Red Alert at Whipps Cross Hospital

9.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 6th May 2008

Leyton and Wansted Liberal Democrats are shocked to find that there have been a number of incidents where ambulances with Accident and Emergency (A&E) cases have been turned away from Whipps Cross Hospital. Ambulance drivers have said that it is not unusual for them to be sent to Newham or Homerton hospitals. Liberal Democrat Councillors have been in touch with those responsible and were surprised that they did not know of the problems at Whipps A&E. A full report from them has yet to be received.

Lib Dem Forest FOCUS Team members Cllr Qureshi and Samina Safdar outside Whipps

Liberal Democrat councillor Farooq Qureshi said: "It is obviously a real cause for concern for local people that our general hospital has turned away emergency cases. I hope that it is a temporary problem and not a plan to run down the A&E at Whipps Cross Hospital."