Key Points
- Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust has submitted fresh plans for Queen’s Hospital in Romford.
- The plans include a new entrance for the Emergency Department and a reconfiguration of the A&E area.
- The proposals also include a new M&S store at the hospital site.
- The trust says the changes are needed because Queen’s was built for around 300 urgent and emergency patients a day, but numbers now regularly exceed that level.
- Romford MP Andrew Rosindell has backed calls for improvements after visiting the hospital.
- The trust says the redesign aims to reduce overcrowding, cut long waits and end corridor care.
- BHRUT says its A&E performance has improved, with 78.14% of patients seen and treated within four hours in the latest figures it cited.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge (East London Times) May 25, 2026 – Romford and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, May 25, 2026 – the development plan centres on a new main entrance for the Emergency Department, created through an infill area to the current Maternity Ward, according to planning documents submitted to Havering Council. The trust says the redesign is intended to improve the flow of patients and staff through the department, while the retail element would add an M&S store to the hospital campus.
Why is the A&E being changed?
The trust says Queen’s Hospital was opened in 2006 for about 300 urgent and emergency patients a day, but at peak times the number of people coming through the doors is now more than double that figure. In March, the department reportedly peaked at 751 attendances, underlining the pressure on the current layout.
As reported by the trust, the proposed redesign would help reduce overcrowding, shorten waiting times for admission and improve the working environment for staff. The trust also says it wants to address corridor care, which has become a recurring concern for patients, clinicians and local representatives.
What did the MP say?
Romford MP Andrew Rosindell visited the hospital and said he was impressed by the care being delivered, while also arguing that the facilities need improvement. He said capacity is not keeping pace with population growth and said he would work with the trust to persuade the Government to fund a new way of accessing A&E services at the hospital.
As quoted by the trust, Mr Rosindell said: “Queen’s is clearly doing a great job but the capacity isn’t keeping up with the numbers of the population.” He added that a new facility would be “good value for money” and improve efficiency, patient care and speed of treatment.
What does the trust say?
Matthew Trainer, chief executive of BHRUT, thanked the MP for visiting the site and backing the trust’s position. He said local MPs need to see the conditions in which some patients are treated, and said staff are doing an “incredible job” despite the pressure.
He also said there are still too many patients being cared for in corridors, describing that as a poor experience for both patients and staff. According to Mr Trainer, a redesigned department would help end corridor care and improve the way emergency services operate at Queen’s.
How strong is the hospital’s recent performance?
The trust says the improvement plans come after its busiest month on record in March, even though performance has been improving. In April, it said almost 7,000 more patients were treated within four hours in its A&Es and urgent treatment centres compared with the previous year.
It also said overall performance across all types was the best it had been in four years, with 78.14% of patients seen and treated within four hours. On the trust’s figures, that placed it fifth out of 18 acute trusts in London and 24th out of 122 in England.
Why include M&S?
The planning details also refer to retail changes at the hospital, with reports that the scheme includes a new M&S store on site. Similar hospital developments elsewhere have used M&S food outlets inside or near main entrances as part of wider entrance and retail reconfigurations, although the Queen’s Hospital proposal remains specific to Romford.
In this case, the retail element appears to sit alongside, rather than replace, the clinical reconfiguration of the emergency department. The trust’s public emphasis remains on improving patient access, reducing congestion and creating a better hospital entrance for urgent care users.
What happens next?
The plans now sit with Havering Council as part of the planning process. Any final decision will depend on the council’s assessment of the submitted designs and the usual planning considerations for a hospital redevelopment of this scale.
The trust has not set out a full construction timetable in the material provided, so the immediate next step is the planning stage rather than building work. The broader debate is likely to continue around emergency care pressure, hospital capacity and the need for investment in a facility that was designed for much lower patient numbers than it now handles.
