A top health boss was in favour of a controversial scheme to rent out rooms in private houses for patients, the Echo can reveal.

The chairman of the joint committee for the south Essex clinical commissioning groups, Mike Bewick, backed the plan named CareRooms which was proposed by Essex doctor Harry Thirkettle.

CareRooms involved using private homes to care for patients recovering after operations and paying owners £50 a night for the use of their rooms in order to save the NHS money.

The scheme, which has since been abandoned, is understood to have been supported by Southend Hospital, Southend Council, and the Southend and Rochford and Castle Point clinical commissioning groups.

Following an uproar about a proposed pilot scheme in Southend, the hospital, which displayed leaflets on its premises, has since backtracked on the scheme and Mr Bewick’s picture which was on the CareRooms website has since disappeared.

Andy Vowles, programme director for the mid and south Essex sustainability and transformation partnership, said: “Two years ago, Professor Mike Bewick was invited by NHS England to offer support to young doctors as part of an NHS clinical entrepreneurial programme.

“Dr Harry Thirkettle, who is developing the CareRooms idea, is one of several young clinicians mentored by Professor Bewick. Mike has no formal position in the CareRooms company and receives no remuneration. His advice to Dr Thirkettle and his company was purely on a voluntary basis.”

Mr Vowles added: “There is no connection with Mike’s position as independent chairman. As the CareRooms concept has only been considered by two CCGs in south east Essex and is at a very early stage, it has not been on the agenda of the committee.”

Mr Bewick said: “I am pleased to have the opportunity to help innovative clinicians develop ideas. They need the benefit of senior expertise, particularly in matters of clinical governance and safety, while at the same time our NHS is able to make the most of what technology and creativity has to offer in benefits to patients.”

Charles Willis, Labour’s health spokesman in Southend, said the hospital should not consider the proposal under any circumstances.

Mr Willis said: “ This is simply unbelievable. There is a chance of real harm coming to a patient while in the care of a member of the public.

“This is a way of emptying hospital beds on the cheap.”