Erith Hospital is “badly in need of review” if it is to keep up with demand, according to a council boss.

At a scrutiny meeting on Monday, Bexley councillors were told that the hospital would need to be looked at in the future following the Council’s ambitious growth plans.

Director of adult social care Stuart Rowbotham gave councillors an update on local health services, highlighting the importance of Erith Hospital.

He said: “The services currently provided there are both very valued by residents, but badly in need of review. We have radiology from a WW2 bunker – the hardware is in bad need of replacing. It’s hard to recruit and retain radiologists, and if that goes you can’t run an urgent care centre there.

“There’s a domino effect there – the urgent care service there is hugely popular but used for the wrong things. It can’t continue from what is an inappropriate clinical site.

“That hospital, at some point in the future, will need to be reconfigured. We will need to work with the CCG as it distributes primary care and general practice.”

Mr Rowbotham gave councillors an update on the health services in the borough ahead of what is expected to be a difficult winter period.

He said: “We, like many others, operate in a highly challenged hospital system. A particular concern is Greenwich and Lewisham trust, and of course Kings which has an infamous overspend situation.

“This winter just gone was one of the most difficult on record, we had significant breaches of A&E waiting times of almost all hospitals. It was a harsh winter in terms of the weather.

“Planning starts now for Winter 2018/19. These pressures flow through into social care and that brings a cost pressure – but we need these hospitals to work best because they serve our residents.”