For immediate release

Ensuring a healthy future for Whipps Cross and local people

Whipps Cross Hospital has taken the first step towards ensuring a future of safe and sustainable local health care.

Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, is appointing a team of experts to undertake a review of the hospital estate and services, and begin to plan improvements. With a population that is growing and getting older, the Trust is working with local partners to provide a thriving, affordable local hospital fit for future health needs.

The district general Whipps Cross Hospital treats more than 1,600 patients every day, providing a wide range of health services to people in Waltham Forest and beyond. However the existing buildings are old, with almost half the estate predating the founding of the NHS in 1948. The layout can be confusing for patients and visitors to find their way around and impedes delivery of quality and safe care. In total the estate requires investment of £80m.

This is in the face of an ever growing and aging population in east . It is estimated that over the next 15 years the population of east London is forecast to rise by 270,000. Equivalent to the size of a small town, it will be enough potential patients to require an additional 500-bed hospital to look after their health needs.

The review is being led by Barts Health, Waltham Forest Council, NHS Waltham Forest Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the NELFT NHS Foundation Trust. It is part of the Transforming Services Together programme, which seeks to ensure that local health and care organisations work together to look at options for creating a hospital that works well into the future.

Working across health, mental health, social care and wellbeing services, the partners aim to meet the health needs of our local residents in one location, where patients will receive the best care from leading specialists in an environment that is affordable, environmentally friendly, and attractive for patients and staff.

At Whipps Cross this could include developing acute care hubs to reduce the number of people being admitted to hospital unnecessarily, as well as creating local centres of excellence to reduce waiting times/cancellations for surgery.

Alwen Williams, Chief Executive of Barts Health said: “We are committed to maintaining accident and emergency facilities, a maternity unit and supporting hospital services for our local patients at Whipps Cross, but recognise that many of the buildings on the site are no longer fit for purpose.

"We are working closely with the council, commissioners and other partners to find an affordable long-term solution that meets the future health needs of a local population that is growing and changing."

The Whipps Cross review will engage widely with patients, public and staff later this year to carefully consider all views when exploring the options for an affordable and deliverable transformation.

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Notes to Editors

Barts Health NHS Trust Barts Health is the largest NHS trust in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers. The Trust’s five hospitals – St Bartholomew’s Hospital in the City, including the Barts Heart Centre, The in , Newham University Hospital in Plaistow, Whipps Cross University Hospital in and – deliver high quality compassionate care to the 2.5 million people of East London and beyond.

Barts Health NHS Trust 9 Prescot Street London E1 8PR www.bartshealth.nhs.uk

For more information contact: Heidi Mulhall 020 7709 6509 Email: [email protected]