Plans to close King George Hospital’s A&E overnight are being drawn up as the first step to downgrading it altogether, Ilford North’s MP has claimed.

Labour’s Wes Streeting today launched a new campaign to save the A&E after revealing the overnight closure was being considered by health commissioners.

Mr Streeting is understood to have been told of the plans during a meeting with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the trust which runs King George and Queen’s Hospitals.

Both Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT) and the CCG have been contacted for a comment on the claims.

Mr Streeting said: “Since the closure decision was taken in 2011 we’ve seen significant population growth, both of our local NHS trusts have been placed in special measures and GPs have struggled to cope.

“We’re calling on the government to re-open the closure decision, look at the situation in north east London with a fresh pair of eyes and think again.

“Given how much time has passed since the closure plan was first mooted, it is not unreasonable to expect a fresh review and full public consultation before any changes to the A&E service at King George Hospital are made.”

Mr Streeting has launched a new parliamentary petition and a public meeting is planned for Thursday, February 25, in the Lambourne Room at Redbridge Town Hall, Ilford.

In May, BHRUT chief executive Matthew Hopkins told the Recorder initial planning for the downgrading of the A&E department would start in the next “six to nine months”.

The controversial decision to downgrade the A&E to an urgent care centre was made in 2010 by the primary care trust.