Harold Wood Hospital visit

Children’s minister Margaret Hodge enjoyed a visit to the children’s services department of Harold Wood Hospital on Friday (May 14).

Mrs Hodge met with staff and patients in maternity and took time to chat with youngsters on the recently renovated children’s ward known as Noah’s Ark.

The MP for Barking was shown around the hospital by Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust Chief Executive Mark Rees and Director of Women’s and Children’s Services Lynn Thomas.

Mr Rees said: “I was delighted to meet Margaret Hodge and introduce her to some of our staff and patients in women and children’s services at Harold Wood.

“Across the Trust we serve a population of more than 180,000 youngsters and deliver nearly 9,000 babies a year, making ours one of the largest women and children’s services and maternity services in the country.

“There are some exciting challenges ahead, in particular the National Service Framework for Children, a ten year programme to champion the essence of care and standards to promote children’s rights.

“The Trust has already established a project board to implement this and is helping to raise awareness across the acute sector of the specific needs of children.”

Mrs Hodge said: “I was really pleased to visit Harold Wood Hospital and see for myself the services they provide for children.”

“I also leant that the Trust is responsible for delivering more babies than any other part of London, so they play a very important role.”

“It was lovely to meet mums and dads with their new-born children, and to see the dedication and commitment of the doctors and nurses who work so hard in our National Health Service.”