Meeting held about the closure of St Peters Hospital in Maldon
The closure of St. Peter's Hospital, is raising concerns for stroke patients and pregnant women who will now have to travel greater distances for medical care
A public scrutiny meeting about the Future of St Peter’s Hospital in maldon has been held at the Plume Academy.
It's been organised by Local MP Sir John Whittingdale who tells us he was "never in any doubt" as to how strong the feeling was in Maldon, which is why he felt it was "very important" to have a public meeting and that "it was no surprise that it was filled to capacity."
The closure of St. Peter's Hospital, is raising concerns for stroke patients and pregnant women who will now have to travel greater distances for medical care. And since it's announcement has been prompting discussions about redistributing crucial services, such as stroke rehabilitation beds, to facilities in Brentwood and Rochford.
Two proposed options are under consideration: one suggests consolidating all stroke rehabilitation in a specialized unit at Brentwood, providing 88 intermediary care beds. The second option disperses stroke rehabilitation beds and intermediary care beds between Brentwood, Mountnessing Court in Billericay, and Cumberlege Intermediate Care Centre in Rochford. While the latter option improves access for stroke rehabilitation in the eastern catchment area, it lacks a centralized specialized unit and leaves the southeast of the Mid and South Essex NHS area without intermediary care beds.
Local people concerned about changes to the provision of local healthcare tell us they are deeply concerned about the travel aspect of all of this as they now face the prospect of travelling over thirty miles away for stroke treatment and midwifery services.
Some comments from residents include,
"People have got to travel, if you're unwell, the last thing you really want to do is travel."
"You wouldn't be able to get to all these different places."
"You've got to have your own transport, public transport isn't easy."
"Nothing has been spent on St Peters for the past 20-30 years."
"The people that live right out (in the district).. are not going to be able to get there, it could be up to a 2-hour commute to get to the hospital... which can cause massive risk, for birthing, for mothers, for babies."
"It's detrimental to the whole of Molden District >"
"They're passing us off to already oversubscribed services at Bromfield hospital."
"I've been to all 3 hospitals. I went to Braintree today it took me an hour and 10 minutes to get there."
Jonathan Dunk, Chief Commercial Officer of the Mid & South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, has previously emphasized the importance of swift implementation, acknowledging efforts to minimize delays and appropriately mothballing sections of the site as services phase out. While the exact timeline remains uncertain, there is a collective aspiration to expedite the process and avoid prolonged disruptions.