Activists from Action4Whipps, the Women’s Institute, and Save our NHS, handed in a petition signed by 6,449 local people calling on the health body to keep the provision

By Marco Marcelline

Campaigners handed in a petition to NHS North East London (NHS NEL) head office in Stratford yesterday (16th November) calling for the only end-of-life facility in Waltham Forest to be included in plans for the Whipps Cross Hospital rebuild. 

Specialist palliative care unit The Margaret Centre currently provides eleven beds to patients who are coming to the end of their life or have a life-limiting disease, such as cancer, neurological conditions and end stage heart or lung conditions.

The petition, signed by 6,449 local people, has signatories including Wanstead and Leyton MP John Cryer, as well as Chingford MP Iain Duncan Smith and Waltham Forest councillors. 

In the last five months, Action4Whipps held street stalls across the Whipps Cross catchment area in a bid to draw attention to the uncertain future of the Margaret Centre. 

In a speech, Ann Gross, a representative from Action4Whipps said: “As local people, we were shocked and disappointed when we first discovered that the plans for the new hospital did not include the re-provision of the Margaret Centre. Its high quality NHS services are greatly valued in the local community. 

“There is no other hospice provision in Waltham Forest or Redbridge and Waltham Forest doesn’t even have a hospice at home service, so the Margaret Centre as a specialist NHS unit on the hospital site brings many strengths and advantages for patients and staff alike, and should be enhanced and not abandoned.”

Ann added: “The Margaret Centre has touched the lives of so many, and people just cannot believe that the current plans for the new hospital mean it will not exist in future. It is both a scandal and a missed opportunity.”

At the hand-in, Chingford resident Tessa Shelley told the Echo how the Margaret Centre had been of help to her when Whipps Cross consultants informed her elderly father was close to death following a sudden health issue.

“We had very difficult end-of-life conversations in an open A&E ward [with consultants] about whether or not they could go ahead with surgery for him. I said I want him to go to the Margaret Centre because I knew it was there for end-of-life support.

“They got him to the Margaret Centre, I stayed there all night, there brought me a toiletry set. I was there for two days almost, and I was able to lay and sleep next to him in a chair there.

This story is published by Waltham Forest Echo, Waltham Forest's free monthly newspaper and free news website. We are a not-for-profit publication, published by a small social enterprise. We have no rich backers and rely on the support of our readers. Donate or become a supporter.

Tessa explained: “We had end-of-life challenges in terms of the pain relief and the things they [health workers] had to do but the conversation was person-centered and it was about making sure that my dad was comfortable and we were alright. It wasn’t about freeing a bed, which was how it was in A&E.”

Previously, NHS NEL had argued that staffing a small, specialist team in a new community end-of-life unit like the Margaret Centre would be “more expensive than other options”. 

No decisions have yet been made on the future of end of life care provision in Waltham Forest, Redbridge or West Essex.

A secondary phase of engagement on end-of-life care is currently underway, which NHS NEL has said will hear a “a broader range of voices in order to ensure services work in the right way for local people” and “will enable previous proposals to be developed and refined ahead of a further consultation process”. 

Dr Sarah Heyes, clinical director for Whipps Cross End of Life Care Transformation, said: “We know it’s important to get end of life care right. People should die in dignity, comfort and with their wishes respected – whether they want to die at home, in hospital or at a hospice. 

“We are talking to local people about their experiences and working together with them to develop proposals for improving end of life care in the area around Whipps Cross Hospital, and we acknowledge that this petition highlights the strong local interest in our plans. 

“No decisions have been made and we will continue working with the communities we serve to ensure future services respond to the needs of local people. This includes members of the campaign group who we have involved in our work with residents, and we remain willing to meet them to discuss their concerns.”

The campaigners had expected to present the petition in person to Zena Etheridge, CEO of the NHS North East London (NHS NEL), and described it as “disappointing” and “disrespectful” that she had not receive the petition in person. 

In early 2022 campaigners presented a petition with over 2,000 signatures in-person to Alwen Williams, the then-CEO of Barts Health NHS Trust. 

A spokesperson for the NHS NEL said: “We offered to meet representatives from the campaign group yesterday (Thursday 16th November) to discuss the issues raised in the petition but they declined and chose not to attend. However, we acknowledge the petition highlights the strong local interest in our emerging plans and we remain willing to continue talking to them about their concerns.”

No news is bad news 

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts. 

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less. 

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation. 

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit 

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month.  £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.

More information on supporting us monthly or annually 

More Information about donations