PATIENTS will have to travel further for treatment after a plan to turn all purpose hospitals into specialised centres was approved.

The £118million “treat and transfer” approach will see Southend, Basildon and Broomfield Hospital retain their A&E departments but give up certain areas of care.

Patients will be taken to their nearest hospital for initial emergency care however rather than remaining there they will be moved to whichever hospital has been chosen to deal with that particular type of ailment.

For example, a specialist stroke unit will be created at Basildon which would mean patients suffering a suspected stroke would be taken to their nearest hospital for initial treatment before being transferred to Basildon’s stroke unit for up to 72 hours of high dependency care and rehabilitation.

They would then be transferred back to their local hospital or home with further care and support.

The Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) held a meeting on Friday afternoon and approved a list of 19 recommendations.

Basildon, which also houses the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre, would become the point of specialist treatment for complex heart and lung conditions and complex kidney problems.

The plans state that all outpatient appointments, tests, scans and short hospital stays for non-complex heart conditions will continue to be available locally.

Southend Hospital would remain a specialised cancer centre offering treatment for gynaecological and urological cancer surgery.

Complex non-cancer emergency urological conditions will be treated at Broomfield where there is already specialist urological care available.

Broomfield will also offer specialised treatment for orthopaedic surgery for south Essex patients.

Patients who would have used Basildon for planned orthopaedic inpatient surgery will no longer be able to access this care at Basildon and will instead be offered surgery elsewhere.

Some emergency orthopaedic surgery, such as leg fractures, which require a hospital stay will remain available at Basildon hospital.

Broomfield would become a specialist centre for emergency general surgery and emergency abdominal surgery.

Gastroenterology services will continue at all three.

Professor Mike Bewick, chairman of the clinical commissioning group’s joint committee, said: “These decisions are an important next stage in the work we have been doing together to develop and build a health and care system fit for the future for the people of mid and south Essex.

“We have listened to the feedback we received during the public consultation and the very understandable concerns about whether the changes will improve care for patients.

“As we now start planning how to introduce these changes in a safe way, we have committed to continue to involve and update our community as we progress.”

Clare Panniker, chief executive of the three hospitals said: “Basildon, Southend and Broomfield hospitals will all continue to provide the services our patients use the most.

“These include outpatient appointments, children’s services and day-case surgery.

“I also want to reassure our community, patients and staff that no services will change overnight.

“Robust plans, including those for transport, will need to be in place before any changes occur.

“We are pleased the joint committee has agreed these proposals to run our hospitals in a better way by working together and using our people and resources as effectively as possible for the greatest benefit to patients.

“This process has been about ensuring safe and sustainable services for our community, and that continues to be our priority in the coming weeks and months as we work together to deliver the best possible care in all three of our hospitals.”

Caroline Rassell, accountable officer for Mid Essex CCG, added: “The changes agreed today are substantially different from initial proposals two years ago, having taken on board the opinions and views of clinicians and local people throughout the planning process. “The way people will get access to emergency specialist care via their A&E has benefited from public discussions; and plans for transport to help families to visit their relative in hospital are now much more detailed.”