A north-east London borough could be left without an A&E department under new plans for the NHS in England.
Redbridge could be left without an accident and emergency unit if proposals go ahead – leaving 300,000 out of reach of emergency medical care.
Residents will instead be able to visit an urgent care centre at the hospital but will have to travel to neighbouring boroughs to seek “blue light” care, officials said.
Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North, said that alternative units are not far away geographically, but because of heavy traffic in the capital, it can take between half an hour and an hour to get there.
Under the North East London Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP), the A&E at King George Hospital in Goodmayes, near Ilford, will be downgraded to an urgent care centre, with changes proposed to come into effect by summer 2019.