Moving rehabilitation services from Wanstead Hospital will harm people’s health, a meeting heard.

A proposal to close the last two wards at the hospital in Makepeace Road and move services to King George Hospital in Goodmayes was discussed at a meeting at The George pub in high Street, Wanstead last night.

About 150 people attended to hear Dr Anil Mehta, Chair of Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group, questioned on the controversial proposal to shut the Heronwood and Galleon Unit.

Under the plan, 48 beds will be moved, with the overall number of rehabilitation beds across Barking, Havering and Redbridge cut to between 40 and 61, saving £1million.

Dr Mehta argued that more patients will receive treatment at home and the closure would improve efficiency.

But Wanstead MP John Cryer said: “The moving of services will have a deleterious effect on the health of people in the area.

“There is a growing number of elderly people in the population and there is no evidence that the new system is adequate to meet their needs, reducing services is not the right thing to be doing.”

Dr Mehta responded by saying: “Due to a lack of current community care, elderly people are going to A&E and we all know the pressures they are under.”

The meeting was organised by Wanstead and Snaresbrook Residents' Association.

The consultation on the proposals ends on October 15.

For more on this story, see next week’s Guardian