TWO state-of-the art health centres are unlikely to go ahead any time soon, it has been revealed.

The NHS Southend Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has admitted it is reviewing plans for a community health centre at the St Luke’s surgery in Southend and for a new health centre to serve Shoebury.

Plans are currently being developed to move the St Luke’s GP practice, in Pantile Avenue, Southend, into Cumberlege Lodge, a rehabilitation unit for patients discharged from hospital.

It was hoped that the GP surgery, which has been in demountable buildings since 2009, would form part of a new community health centre.

Work will start on an extension to Cumberlege Lodge to accommodate the practice this year with further work being planned to increase the range of services offered locally. However, it will initially operate just as a GP surgery.

The CCG says following a change of management and a review of finances, plans for a health centre on the Garrison site in Shoebury have also been shelved “in the short to medium term”.

Current strategic transformation plans (STPs) advocate more care in the community to ease pressure on overstretched A&E departments but the group says this will not be provided in new buildings.

A spokeswoman for the group said: “The models of care proposed for both projects - St Luke’s and Shoeburyness - was agreed by the CCG in 2017, but since that time it should be recognised that the CCG and local provider organisations, have both experienced significant and increased financial pressures which has resulted in the CCG being required to put cost saving plans in place, for the coming years.

“Therefore all projects undertaken must be fully reviewed to ensure they are viable and financially efficient. Southend CCG continues to maintain the importance of these two projects, not only to meet the needs of the current local population, but also to enable the future development of these locality models of out of hospital care; which is an essential part of the Strategic Transformation Plan for Mid and south Essex.”

The spokeswoman added: “The CCG still has lots of work to do in looking at out of hospital care models, which is part of the work being undertaken with the STP team across Mid and south Essex.

“The reconfiguration of hospital services will assist the financial position of the CCG and enable sufficient funds to be freed up to support essential local projects.”

The Shoebury health centre, which has been ten years in the pipeline, would have allowed the relocation of the current Shoeburyness Health Centre GP surgery along with other surgeries in the town. It was planned to offer a range of services in one place, including blood taking. It was expected the sale of the derelict Shoebury Hospital site would have funded the new building.

John Budge from Shoebury Residents’ Association said the decision was a blow to residents.

He said: “We are absolutely disgusted and appalled. After ten years of striving to to address the needs of people at this end of the borough we are really fuming about it. For ten years we have done all we could to help, carrying out surveys and providing guidance. It feels like that has all been thrown back in our face.”

Those behind the schemes, accountable officer Melanie Craig and Primary care and engagement director Sadie Parker both resigned from Southend CCG in February last year.