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But now campaigners have started a petition calling for a unit to be built on the Barking Hospital site.

Currently, the hospital is mainly used to take care of elderly patients.

But local MP Margaret Hodge, who’s started a petition to press for the new unit, says the site should include maternity facilities. She says the response has been overwhelming.

Mrs Hodge also expressed concern that the possible closure of King George Hospital’s accident and emergency:

“I want to see babies born in Barking again… There are no hospitals left in Barking. Both Rush Green and Barking [hospitals] were closed as district general hospitals for this constituency….so that’s why we feel particularly strongly about the proposition that the A & E department at King George should close”.

Barking Havering and Redbridge NHS trust, who take care of the hospital, say there will soon be a public consultation about facilities offered there.

Their chief executive Mark Rees told ��ѿ��ý London’s Lebo Diseko that:

"This trust delivers more babies than most places in the country. We are looking at a number of options for the site, including a low risk [maternity] unit. We haven't ruled it out, and it will be part of a public consultation process."

What do you think? Should Barking Hospital offer these new facilities for mums? Or are those provided by other hospitals enough? Email me at lebo.diseko@bbc.co.uk and let me know your thoughts on this, or any other health story for Barking, Dagenham or Havering.