The trust behind the A&E and King George Hospital and Queen’s could be in line for a chunk of £500million funding to relieve pressure in the winter.
The money could be given to Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) over the next two years.
Queen’s Hospital, in Romford, is the busiest A&E in the whole of London and could be under even more pressure when the emergency department at King George, in Goodmayes, closes in 2015.
The government wants any funding to be used to reduce unnecessary visits and long stays, increase walk-in centre opening hours and extend community services to minimise the number of people flooding A&E.
It is hoped the measures will cut waiting times at A&Es, like Queen’s, that have been missing the national four hour target.
Winter is the busiest time of the year for the departments and more than 1m more people are now attending than three years ago.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The additional funding will go to hospitals where the pressure will be greatest, with a focus on practical measures that relieve pinch points in local services.”
NHS England is expected to announce which trusts with receive the extra funding in the coming weeks.
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