Concerns have been raised over an “increasing number of serious incidents” at Redbridge’s NHS trust due to missed or delayed diagnoses for cancer.

Redbridge Clinical Commisioning Group (CCG) has highlighted this, the levels of staff during surgery and the mortality rate at Queen’s and King George hospitals in its latest board papers.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) responded saying it has been working with key partners for some time to address these issues, as Dr Nadeem Moghal’s comments to the right show.

The board papers, published last week, read: “Over the past few months we have seen an increasing number of serious incidents coming through specifically related to missed or delayed diagnosis for cancer.”

The CCG also cites a “case of potential clinical harm as a result of delayed reporting and the trust not acting on the radiology results”. The coroner issued an order for BHRUT to provide updates on how its prevent future deaths, after similar concerns at an inquest in March.

The CCG also said it was “significantly concerned around the trust’s Mortality Reduction Improvement Plan”, which is designed to reduce deaths in hospital. The board papers read: “Although an improvement plan has been put in place, we are yet to see a reduction.”

The CCG was so worried it has since raised the issue with NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Regarding surgery the papers stated: “There are also concerns that operations are being carried out without a full complement of staff, as staff are leaving the theatre to scrub for emergency operations.”

Andy Walker, from the Save King George Hospital A&E campaign, said: “The staff are very hard working, but under extreme pressure.

“This is another reason why the decision to close King George Hospital’s A&E should be scrapped.”