CAMPAIGNING councillors still believe a new community hospital is crucial for Billericay.

Town councillors said elderly residents and those who find it hard to travel are suffering, as they can be forced to travel miles for certain medical services.

Earlier this year, the NHS asked residents whether they wanted to cut the number of GP surgeries in town and build a new large clinic in their place.

The majority of residents rejected the option, so the trust said it would focus instead on improving the existing seven surgeries.

But Terry Gandy said upgrading the surgeries would not be enough to make up for a community hospital, and claimed the current Mayflower Community Hospital did not have enough potential for expansion and necessary improvement. He said: “The problem is because all the surgeries are central to town. There is no space for building extensions to offer more services.

“They have said Brentwood Community Hospital is just six miles away, but it raises problems of travelling.

“The cost of somebody getting a taxi there is about £23.”

Mr Gandy and fellow councillor Edgar Guest want Billericay to have a similar facility to Brentwood Community Hospital.

The Brentwood facility offers several services, from an outpatient clinic, dental clinic, care of the elderly, diabetes clinic and cardiology.

The council is now considering setting up a panel to look into local health needs of residents.

Lynn McCullagh, NHS South West Essex Primary Care Trust’s associate director of strategic planning, said the questionnaire showed support for more services from the local surgeries.

She added: “We are committed to working with practices to identify the services that can be delivered in a local surgery, clinic or home setting.

“Residents of Billericay also have access to the newly-opened Brentwood Community Hospital, just six miles away, which serves the north of our area.”