Proposals for the redevelopment of Whipps Cross hospital, Leytonstone, have been given the go ahead following a decision by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on Monday 14 March 2022.
Plans submitted by Barts Health NHS Trust and approved by Waltham Forest Council in November 2021 can now go ahead, paving the way for a state-of-the-art ‘smart’ hospital on the current Whipps site.
The redevelopment will offer the same core services as it does today but with vastly improved facilities for patients and staff. These include:
• over a third more clinical space than the current hospital
• a near doubling of CT and MRI scanners
• more than 70 per cent single rooms, compared to 17 per cent in the current hospital
The decision follows a long campaign by Waltham Forest Council, Redbridge Council, local MPs, Barts Health NHS Trust and residents for a local hospital that can meet the needs of the community in the 21st century. The Whipps Won’t Wait campaign has seen over 11,000 residents pledge support for a newhospital that will offer enhanced patient care, produce net zero carbon emissions, and benefit from flexible design so it can adapt to future healthcare demands.
Barts Health NHS Trust submitted two outline planning applications: one for the hospital development, and another application for the residential development and change of use for the heritage buildings.
Hospital construction is expected to start in Spring 2023, with the new hospital due to be completed by the end of 2026. Whipps Cross is part of the Government’s flagship New Hospitals Programme, which is committed to building 40 new hospitals by 2030 as part of a package worth £3.7 billion.