Future of Maldon hospital set for commons debate
The local MP for the area has previously said that the provision of a new hospital building would be ideal, and that keeping outpatient services within the town is vital
Last updated 11th Mar 2024
The question of what lies ahead for a community hospital in Essex which is facing closure will be broached as part of a debate in the House of Commons this week.
Conservative MP for Maldon Sir John Whittingdale successfully applied for the discussion in parliament on the future of St Peter’s Hospital, located close to the centre of the town. The debate will take place at the end of business on March 14 and will be replied to by a minister from the Department of Health and Social Care.
The hospital, a former Victorian workhouse built during the 1870s, has been mired in controversy in recent months after being deemed “unfit for purpose” by NHS professionals.
Extensive water damage to the building has meant that floors and ceilings have become compromised, leading to what was initially planned as the temporary relocation of its stroke rehabilitation and birthing units to Braintree Community Hospital – approximately 16 miles away – last year due to concerns over staff shortages and the safety of the building.
The projected cost of renovation works necessary to restore the hospital has been estimated at over £18 million.
However, St Peter’s continues to provide outpatient services to Maldon residents through its phlebotomy department, and carries out routine blood tests and x-rays. It is also the most conveniently located health provision for residents of remote, rural areas in the region such as the Dengie Peninsula.
Commenting on the issue previously, Sir Whittingdale said that the permanent closure of the hospital and relocation of all services would be “unacceptable unless and until – an alternative local site can be found”.
Speaking to LDRS, he said: “The issue of St Peter’s is one which is decades old. The building was designed as a workhouse and has never been ideal in terms of offering Maldon hospital services.
“We’ve been looking at alternatives for a very long time, and on several occasions, we’ve come very close to reaching an agreement on a site for a new hospital. Each time there have been delays and financial challenges, all the while St Peter’s is getting older and older and harder to sustain.
“The most important priority is that the current outpatient services should still be able to be accessed by people in Maldon.”
Sir Whittingdale said that should a proposal for a new hospital be approved, it could be partly funded by the sale of the St Peter’s site, which has a potential price tag of £6.2 million.
However, not all residents are confident that their local MP has their best interests at heart. Les Flack, a member of the local action group Save Maldon’s Medical Services, whose wife relies on St Peter’s services for the management of COPD, said that Sir Whittingdale has “failed the community”, and that proposing a new medical centre “would look good for his political position”.
He said that with the rate of housing development overtaking updates to local infrastructure including healthcare, it would be a more likely scenario that a developer would secure a Section 106 planning agreement in order to fund a medical facility in a “less than ideal location”.
Maldon District Councillor Kevin Jennings (Lib Dem., Maldon North) previously said: “It is terrifying knowing that there is little to no adequate medical provision for the whole district.
“The facility is beyond the type of money we need to restore it, if we were having this conversation 20 years ago – maybe something could have been done.”