POLITICIANS, unions and resident associations have joined forces to launch a campaign against a radical shake-up of hospital services.

The South and Mid Essex Success Regime is looking at merging and reorganising Southend, Basildon and Broomfield Hospital, in Chelmsford.

Under the plans, Basildon is set to have a specialist emergency centre taking the most serious blue light cases across the area. Southend and Broomfield A&Es will be downgraded, but will still have 24-hour walk-in departments to treat less serious cases.

Representatives from political parties, trade unions, resident associations and campaign groups have teamed up to form Save Southend A&E over fears patients will suffer.

It comes after Sir David Amess, Tory MP for Southend West, spoke out in Parliament to offer reassurance. He praised Clare Panniker, who is now chief executive of all three hospitals.

He said: “Southend hospital has a successful regime. There is new management in place and I wish it well. It is very important that local residents realise that the A&E at Southend will not be closing.”

Speaking after a Save Southend A&E meeting at the Beecroft Gallery, in Victoria Avenue, Southend, Julian Ware-Lane, Labour councillor for Milton Ward, said: “This was a good meeting, with many positive ideas thrown into the mix. A diminished healthcare provision is a real worry, and I know that this issue will affect many people.

“The local population have to be made aware of the implications of the changes being put forward by the Government. We must try to stop this.”

The campaigners believe residents are only now beginning to realise they are “going to lose their full 24-hour blue-light A&E facility at Southend Hospital.”

Mike Fieldhouse, Labour spokesman for the Prittlewell ward, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that all these people and groups have joined forces. This shows the unity in the local community against these proposals.

“In reality, this is a matter of life or death, it’s something we have to take action on with the utmost urgency or our A&E department will be downgraded before we know what’s happened. I would urge anyone who cares about our NHS to join our campaign to save the A&E services at Southend Hospital.”

THOSE behind the success regime plans insist the proposed A&E changes will streamline services.

Andy Vowles, programme director of the Mid and South Essex Success Regime, said: “The three hospitals in Basildon, Chelmsford and Southend are working as a group to meet rising demands and make best use of specialist staff.

“There are no plans to close A&E at any of the three hospitals.
“The potential is to create a network of urgent care in the community, maintain a 24 hour A&E at each hospital and designate one site to be a specialist emergency hospital.”
Mr Vowles added: “Separating the major emergency work in this way could release capacity and resources for planned surgery and other treatments.

“For patients, this could reduce waiting times and put an end to cancelled operations caused by surges in emergency cases.
“Establishing new centres of excellence across the hospital group in both planned and emergency care could help to attract high calibre staff and bring the best of modern healthcare to mid and south Essex.”