Trusts and NHS London have been abolished.

King George Hospital
The central square with the main entrance to the Hospital beyond.

King George Hospital
One of the 2-storey yellow-brick blocks which make up the Hospital.

King George Hospital
The Hospital shares water and heating facilities with its southern neighbour, Goodmayes Hospital.

References
http://edithsstreets.blogspot.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk
www.bhrhospitals.nhs.uk
www.ilfordsouthlabour.org.uk
www.romfordrecorder.co.uk
www.thisistotalessex.co.uk
www.wansteadsociety.org.uk
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