Campaigners will march past King George Hospital today in a bid to keep the pressure on government health chiefs in the run-up to an independent review into plans to close A&E and maternity services.

A decision into the future of services at the hospital, in Barley Lane, Goodmayes, is expected in July following the completion of a report by the independent reconfiguration panel.

The march will leave Queen’s Hospital, Romford at 4pm, and is expected to arrive at Redbridge Town Hall, High Road, Ilford just before 6pm, where MPs Iain Duncan Smith, Mike Gapes and Lee Scott will speak.

Organiser Cllr Andy Walker (Chadwell, Labour) said the march is far from being a final push.

“We will continue to put pressure on, and highlight recent problems, publicised in the media, with a toilet birth and maternal death at Queen’s Hospital. Strained services will have to treat all A&E and maternity patients if the departments at King George closes.”

The march is expected to draw hundreds of people after 10,000 leaflets were distributed by campaigners.

Mr Gapes said: “The proposals would be a disaster. All the complaints I’ve received from young mums have been about Queen’s Hospital, not King George.”

A Health for North East London spokesman said: “Under the proposals, strengthened 24/7 urgent care and short stay assessment services at King George Hospital would provide care for the majority of patients currently attending A&E.

“Having emergency and maternity delivery services on one site would mean they could be used more efficiently and effectively to help manage the peaks and troughs in demand.”