Tilbury’s GP services have been pushed into crisis point, it was revealed tonight, with one GP suspended and two further GPs branded as ‘in need of improvement’.

The move to suspend one doctor, Dr Suntharalingam, and place Dr Shehadeh, into special measures was revealed in a critical inspection report.

The report was written following an inspection by the General Medical Council, the Care Quality Commission and NHS England.

Tilbury Medical Centre remains open but patients must see locum doctors as Dr Suntharalingam cannot see or treat patients whilst he is suspended.

Two further doctors, Dr Ramachandran and Dr Shehadeh, have also been told their practice requires improvement.

The Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee met this evening in Grays to discuss the challenges facing Tilbury’s health needs.

Kim James of Healthwatch Thurrock, a local health advocacy group said: “We have got some very worried and frightened patients in a very bad place. They feel dumped onto that this crisis has reached these proportions through no fault of their own.”

Councillor Steve Liddiard demanded answers from NHS England Director Andrew Pike.

Mr Liddiard said: “Every week we get residents coming up to us and asking what’s happening, what’s happening? When are you going to come up with a plan?”

Andrew Pike said that all of Dr Suntharalingam’s patients had been written to, to inform them of the change and offer alternative GP provision until a full replacement was found.

Among the challenges discussed were both recruiting and keeping good quality doctors and nurses to work in Tilbury, with GP recruitment a problem across Thurrock, but highlighted in Tilbury.

Councillor Barbara Rice slammed the lack of adequate health provision in Tilbury, and said a lower than national life expectancy in Tilbury was one of the reasons more health provision was needed.

She said: “It’s completely unacceptable that we have our residents in Tilbury living nearly nine years less than the rest of the country. Now we have got evidence to show that it can’t be put down to residents’ lifestyles, or to inequality. Something has got to be done.”