ELDERLY patients will be moved out of a rehabilitation unit under a proposed shake-up of services, despite families' concerns for their welfare.
Dr Gabby Ivbijaro, chairman of the Waltham Forest's GP group, insists any changes to services at Highams Court in Friars Close, Chingford, will improve care.
But relatives of the eight permanent patients at the unit said they were led to believe they could remain there indefinitely and criticised the handling of the consultation.
A number of staff said they are due to lose their jobs in order to save £2 million, but Dr Ivbijaro insisted the move was not about cutting costs.
He added: "We have already begun talking to patients, their families and staff and, of course, some relatives are worried that the proposals might be bad for patients.
"We will continue to reassure them that our highest priority is to improve the quality of community care for local people and this consultation gives us an opportunity to explain how we feel all the patients at Highams Court would benefit under the proposed changes.
"Our number one priority is to provide the best care we can for our residents and that’s what this consultation is really all about."
People can have their say by visiting onel.nhs.uk/highams-court.htm.
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