Plans to close a vital accident and emergency department at night are already being drawn up, an MP has claimed.

MP for Ilford North Wes Streeting has said the community needs to come together to fight the closure of King George A&E in Goodmayes, as health commissioners are in the first stages of closing it overnight.

He said: “Now is the time for the community to rally to save our local A&E department at King George Hospital.

“Since the closure decision was taken in 2011 we’ve not seen enough improvements. The local NHS is completely stressed and this will only add to mounting pressures.

"This is the first issue I raised in parliament after I was elected and I can guarantee I will be using every avenue and opportunity possible to make the government think again on this."

Mr Streeting’s parliamentary petition against the closure has already received over 1,000 signatures in its first week.

Save King George Hospital campaigner, Andy Walker, said: “I am so pleased Wes is campaigning on this issue, and I will be giving him all my support.”

“It is proven that more people die when they cannot access acute hospital care quickly, which is what will happen if King George closes.”

He said the Secretary of State for Health’s decision to close the department in 2011 was only on the condition that both Queen’s Hospital in Romford and King George improved their services.

Both hospitals’ last Care Quality Commission inspection said they still require improvement.

A public meeting will be held in the Lambourne Room at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford at 7.30pm on February 25.

Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust has been contacted for comment.