Queens hospital critical incident

The revelation that Queens hospital declared an “internal critical incident” on 12 March due to bed pressures at the hospital is a massive concern to all local residents. The critical incident means that the management at the hospital will have to seek support from other hospitals across London and elsewhere in order to cope with demand for health care and hospital admissions.

The Health editor of the Sunday Times had commented that he believed that in the past fortnight there had been two other incidents and that the problem was simply ‘so common now’.

Margaret Mullane, Labour PPC for Dagenham and Rainham added “In June 2023 I raised a number of issues following discussions at Queens. For example, communications across services in the Barking, Havering, Redbridge NHS University Trust area are too convoluted. Whilst the diagnostics centre at Barking Community Hospital was helping to reduce pressure on Queens there was a need for additional staffing.

I was also struck by the call from senior staff at Queens for the need for investment in training and a long-term workforce plan and more support for the social care workforce and incentive to retain carers.

I am heartened by Labour’s plan to get the NHS back on its feet – to drive down waiting times and get patients diagnosed earlier, including doubling the number of CT and MRI scanners. I am committed as an outright priority from me to put the NHS back on the path to recovery to provide services that residents of Dagenham and Rainham can be proud of and safely rely on.”