You did it! After years of uncertainty the Government announced on 25 May 2023 that it will confirm construction and funding for a new hospital at Whipps Cross, which will serve more than 400,000 people across Waltham Forest, Redbridge, and parts of Essex.
This great news follows decades of campaigning by the people of Waltham Forest and beyond, including the Council's petition, 'Whipps Won't Wait', which was signed by 11,000 residents. Campaigners have called for improvements to the crumbling Victorian-era infrastructure to create a hospital that meets the needs of the community in the 21st century.
The Whipps Won't Wait Campaign seized on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the hospital and the wider site to serve borough residents for generations to come, improving residents' health and reducing inequality in the borough, while providing much-needed new homes.
The urgency of the improvement work was demonstrated in July 2021 when serious flooding closed the A&E and prevented hundreds of essential operations. Some of the hospital’s most vulnerable patients had to be evacuated from the hospital in pitch dark.
The Leader of Waltham Forest Council, Cllr Grace Williams, thanked everyone who has supported the campaign.
For decades Waltham Forest Council has been campaigning alongside residents and hospital staff for improvements to Whipps Cross. The importance of this issue for local people was demonstrated by the 11,000 people who signed our Whipps Won’t Wait Campaign petition. Thank you to everyone who got involved – your support has been vital in showing the Government the strength of local feeling on this issue.
I also can’t express my gratitude enough to the wonderful nurses, doctors, and NHS support staff who have worked so hard for so long in dilapidated buildings.
The Government has announced that the hospital will proceed. We will at last have a hospital that is fit for purpose for the 21st century and of which staff can rightly be proud.
I know the affection local people have for Whipps Cross. Many residents will have been born, had babies of their own, and had relatives cared for at the hospital. We now have the opportunity build on the emotional attachment the community has for Whipps and create a legacy for future generations.
We will hold the Government to account to make sure this happens without further delay and the money they’ve promised is used well to meet the needs of residents.