Following a campaign launched by Julia Lopez MP last summer, NHS North East London has now confirmed it will make a formal submission for a new Neighbourhood Health Centre in Harold Hill.
Mrs Lopez has led calls for Harold Hill to be put forward for the investment, arguing the area deserves a modern integrated health facility similar to the St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub in Hornchurch.
While Barking was chosen as NHS North East London’s first priority, Mrs Lopez has continued to press the case for Harold Hill, highlighting the area’s significant health challenges and the opportunity to bring more NHS services closer to residents’ homes.
Harold Hill faces some of the most serious health inequalities in Havering. A 2024 Havering Place Based Partnership report found that men in Harold Hill have a life expectancy 7.3 years shorter than those in the least deprived parts of the borough. For women, the gap is even greater at 7.6 years.
Mrs Lopez has argued that a new Neighbourhood Health Centre could help tackle some of those challenges by improving access to local healthcare, while also reducing pressure on Queen’s Hospital.
The proposal follows the successful delivery of the St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub in Hornchurch, which Mrs Lopez campaigned for over several years. The hub is now up and running, providing a wider range of NHS services in the community and helping residents access care outside of an acute hospital setting.
Following a recent briefing with Mrs Lopez’s office, the local NHS has now confirmed that it will be making a formal submission for a Neighbourhood Health Centre in Harold Hill. Mrs Lopez has written to Nnenna Osuji, Chief Executive of NHS North East London, to confirm her support for the project and to ask to be kept updated as the proposals develop.
Mrs Lopez said:
“Last summer, I began a new campaign to deliver a Neighbourhood Health Centre in Harold Hill, like the one I campaigned for years to deliver in Hornchurch, which is now up and running as the St George’s NHS Hub.
“Harold Hill faces some of the most serious health challenges in Havering. St George’s has shown that bringing more NHS services closer to people’s homes can deliver a much better service while reducing pressure on Queen’s Hospital.
“A new Neighbourhood Health Centre could be a transformational project for Harold Hill, improving access to care and helping to tackle some of the long standing health challenges residents face.
“Combined with the regeneration of the Farnham Road and Hilldene area, and the Pride of Place project, these initiatives could make a real difference to residents’ quality of life.
“I am pleased that NHS North East London has confirmed it will now make a formal submission for the project, and I will continue to back this campaign as it develops.”
