£10million health centre is on hold (From Echo)

£10million health centre is on hold

3:00pm Monday 23rd May 2011 in Health

A £10MILLION health centre for Shoebury has been put on hold.

South East Essex Primary Care Trust called a halt to the proposals for the clinic in Gunners Park until GPs decide whether they want to progress with the plans.

The centre, which would have two GP surgeries, a pharmacy and blood testing facilities plus 171 parking spaces, was expected to open by February 2013. Residents were told at an association meeting the plans have been delayed because of health reforms that will see primary care trusts scrapped by 2013.

As a result, GPs will take over paying for frontline health care and they now need to decide whether they are happy to press ahead.

Kate Halliday, estate service manager for NHS South East Essex, said: “We need to make sure the GPs are happy with what we are doing and before we can progress with these plans, we need to make sure that this project fits with the commissioning intentions.

“Although this will result in a delay, we do not know how long this will be.

“We would like to reassure patients we are working very hard to minimise any delays.”

Ann Chalk, newly-elected Independent councillor for Shoeburyness ward, said she was concerned about the future of the plans.

She said: “I am concerned it might not happen, because we do need a new health centre in Shoebury.

“I know that when the plans were first announced some people who were against it. From what I understand, it all depends on what the consortium of GPs says.”

Southend Independent councillor Dr Marimuthu Velmurugan, who runs a surgery in Westborough Road, Westcliff, said: “My view is the centre is not needed in Shoebury, as GPs and patients there are happy.”