Julia Lopez MP has expressed her disappointment after a bid for a Harold Hill NHS Hub was rejected in favour of Barking & Dagenham.

Mrs Lopez had been actively campaigning for a new Neighbourhood Health Centre in Harold Hill, seeking to replicate the success of the St George’s NHS Hub in Hornchurch. The neighbourhood health hub would bring more appointments, tests and scans closer to residents’ homes and reduce pressure on Queen’s Hospital in Romford.

Earlier this year, NHS North East London and the Department for Health and Social Care invited applications to be considered in the first wave of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme. Julia pushed NHS North East London to consider Harold Hill as part of their bid, highlighting the area’s high levels of deprivation and the significantly lower life expectancy of its residents compared with the borough average. 

Despite these efforts, NHS North East London have said they will be prioritising Barking and Dagenham for wave one of the programme. While the decision is disappointing for Harold Hill, Julia has reiterated her commitment to pursuing future opportunities to bring a Neighbourhood Health Centre to the area. 

Julia said:

“The St George’s NHS Hub in Hornchurch has been an enormous success, delivering more services, more conveniently, to local residents. I wanted to see that model in Harold Hill too so I am really disappointed that it was not included in this first wave of bids for a Neighbourhood Health Hub. I will continue to look for future opportunities to push this idea, which would deliver Harold Hill residents the services they deserve.'"