Speaking at a public meeting in St. John’s Church, Stratford, on Wednesday, “Newham Save Our NHS” campaigner and retired GP Ron Singer said the NHS plan to improve services for patients is “a recipe for disaster”.
In a national restructuring of healthcare provision, 44 areas, known as “footprints”, have been formed with councils and NHS bodies asked to reach plans to improve care.
In its “footprint” Newham joins seven other boroughs in north east London including Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Tower Hamlets and Redbridge.
Under the draft proposals, drawn up by members of the North East London Sustainability and Transformation Plan, GPs would take a lead in developing out of hospital healthcare to free up hospital beds “for those who really need admission”. Those with mental health problems would receive care “as close to home as possible” and a range of measures would be introduced to “step up” prevention tackling problems such as obesity.