*This article was originally published on the 30th of July, a response has now been received and this article has been updated. See the Minister's response below.
Julia Lopez makes key asks of new Health Secretary to get Havering residents the best NHS care.
Hornchurch & Upminster MP, Julia Lopez, has written to new Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, in a bid to improve Queen’s A&E and cancer services for local residents.
The last Conservative government made major investments into Havering’s NHS, including funding the new St George’s NHS Hub, which will open in Hornchurch in September complete with a community diagnostics facility to provide thousands more tests and scans every year.
Mrs Lopez is now campaigning to get a PET scanner for BHRUT, Havering's local hospital trust, since the absence of this key diagnostic equipment is leading to delays in detecting cancer.
As renal services are moved out of Queen’s and into the new St George’s site, there is now also the opportunity to remodel the overcrowded A&E at Havering’s major hospital. Mrs Lopez is backing calls from the Trust’s Chief Executive, Matthew Trainer, for investment of £35 million into the site to carry out the work that is needed to get Havering residents the best care.
Mrs Lopez has been concerned by the number of residents’ complaints about emergency care in the last couple of years and has worked closely with Mr Trainer and his team to improve services at Queen's Hospital and broader services.
This has led to securing £4.1m for extra A&E capacity at BHRUT in August 2020, £3m for the emergency department at King George’s in September of the same year, £1.1m in 2023 which helped to fund a new infusion and discharge lounge for elderly patients at Queen’s, as well as a host of other local healthcare improvements.
