The leader of Greenwich Council has expressed "significant concerns" about the local NHS system's capability to cope during the upcoming winter months.

Following a visit last week, Cllr Thorpe paid tribute to the staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital but told the News Shopper that he came away with the view that "the hospital simply isn't big enough to deal with the demand it's facing."

Earlier this week, the Greenwich councillor tweeted that Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust had experienced its "most challenging day in its history."

On Monday, November 4, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was short by 122 beds, and the hospital also spent several days on Level 4 (Black) internal alert.

A spokesperson for the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust said the Woolwich hospital was now back to the lowest level of escalation (green), but also said both its hospitals face "considerable pressure due to increased admissions" during the winter months.

Mr Thorpe commented: "It’s worth pointing out that whilst it’s getting colder now, it’s not officially winter and I have significant concerns about how our local health system will cope during the winter months."

"At the hospital, we had the chance to observe a bed management/patient flow meeting which involves people from across the hospital, working together to ensure patients are discharged appropriately and safely, to ensure space in the system.

"We also visited A&E where we saw how the team have had to convert parts of old corridors into escalation beds to help manage the demand in the A and E. I came away with the clear view that the hospital have simply isn’t big enough to deal with the demand it’s facing."

Hospital waiting lists nationwide are currently at an all-time high, with key targets for cancer, hospital care and A&E have been missed for over three years.

The last monthly hospital figures published before the election has seen Labour and the Liberal Democrats attack the Tories over NHS funding, although Boris Johnson said "huge demand was to blame."

Greenwich CCG today (November 14) made an appeal to people in the borough to take simple steps to stay fit and healthy during the winter, urging them to only use emergency services when absolutely necessary.

ED is for serious, life-threatening health concerns needing urgent medical attention, whilst less-urgent cases can often be dealt with by a pharmacist, NHS 111 or by booking an appointment with their GP.

You can read the Trust's statement about the situation here.