Health trust criticised over refusal to confirm new hospital on Dagenham factory site
A health trust faced criticism this week over its refusal to confirm whether a multi-million pound “community hospital” in Dagenham would go ahead.
The sanofi-aventis site had been earmarked for the poly-clinic, which would include a care centre with medics, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, outpatients departments and health screening.
The facility would be the “cornerstone” of the multi-million pound rejuvenation of its 108-acre factory site, due to close in 2013, a sanofi spokesman told the Post.
The now defunct NHS Barking and Dagenham put forward plans to shelve the GP-led polyclinic in Rainham Road South the day before it disbanded.
The new health trust replacing NHS Barking and Dagenham, NHS Outer North East London (ONEL), said plans for a “potential health facility” were still on the table but would not confirm where it would be.
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Barking and Dagenham Council criticised the trust for failing to make public its proposals to write-off the community hospital, which could fill an important gap in health in Dagenham.
Health cabinet member, Cllr Linda Reason, said: “The fact that health chiefs haven’t published their proposals so the public and local politicians can hold them up to scrutiny, makes me very suspicious.
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“It’s time NHS managers came clean on what cuts they plan to make.”
An ONEL spokesman said: “We are still involved in discussions with a range of partners and stakeholders around a potential health facility in Dagenham and have started working with GP commissioners to develop a business case.
“We are committed to getting the best value for money and will spend taxpayers’ money responsibly while protecting frontline health services.”
