Emergency departments across Redbridge and Havering recorded their busiest month on record in March, according to NHS figures.
Data from Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) shows an average of 1,000 people sought urgent and emergency care each day.
The trust’s two hospitals, Queen’s Hospital and King George Hospital, treated a total of 31,214 patients over the month.
Demand has risen steadily, with the highest single-day attendance recorded in November last year, when 1,003 people attended A&E.
The NHS warned that this level of pressure has “real consequences”, leading to long waits, overcrowding and patients being treated in corridors.
The situation has been “particularly challenging” at Queen’s Hospital, where the A&E department saw more than 750 patients a day, more than double its intended capacity of 325.
The trust is currently campaigning for £42 million to replace the hospital’s 20-year-old emergency department.
Despite the pressures, BHRUT said there have been improvements. In February 2026, staff recorded 10,000 fewer hours of corridor care at Queen’s compared with the previous year, saving around £150,000 in temporary staffing costs.
Fiona Wheeler, chief operating officer and deputy chief executive, said: “Despite these improvements, the department isn’t fit for purpose, which is why we’re campaigning for the £42 million needed to transform it for patients and staff.”
Outgoing chief executive Matthew Trainer added he was “confident we will receive the funding needed to develop a modern, fit-for-purpose department and eradicate corridor care”.
The trust also reported rising numbers of patients with mental health needs attending A&E and facing delays in accessing appropriate support.
To ease pressure, staff have been making greater use of the crisis assessment hub at Goodmayes Hospital, run by the North East London NHS Foundation Trust, to support patients before they reach emergency departments.
