Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of a proposed reduction in bed capacity at the new Whipps Cross Hospital on healthcare services in Havering.

The proposed redevelopment of Whipps Cross envisages the building of a new hospital providing the same core services including the emergency department and maternity services. Work continues to test and refine activity and capacity assumptions for the new hospital which will be finalised as part of the Outline Business Case currently in development. The redevelopment plans do not involve the reconfiguration of services.