On Friday 9th August, Margaret Mullane MP visited Queen’s Hospital to meet with the Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Trust (BHRUT) to discuss the issues facing local health services. On the visit the Member of Parliament met with senior clinicians and Trust directors across the Emergency and Maternity Departments.
Margaret said: “It was a very insightful visit and gave me a greater understanding of the issues facing A&E and Maternity services. One of my key pledges at the election was to get faster treatment at Queen’s for my constituents. Matthew Trainer and his Senior Leadership Team have exciting plans to expand the Emergency Department, and in the weeks and months ahead I will work closely with them to support their ambition.”
The Emergency Department (ED) at Queen’s Hospital was designed to see 300 patients per day but currently sees anywhere up to 750, with often over 100 ambulances per day. The scope of expansion is significant and will cost approx. £35m. This will remove the need for treatment in corridors and will help the Trust meet demand more effectively.
Queen’s Hospital is the 3rd largest single site Maternity Department in the country, delivering over 7,000 babies per year. The last CQC inspection found the department “Requires Improvement”, but the Trust are working hard to improve this. Many of the births are complex and require Caesarean Sections, so plans are being made to increase the number of theatres on site and to improve the standard of midwifery at the hospital.
Margaret expressed that: “The staff are amazing; they go above and beyond to deliver the best care they can, but Queen’s Hospital just wasn’t designed for the sheer number of patients presenting. The direction of travel is hopeful, with a new surgical receiving unit and the digitisation of patient records, but more needs to be done. I am determined to help Queen’s Hospital realise its potential so that people in Dagenham and Rainham have access to outstanding healthcare.”
The Labour Government was elected on bold plans to get the NHS back on its feet, recruiting more doctors, nurses, and midwives as part of an integrated National Care Service. Margaret Mullane MP will continue to meet regularly with the Trust and has pledged to ensure that any investment is felt across services in Dagenham and Rainham.
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