Redbridge’s hospital trust received £55m of taxpayers’ money in the last two years in bailout funding – the second highest amount in England.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) was one of 13 trusts to receive Department of Health (DH) money when it ran into financial trouble.

Only the South London Healthcare NHS Trust, which was put into administration last year, received a higher amount - £79.2m.

A BHRUT spokesman said: ““The money from the Department of Health is public dividend capital to off-set the trust’s deficit.”

The trust also received £5.08m in the same period as it struggled to implement “strategic change” in response to government reforms.

A DH spokesman said: “Although the overall financial position of the NHS is healthy, there are clearly some hospital trusts that are not managing their financial position.

“Solving the long-standing financial issues of these organisations is not going to be easy.

“We are working with these trusts to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality services.”

The figures were obtained by the Daily Mirror following a Freedom of Information request.

Cllr Andy Walker said: “I don’t want the financial pressures to be the reason for King George Hospital’s A&E to close.

“I welcome that there’s been no statement from the DH to say BHRUT will follow the example of South London (Trust).”